Kazuo Inayama

Kazuo Inayama, nicknamed "Black Devil" by Rebel pilots, was a  from  who served in the  as a ; holding the rank of  by the time of his death. Born in, he was raised during the by a family of former , and now , patriots. As a young man, he wanted to join the of, though his father, knowing the organization was hated by the rest of the Empire, kept Inayama from doing so. After turning seventeen in, he enlisted in the Navy, going to the and graduating. Inayama proved to be a skilled pilot, and the school's leader,, promoted him to  upon graduation.

He fought with distinction during the, and later the. During his service, Inayama became an ace pilot, with 87 total victories. He was among the most successful pilots of the Imperial Navy, along with and. Even as he gained more kills and was offered better s, Inayama continued using the s and s, due to being used to them more. He never marked them either, as a psychological effect on Rebel pilots, intending for them to think any TIE could possibly be him. By, he was a captain and earned the medal. That year, when Coruscant was by the, he led a flight of TIEs in a  attack on an enemy cruiser, destroying it and sacrificing himself.

Behind the scenes
The author had several inspirations for the article, including and, elite Imperial Japanese Navy aces of World War II. In-universe inspirations include the characters Maarek Stele and Soontir Fel, both elite Imperial pilots. He is also somewhat bases on, an Imperial Japanese pilot who led the first kamikaze attack.