The Alliance to Restore the Republic (
colloquial: Rebel Alliance; the Rebellion; the Alliance; or the Rebels) is a fictional
stateless interstellar coalition of republican
dissidents, imperial
defectors, revolutionary factions and
anti-imperialist clandestine cell system
A clandestine cell system is a method for organizing a group of people (such as resistance fighters, sleeper agents, mobsters, or terrorists) such that such people can more effectively resist penetration by an opposing organization (such as l ...
s in a
resistance movement against the imperialist
Galactic Empire. The Alliance's goal is to restore the liberal governance of the previous
Galactic Republic, which had been dissolved after its leader
Palpatine
Sheev Palpatine, also known by his Sith name Darth Sidious, is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Initially credited as the Emperor in the original trilogy films, ''The Empire Strikes ...
seized absolute power and declared himself emperor. It is the main protagonist faction of the
original Star Wars trilogy, parallel to the mostly fallen
Jedi Order survived by
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi () is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the Star Wars original trilogy, original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinn ...
,
Yoda, and later
Luke Skywalker.
As a direct reactionary movement to the formation of the Empire, the Rebel insurgency conducted covert operations on Imperial garrison-worlds and utilized a stateless strategy in conjunction with
wolfpack-
guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants, such as paramilitary personnel, armed civilians, or Irregular military, irregulars, use military tactics including ambushes, sabotage, Raid (military), raids ...
against the Imperial Fleet throughout the galaxy. Capital ships had no place in the Rebellion; they are expensive to build, maintain, and to keep fully crewed. The Rebellion was far too limited in both manpower and resources to justify putting so much of both into a giant target. When the Galactic Empire is capable of always fielding greater numbers and greater firepower, being able to hit high-valued targets and get out is much more important. While the Empire considers all dissent and rebellion as acts of extremism and terrorism in Imperial propaganda, the Alliance is described and portrayed in various ''Star Wars'' media as a group of resilient
freedom fighters, based on tolerance, self-empowerment, and hope for a better future using insurgency weapons and tactics.
The Rebel Alliance was first featured as the main protagonist faction in the films ''
A New Hope
''Star Wars'' (retroactively titled ''Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope'') is a 1977 American Epic film, epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas, produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is the first ...
'' (1977), ''
The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) and ''
Return of the Jedi'' (1983). The faction's origins were alluded to in ''
Revenge of the Sith'' (2005), and their early activities are featured in the
Disney XD television series ''
Rebels
Rebels may refer to:
* Participants in a rebellion
* Rebel groups, people who refuse obedience or order
* Rebels (American Revolution), patriots who rejected British rule in 1776
Film and television
* ''Rebels'' (film) or ''Rebelles'', a 2019 ...
'', the anthology film ''
Rogue One'' (2016), and the
Disney+ series ''
Andor
Andor may refer to:
* ''Andor'' (TV series), a television series in the ''Star Wars'' universe
**Cassian Andor, the titular character
* Andor (''Wheel of Time''), a country in Robert Jordan's ''The Wheel of Time'' novels
* Andor Technology, a ...
.''
Depiction
Origins
Founding members
* Senator
Mon Mothma – Co-founder; current
commander-in-chief
* Senator
Bail Organa – Co-founder; early constituting member and head of the Alliance Council
** Died during ''
Episode IV: A New Hope'', when the
Death Star destroys
Alderaan
* Senator
Padmé Amidala – Co-founder; early constituting member. She died a few days after founding the Alliance. (While the scene from ''
Revenge of the Sith'' was deleted from the film, the information was affirmed by other official sources. Scene still present on Disney+)
** Died during ''Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'' while giving birth to twins
Luke and
Leia; the latter was adopted by Organa.
Early insurgency
There is no consensus on when the Rebel Alliance was formed, be it ''de jure'' or ''de facto''. The three most commonly mentioned dates are:
* 19 BBY with the ''Delegation of 2000'' Senators which demanded Chancellor Palpatine to lay down his emergency powers;
* 5 BBY with the formation of the rebel fleet and the start of major combat operations (beginning of the Age of Rebellion, ending in 4 ABY);
* 2 BBY with Mon Mothma's formal Declaration of Rebellion after the Ghorman Massacre.
= Delegation of 2000 (19 BBY)
=
The earliest possible origins of the Alliance to Restore the Republic are told during the events of ''
Revenge of the Sith'' (set in 19 BBY, 19 years before the Battle of Yavin IV portrayed in the first film ''
A New Hope
''Star Wars'' (retroactively titled ''Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope'') is a 1977 American Epic film, epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas, produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is the first ...
