Vanden Huyck Willard, a male human, held the ranks of general and sector commander within the Rebel Alliance. During the Battle of Yavin, he was stationed at the Rebel base situated on Yavin 4. His death occurred when the Yavin's Hope, his cruiser, faced an assault by the Executor in proximity to the Mako-Ta Space Docks.
At the time of the Battle of Yavin, Vanden Huyck Willard served as both a general and a sector commander for the Rebel Alliance. Following the rescue of Princess Leia Organa from the Galactic Empire's Death Star by Luke Skywalker, alongside Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2, and their subsequent return to the hidden rebel base on Yavin 4, Willard extended a greeting, expressing his relief at Organa's safety, particularly after hearing of the destruction of Alderaan, which had led to fears of the worst.
Upon the revelation that the Millennium Falcon, the ship they traveled on, was being tracked, and that the Death Star had arrived, Willard took on the responsibility of scrutinizing the flight simulator records of every pilot aspiring to fly an X-wing starfighter for the Rebel Alliance, making decisions about their acceptance. He later assisted in the coordination of the battle against the superweapon. During the conflict, Willard was present in the war room alongside General Jan Dodonna, Colonel Bandwin Cor, Organa, and a control officer. When Dodonna inquired about additional reversion signatures, Willard responded that only the Death Star's was present. Excerpts from the war room recordings, including Willard's statement, were eventually included in The Rebel Files.
Following an unsuccessful meeting with Regent Dors Urtya on Mon Cala, aimed at enlisting the Mon Cala Mercantile Fleet, Willard attended an Alliance High Command meeting at the Mako-Ta Space Docks. During this meeting, Chancellor Mon Mothma requested Organa's report on Mon Cala. Willard showed his disappointment when Organa declared that Urtya would never initiate a mutiny against the Empire. Organa proceeded to detail her strategy to liberate King Lee-Char, with the goal of forging an alliance with the Mon Calamari and integrating their fleet into the Rebel Alliance Navy.
Eventually, Organa and her team managed to infiltrate a prison on Strokill Prime and locate Lee-Char. Due to his severe injuries, they recorded his last words before he was killed by Imperial stormtroopers. Although Urtya managed to seize the recordings from Organa, he transmitted the message to the Fleet Captains of the Mon Cala fleet, triggering their mutiny and their subsequent joining of the Rebel Alliance.
After the mutiny, Queen Trios of the Kingdom of Shu-Torun ordered that Yavin's Hope be refitted for combat and given to Willard to command. Willard made the cruiser the flagship for Delta Group. He stayed at the Mako-Ta Space Docks during a ceremony celebrating the new Alliance Fleet, where rebel personnel and allies could witness the dispersal of rebel naval forces. During the ceremony, Willard invited Organa to his cruiser, but she declined, preferring to stay with Mothma in case she was needed.
Before launch, Organa requested a check-in from all sub-groups, and Willard was the last to confirm that his group had no issues. Willard also asked Organa to wish Mothma good luck for her speech, believing it would impress the crowd. After Organa told Mothma that the fleet was ready, she also mentioned Willard's comment, and told Mothma that he knew he would be impressed.
As the ships prepared to jump into hyperspace, a malfunction prevented the launch of Willard's cruiser, as well as all the other ships that used Shu-Torun technology. The malfunction caused all launches to fail, communications to be lost, armament to be disabled, and the ships to be unable to launch their starfighters. At the same time, Death Squadron, under the command of Sith Lord Darth Vader, arrived and fired on the nearest cruiser, Willard's starship.
As the Executor and an Imperial-class Star Destroyer attacked Willard's cruiser, Mothma, Organa, General Davits Draven, and other rebel personnel watched in horror from the base. Under constant fire from laser cannons, Willard ordered all power be diverted to the deflector shields, but a crewmember reported that they were failing. Willard then ordered the ship to be abandoned, but the ship was destroyed as Willard said "may the Force be with them all" to his crew.
A massive explosion consumed the cruiser, and Darth Vader watched from the bridge of the Executor, satisfied that the rebels now understood and that he felt their terror.
Willard possessed the ability to command personnel in his capacity as a general. During the attack on his cruiser, he correctly assessed the need to prioritize power to the shields, but failed to recognize the need to evacuate the cruiser sooner. Willard was capable of assessing flight simulator records to determine the suitability of pilots for flying X-wing starfighters before their recruitment.
Willard, in his role as an Alliance officer, wore officer fatigues and displayed the command insignia on the left side of his chest. This insignia featured five pips: four red pips at the corners and a blue pip in the center. While in command of Beta Group, Willard used a cruiser as his flagship.
Willard's initial appearance was in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, where Eddie Byrne, an Irish actor, physically portrayed him, and Michael Bell provided his voice. Willard's first name was first revealed in Star Wars: A New Hope junior novelization, which was released in 2017, authored by Ryder Windham, and edited by Emil Fortune.
Kieron Gillen, the lead writer for Star Wars, conceived the idea of killing off Willard, reflecting on the rapid advancement of the heroes through the ranks.