Wes Janson

Originating from the planet of Taanab, Wes Janson later became a pilot and gunner, fighting for the Alliance to Restore the Republic amidst the widespread conflict of the Galactic Civil War.

In the year 0 BBY, Janson was initially slated to participate in the Battle of Yavin under the designation Red Six. However, he was grounded before the battle commenced and was replaced by Jek Porkins, who ultimately died during the confrontation.

In 3 ABY, Lieutenant Janson took part in the Alliance's defense of Echo Base during the Battle of Hoth. He served as a gunner alongside Wedge Antilles, who piloted a T-47 airspeeder as part of Rogue Squadron. During the engagement, he was the first within Rogue Squadron to successfully neutralize an Imperial AT-AT walker utilizing the harpoon and tow cable strategy conceived by Commander Luke Skywalker. After the battle concluded, Janson boarded an X-wing starfighter and, together with Antilles, escorted the transport Bright Hope, the last transport to evacuate Echo Base, safely away from Hoth towards the fleet's designated rendezvous point.

Following the Hoth evacuation, Lieutenant Janson connected with Antilles aboard the Home One. When The Contessa appointed Antilles as the new squadron leader for Rogue Squadron, Janson assumed the role of executive officer. He then aided Commander Antilles in the recruitment and reformation of the squadron. Janson and Antilles reached an agreement to rename the squadron to Red Squadron, acknowledging the emotional challenges of using Rogue Squadron callsigns so soon after the loss of many comrades on Hoth. Together, they successfully assembled a roster of twelve pilots, although Janson harbored doubts about the suitability of some. Nevertheless, considering the circumstances, Janson accepted the squadron and assisted in their training prior to their initial mission. Under the callsign Red Eleven and serving as a flight leader, he participated with the rest of the squadron in an assault on a nearby pirate base that posed a threat to the security of the Alliance rendezvous point. In this operation, he commanded his own flight of T-65B X-wing starfighters, with Keyser Salm and Barlon Hightower serving as his wingmen. His flight engaged targets on the landing field, supported by Bela Elar's flight, which provided interference. Tragically, his wingman Hightower was killed. Despite this loss, the battle concluded as a success, with only three pilots lost overall.

Sometime after the Battle of Hoth, Janson and Antilles made a decision to continue producing Derek "Hobbie" Klivian's signature beverage, ultimately referring to the orange, tuber-based drink as a Klivian.

Wes Janson was a human male characterized by brown hair, brown eyes, and a fair complexion. He was well-known for his humorous disposition, capable of delivering jokes even amidst intense firefights. He frequently engaged in pranks directed at fellow pilots, including Derek "Hobbie" Klivian and Wedge Antilles. Following the Battle of Hoth, where "Hobbie" met his end, he confided in Antilles about a prank he had intended to play on the serious pilot, involving the release of a canister of tauntaun musk into his cockpit. He later carried out this prank on Antilles.

Janson shared a deep bond with Antilles, which was strengthened by their shared survival of the Battle of Hoth, unlike many other members of Rogue Squadron. In contrast to Janson's lighthearted nature, Antilles was considerably more serious. Janson once humorously referred to Antilles as the "Great Stone Face of the Spaceways" and playfully described himself as "skytrash" to acknowledge Antilles' exceptional abilities as a squadron leader. Following a serious discussion with Antilles regarding the renaming of Rogue Squadron, he attempted to lighten the atmosphere by suggesting the new Red Squadron be called "Reject Squadron," invoking the strategy of reverse psychology. Janson jokingly adopted the persona of "Uncle Wes" when interacting with the enthusiastic rookie pilot Penn Zowlie.

Wes Janson was brought to life by Ian Liston in The Empire Strikes Back, where he was credited simply as "Janson (Wedge's Gunner)." During the production of The Empire Strikes Back, a request was issued for an actor, rather than an extra, to portray an AT-AT gunner. This was initially Liston's designated role in the film. However, he was later approached by an assistant director, with whom Liston had previously collaborated, to assume the role of Janson because the original actor had become ill. This resulted in the ironic situation of him playing both an Imperial and a Rebel, effectively attempting to shoot himself down in one sequence. Regarding his scenes as Janson alongside Wedge Antilles, Liston revealed in 2005 that he and actor Denis Lawson never actually shared the set simultaneously. Liston's double stood in for him when the scene focused on Lawson (Antilles), and vice versa.