''). In deleted scene 2 called "A Stirring in the Senate", a group of six Senators including
Padmé Amidala,
Mon Mothma and
Bail Organa meet in the latter's office to discuss ways to counter the already unjustified extraordinary powers of Supreme Chancellor
Palpatine
Sheev Palpatine, also known by his Sith name Darth Sidious, is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Initially credited as the Emperor in the original trilogy films, ''The Empire Strikes ...
"subverting the Constitution" as the
Clone Wars were waning, with Mothma stating their goal was "preserving democracy within the Republic". Amidala was initially skeptical of Palpatine's evil intentions because he had supported her during the Trade Federation's occupation of Naboo (''
The Phantom Menace'', 32 BBY), but Organa and Mothma announced the formation of an anti-Palpatine 'organization'; the six Senators agreed to a pact of silence. In deleted scene 3 titled "Seeds of Rebellion" (in Amidala's apartment with two new Senators joining the group), it is explained that the ''Delegation of 2000'' disgruntled Senators will present a petition to the Chancellor. Amidala was more willing to oppose Palpatine now, but wanted to involve the Jedi, at least
Anakin Skywalker
Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
. However, aside from one Senator agreeing, the others doubted whether the Jedi Council would be loyal to the Republic or the Chancellor, and opted to wait. Amidala died in premature childbirth not long after her last-ditch attempt to prevent Anakin's
fall. In ''The Imperial Handbook'',
Grand Moff Tarkin related that most members of the ''Delegation of 2000'' were arrested; Mothma and Organa retained their Senatorship by remaining outwardly obedient to Palpatine, while secretly 'mastermind
ngthe unification of disparate bands of insurgents into what they termed the Rebel Alliance'.
= First major battles, rebel fleet (5 BBY)
=
The Disney series ''
Rebels
Rebels may refer to:
* Participants in a rebellion
* Rebel groups, people who refuse obedience or order
* Rebels (American Revolution), patriots who rejected British rule in 1776
Film and television
* ''Rebels'' (film) or ''Rebelles'', a 2019 ...
'' depicts the development of the rebellion against the Galactic Empire beginning five years before ''A New Hope'' (5 BBY) and fourteen years after the fall of the
Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order in ''Revenge of the Sith'' (19 BBY).
The show focuses on a motley group of rebels (all of whom have been affected by the Empire in one form or another) that banded together aboard a freighter starship called ''Ghost''.
They called themselves the ''Spectres'' and were led by Hera Syndulla.
By the end of the first season, it is revealed that there were various
clandestine cell system
A clandestine cell system is a method for organizing a group of people (such as resistance fighters, sleeper agents, mobsters, or terrorists) such that such people can more effectively resist penetration by an opposing organization (such as l ...
s that were resisting the Empire, such as
Jun Sato's ''Phoenix Squadron''.
Senator
Bail Organa (along with his wife, queen Breha Organa) of
Alderaan and former Jedi
Ahsoka Tano both play a pivotal role in coordinating these splinter cells into a legitimate threat capable of challenging Imperial rule.
Funded primarily by the Royal House of Alderaan, the alliance began to allocate resources towards a united front against Imperial rule.
The ''Spectres'' and ''Phoenix Squadron'' were later integrated into the
Massassi Group based on
Yavin 4, which by ''
Rogue One'' (1 BBY) and ''A New Hope'' (0 BBY) was commanded by
General Jan Dodonna
This incomplete list of characters from the ''Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt Di ...
.
One last important rebel cell that later became part of the Rebel Alliance was the
Mon Calamari Exodus Fleet, commanded by Admiral Raddus and
Admiral Ackbar, formed out of civilian spacecraft during the Imperial occupation of
Mon Cala
The fictional universe of the '' Star Wars'' franchise features multiple planets and moons. While only the feature films and selected other works are considered canon to the franchise since the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Dis ...
in 18 BBY (1 year into the Empire, 18 years prior to the Battle of Yavin).
= Declaration of Rebellion (2 BBY)
=
Near the end of the third season of ''Rebels'', in "Secret Cargo", Alliance co-founder Senator
Mon Mothma, escaped assassination for condemning the Ghorman Massacre and speaking out against the Emperor (2 BBY).
She called out to the various rebel cells and insurgency factions to unite into a unified coalition:
Many Rebel ships arrive at a rendezvous point above Dantooine to unite and form the "Alliance to Restore the Republic".
