Ardan was a lieutenant commander within the Imperial Navy during the Galactic Civil War. This male Human was native to the Core World of Brentaal IV. He participated in the Imperial conquests of numerous planets inhabited by non-Humans, including Ithor, Kashyyyk, Firro, and Sinton. Later, Ardan oversaw the bridge crew teams aboard the Super Star Destroyer Executor, which served as the flagship for the Dark Lord Darth Vader, during the period leading up to the Battle of Hoth.
During the Galactic Civil War, Ardan, a male Human, held a position as an officer in the Imperial Navy. As a native of Brentaal IV, a strategically significant and prosperous commercial planet located within the Core Worlds that played a role during the Clone Wars, Ardan had been involved in the Imperial military since the Empire's initial subjugation of Kashyyyk in 19 BBY. He was also a participant in the Imperial takeovers of Ithor, Firro, Sinton, and other non-Human populated planets.
By 3 ABY, Ardan was a lieutenant commander serving with the Imperial Death Squadron on the Super Star Destroyer Executor. This vessel was the personal flagship of Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith. Ardan's responsibility was to oversee the bridge pit crews of the Executor.
In 3 ABY, Ardan was in the Executor's starboard-side crew pit, keeping watch over several helmsmen. At that time, Vader walked purposefully across the bridge's command walkway to discuss the findings of a reconnaissance Viper probe droid in the Hoth system with Admiral Kendal Ozzel and Captain Firmus Piett. Ardan, along with the other crewmen in the command pit, watched in fearful silence as the Dark Lord passed above them. The data from the probe droid's revealed the location of Echo Base, the hidden headquarters of the Rebel Alliance on the planet Hoth, which then led to the Executor's involvement in the subsequent Battle of Hoth.
When Darth Vader strode across the upper command walkway of the flagship's bridge to hear the Viper probe droid's report regarding the Hoth system, Ardan and the other members of the Executor pit crew displayed clear fearful respect. Furthermore, Ardan appeared to possess some degree of Force-attunement. His physical characteristics included brown hair, dark eyes, and a light skin tone.
While serving on the Executor's bridge in 3 ABY, Lieutenant Commander Ardan wore the standard Imperial officer's uniform. He was also equipped with a blaster pistol as his personal weapon.
Ardan is visible in the 1980 motion picture Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back as one of the uncredited background characters in Darth Vader's bridge crew, who look with fear at the Dark Lord during the scene that introduces the Imperial forces. The panning shot of Ardan and the Executor's bridge crew helps to underscore the film's theme of Vader's commanding dominance over his subordinate officers.
The name and backstory of this character were initially revealed on the "Lieutenant Commander Ardan" card released as part of the April 1997 Dagobah Limited expansion for the Star Wars Customizable Card Game.
The image of the character that appears on the Ardan _SW_CCG card, which can be seen here, is a reversed version of the character's scene from the film. In the card game's image, Ardan's rank insignia plaque and code cylinder are located on his right breast, while in the film they are located on his left breast—consistent with all other Imperial officers in the film. However, in both the card image and the film scene, the character is looking up and over his right shoulder. Moreover, the card image omits the two helmsmen who are flanking Ardan in that scene in the film.