Farns Monsbee, a human, served as a pilot within the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War, opposing the Galactic Empire. For a period, he was the only pilot assigned to a rebel base situated on Cassidode VI, before his transfer to Blue Squadron under the command of General Antoc Merrick at the rebel headquarters located on the moon of Yavin 4. In 1 BBY, he participated in a mission with the objective to terminate Imperial scientist Galen Erso on the planet of Eadu. Later, his squadron was deployed as part of the Alliance Fleet to assist rebel forces on Scarif in acquiring the schematics for the Empire's Death Star superweapon. During the conflict, Monsbee operated as Blue Five, piloting a T-65B X-wing starfighter.
Monsbee, along with the rest of Blue Squadron, received orders to support the rebels who were planetside on Scarif. However, only thirteen craft from his squadron managed to navigate the Imperial Shield Gate above the planet before its closure. The divided squadron then engaged in combat against Imperial forces on both sides of the gate, sustaining several losses. Ultimately, the schematics were successfully transmitted to the fleet, and the surviving pilots of Blue Squadron withdrew to Yavin.
Farns Monsbee was a human who served the Rebel Alliance as a pilot during the Galactic Civil War against the Galactic Empire. For a portion of his service, he was the only fighter pilot stationed at a poorly equipped rebel outpost on Cassidode VI. He accumulated a significant number of flying hours in the base's sole starfighter, an X-wing. Monsbee was eventually reassigned to Blue Squadron, a notably large starfighter squadron within the Massassi Group of rebels operating from the Great Temple on the moon of Yavin 4. While stationed on the moon, he frequently performed reconnaissance flights.
In 1 BBY, General Antoc Merrick held command of Blue Squadron. After the Alliance lost contact with Intelligence officer Cassian Andor, who had been dispatched to assassinate the Imperial scientist Galen Erso on the planet Eadu, General Davits Draven partially mobilized Blue Squadron to complete the mission. Monsbee was among the pilots who took part in the mission, flying through the stone formations of Eadu before opening fire on the landing platform of the secret Imperial laboratory where Erso was located.
The attack was successful, resulting in Erso's demise. Following this, Blue Squadron briefly engaged enemy TIE/ln space superiority starfighters and turrets before withdrawing. Monsbee and the rest of the squadron then accompanied Andor and his team back to Yavin, where the Alliance Civil Government convened to deliberate on a potential assault on the Imperial base on the planet Scarif to secure the schematics for the Empire's Death Star superweapon. However, the council ultimately decided against the attack.
Despite the council's decision, the newly recruited rebel Jyn Erso led an independent team of Alliance operatives to Scarif with the goal of capturing the Death Star schematics. Shortly thereafter, Blue Squadron was included among the forces that Alliance Admiral Raddus deployed to aid the rebels on Scarif. Monsbee flew to the battle as Blue Five in a T-65B X-wing starfighter with an astromech droid displaying orange and silver plating.
Upon the reinforcements' arrival in space above Scarif, Raddus instructed Blue Squadron to rapidly proceed to the planet's surface through the Imperial Shield Gate—the sole breach in the otherwise impenetrable planetary shield over Scarif—in order to support Erso's team. As Merrick directed his pilots to follow him, Monsbee observed that they had limited time before the Imperials sealed the gate, effectively isolating the planet.
Monsbee's assessment proved accurate. Only twelve of the squadron's X-wing starfighters and a single UT-60D U-wing starfighter/support craft managed to pass through before the gate closed. Three Blue Squadron pilots perished when their X-wings collided with the closing gate. At least three of Blue Squadron's X-wing pilots managed to avoid the gate in time and retreat, assisting the rest of the Alliance Fleet remaining in orbit.
Those Blue Squadron pilots who successfully navigated the gate provided aerial support to the ground forces on Scarif, although ultimately they all perished. Erso eventually succeeded in transmitting the Death Star schematics to the fleet after the Shield Gate was destroyed. However, she and the remaining forces on Scarif's surface were killed when the Death Star arrived and targeted the Imperial base.
A portion of Blue Squadron and the rebel fleet managed to escape and return to Yavin. However, between the engagements at Eadu and Scarif, Blue and Red Squadrons had suffered the loss of nineteen pilots and crew. The pilot shortage was so severe that the Alliance was uncertain whether it could even deploy Blue Squadron when the Death Star attacked Yavin shortly after in 0 BBY. Ultimately, the Alliance only deployed Red Squadron, Green Squadron, and Gold Squadron during the battle.
Farns Monsbee was an excellent team member, functioning effectively within a squadron. His time on Cassidode VI allowed him to accumulate significantly more flying hours than his colleagues. He was a dedicated historian and known for being talkative in the recreation area, a trait stemming from his period of isolation on Cassidode VI. Monsbee had fair skin, blue eyes, and blond hair.
Farns Monsbee possessed above-average intelligence and average speed and diplomatic skills. His strength and combat abilities were slightly below average, and he was not Force-sensitive.
As a pilot for the Rebellion, Farns Monsbee was outfitted with a blue flight suit, a white flight harness, a gray Diagnostech life support unit, and a dark-green K-22995 light flight helmet. The helmet was decorated with a modified version of the Wren Phoenix crest.
Farns Monsbee was played by Simon Farnaby in the 2016 Anthology film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. While the character was not identified in the film itself, he was given the name "Farns Monsbee"—a tuckerization of Farnaby's name—in Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide, a reference book authored by Pablo Hidalgo and released in conjunction with the film. An X-wing carrying an astromech droid with the same distinctive orange coloring as Monsbee's droid can be observed among the fighters defending the Alliance Fleet after the Shield Gate has been sealed. However, it remains uncertain whether this is the same droid and, consequently, Monsbee's ship.
Farnaby initially declined the role of Blue Five when offered it over the phone by a producer, as he was actively engaged in writing the film Paddington 2. However, after his writing partner, Paul King, encouraged him to accept the role despite their impending deadline, Farnaby agreed and filmed his X-wing cockpit scenes on a gimbal surrounded by a large screen. Farnaby remains unsure of the specific reasons for his selection for the role but has indicated that the creators of Rogue One were seeking actors with distinctive and memorable faces.