Government
Senior civil government and military high command
*
Gial Ackbar
Admiral of the fleet, Fleet Admiral Gial Ackbar is a fictional character from the ''Star Wars'' franchise. A member of the amphibious List of Star Wars species (K–O)#Mon Calamari, Mon Calamari species, Ackbar was the foremost military comman ...
– Admiral and Commander of the Alliance Fleet at the
Battle of Endor.
*
Cassian Andor – Pilot and Intelligence Officer.
** Killed in action during ''
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'', in the
Battle of Scarif
''Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (or simply ''Rogue One'') is a 2016 American epic space opera film directed by Gareth Edwards. The screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy is from a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta. It was produced by Luca ...
.
*
Crix Madine – General of the Alliance Special Forces.
*
Ahsoka Tano – Former Jedi Padawan; covert operations spymaster and first 'Fulcrum' agent.
*
Breha Organa – Adoptive mother of
Leia Organa; ruling monarch of
Alderaan; manager of the Rebel Alliance's funds, as revealed in the 2017 novel, ''
Leia: Princess of Alderaan''. Played a pivotal role in securing Alderaan's support for the Rebel Alliance as its primary galactic advocate.
** Killed during ''
Episode IV: A New Hope'', when the
Death Star destroys
Alderaan.
*
Wedge Antilles – Commander of
Rogue Squadron.
*
Raymus Antilles
This incomplete list of characters from the ''Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt Dis ...
– Captain of the famous Alderaanian cruiser ''Tantive IV''. Escort to members of the Royal House of
Alderaan.
** Killed in action during ''
Episode IV: A New Hope'' by
Darth Vader.
*
Lando Calrissian – General and former
Cloud City administrator.
*
Carlist Rieekan
This incomplete list of characters from the '' Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt D ...
– General and Commander of the Alliance's Echo Base on
Hoth.
*
Jan Dodonna – General and Commander of the Alliance's Base One on
Yavin 4.
*
Hera Syndulla – General and pilot of the ''Ghost''.
*
Luke Skywalker – Commander and
Jedi Knight; former Commander of Rogue Squadron and former Grand Master of the New Jedi Order.
*
Leia Organa – Representative of the planet
Alderaan in the Imperial Senate and Senior
diplomat
A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...
of the Alliance; General of the Resistance.
*
Han Solo –
General and former
smuggler pilot of the ''Millennium Falcon''.
Military
The Alliance Military and its activities were overseen by Alliance High Command, who managed the logistical and strategic matters of the Rebellion's efforts against the dominant Galactic Empire. Alliance Intelligence was headed by Spymaster
Bail Organa and Spymaster
Ahsoka Tano, which proved essential for maintaining communications, finding missions for the various Alliance Cells, and coordinating the Alliance's highly decentralized structure. At the time of the
Battle of Endor, its chief commanders were:
Gial Ackbar
Admiral of the fleet, Fleet Admiral Gial Ackbar is a fictional character from the ''Star Wars'' franchise. A member of the amphibious List of Star Wars species (K–O)#Mon Calamari, Mon Calamari species, Ackbar was the foremost military comman ...
serving as
Admiral of the Alliance Starfleet;
Jan Dodonna serving as
General of the Alliance Grand Army;
Crix Madine serving as
General of Alliance Pathfinders.
Alliance Grand Army
The Alliance military could never decisively win a "land war" with the Empire. Generally speaking, the quality of Alliance infantry varied greatly by
unit. Due to the highly decentralized structure of the Alliance, these units often operated independently with little oversight, and were frequently lacking in discipline, equipment, intelligence and combat skills. They often consisted of convicts, street thugs, pirates, outlaws, and anyone whose profession placed them at odds with the Empire. These infantry were tolerated by Alliance Command, both for their willingness to mount an insurgency against the Empire, and for their expendability.
Alliance Pathfinders
Mission critical operations were carried out by few standardized special forces units, dubbed "pathfinders", who had previous military training for infiltration, asymmetrical warfare, and were capable of operating without resupply. Pathfinders volunteered in the ''
Battle of Scarif
''Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (or simply ''Rogue One'') is a 2016 American epic space opera film directed by Gareth Edwards. The screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy is from a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta. It was produced by Luca ...
'' under
Cassian Andor, and spearheaded the ground assault during the ''
Battle of Endor''.
Alliance Starfleet
The Alliance military largely consisted of
mothballed
Mothballing may refer to:
* Aircraft boneyard
* Mothball
Mothballs are small balls of chemical pesticide and deodorant, sometimes used when storing clothing and other materials susceptible to damage from mold or moth larvae (especially clothe ...
