Star Wars: 10 Most Ruthless Imperial Officers

Maximillian Veers was the Imperial General commanding the Invasion of Hoth during Empire Strikes Back.

Personally joining the battle in his AT-AT Walker to capture and kill the Rebels, Veers provided the Alliance with a deadly and near-unstoppable adversary. Unlike many in the Imperial ranks, he had no problems with storming the front lines and getting his hands dirty.

Launching from Darth Vader's 'Executor', Veers landed on the remote ice world of Hoth and began an assault on the Rebel Echo Base. Having sent Viper Probe Droids ahead of the attack, Veers' military cunning and devotion to the job would help him secure a victory over the Rebels.

Devastating the shield generator and depleting the Rebels' numbers with his AT-AT's turbolasers, the General prepared for a ground invasion of the Echo Base. As the AT-ATs neared the remaining Rebels, Luke Skywalker and his fellow Snowspeeder pilots managed to fell two of the gargantuan weapons.

Unperturbed by the loss of his support, Veers continued commanding his lead Walker and destroyed the shield generator - now allowing Vader and his forces to land on the planet. As backup arrived and Veers looked to be celebrating a victory, a rogue Snowspeeder piloted by Derek Klivian crashed into the cockpit of Veer's AT-AT, decapitating it.

Veers' fate is open to interpretation, with some sources stating he was merely injured in the attack.

Respected by Darth Vader for his military tactics, competence, and his successful occupation of Hoth, Veers and his AT-AT remain one of the Empire's most dominant forces.