, improvised, repurposed, or stolen civilian ships from dozens of manufacturers; they lacked the means, resources or shipyards to build, maintain and crew thousands of military-grade
capital ships. The Alliance constantly had to change bases and their carrier ships routinely had to escape into hyperspace ''before'' recovering their fighter complement. The biggest and most powerful warship they had available were several
MC80 star cruisers supplied to the Alliance by
Mon Calamari, but the Alliance Fleet kept these in reserve and never risked deploying them, even when strategically-critical bases in
Atollon
The fictional universe of the '' Star Wars'' franchise features multiple planets and moons. While only the feature films and selected other works are considered canon to the franchise since the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Dis ...
,
Yavin, and
Hoth came under siege. The Alliance fleet is geared towards
fabian strategy,
space superiority
The Space Race was a 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the ballistic missile-based nuclear arms race between the tw ...
,
wolfpack operations,
hit-and-run tactics, secret missions,
subterfuge
Subterfuge may refer to:
*Deception, causing someone to believe something that is not true
Music
*"Subterfuge", track from ''The Hidden Land'' album by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
*"Subterfuge", track from ''Demolition'' (Judas Priest album) ...
, and general elements of a
stateless military
grand strategy. They used gunships and corvettes to screen Imperial starfighters. Their warships carried a complement of expensive starfighters equipped with
FTL hyperdrives and
deflector shields that traveled alongside the fleet. This was in contrast to Imperial naval doctrine, whose
TIE-series starfighters were lightly armored and lacked hyperdrives to lower unit cost and discourage pilot defection. The Alliance's focus on small
light combat ships and on starfighters allowed them to effectively fight the Galactic Empire's well-funded and well-armed military.
The Alliance Starfleet almost never placed their ships at risk; they avoided
pitched battles,
frontal assaults,
wars of attrition and
conventional, symmetric engagements with the Imperials at all costs. Instead of engaging the Imperials in open firefights, the Rebel Alliance largely embraced flexible non-committal attack tactics utilizing mainly
fast attack CR90 corvettes
The following is a list of starships, cruisers, battleships, and other spacecraft in the ''Star Wars'' films, books, and video games.
Spacecraft appearing in the original trilogy
Death Star
The Death Star is the Empire's battle station which ...
supplied to the Alliance by
Alderaan. The Imperial leadership considered
collateral damage as "
acceptable margins" in rooting out insurgents; this contrasted against the Alliance's
surgical precision to avoid
civilian casualties. To minimize losses, the Alliance military leadership heavily favored
carrier battle groups supporting
starfighter strike crafts for fast-attack style of warfare, thereby leveraging a decisive advantage over the Galactic Empire's "big powerful ships" doctrine.
Anti-Imperial operations emphasized
depredation and delayed actions, covertly relocating compromised bases to another secured system,
interdiction in slowing down the Imperials' momentum, and inflicting maximum damage on the enemy without, in principle, becoming decisively engaged.
Alliance Starfighter Corps
The Alliance finds its strength almost entirely in the starfighter arena, offering some of the most effective and versatile small strike craft within Star Wars canon. The Alliance was plagued by lack of resources: it was low on fighters, manpower, real estate.
Jan Dodonna believed unsupported hyperspace-capable starfighters could undermine the Empire's control of space and demonstrated this to the galaxy by winning high-profile victories:
Star Destroyers, shipyards, local fleets and the Death Star. Despite the Corps' high-maintenance costs and being chronically understaffed, with starfighter logistics, aerospace engineers and veteran pilots being limited in numbers, the Alliance doctrine—raiding targets before they could mount a defense, then leaving—proved flawless in singling out vulnerable targets and attacking only when they had strength, and only when the results were spectacular. Seventy percent of sorties were reconnaissance missions: finding targets for starfighter raids became the top priority of Alliance intelligence. The introduction of the
A-wing,
B-wing and
X-wing, along with the
former Imperial officers who piloted them, only improved upon that advantage.
*Gold Squadron, commanded by
Jon Vander, was an
BTL-A4 Y-wing light bomber squadron that served as part of the Rebel Alliance's elite starfighter corps during the Galactic Civil War. This unit was instrumental in escorting Senator
Mon Mothma safely to
Dantooine
The fictional universe of the ''Star Wars'' franchise features multiple planets and moons. While only the feature films and selected other works are considered canon to the franchise since the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm by The Walt Disney ...
, participated in the Battle of Scarif, and was nearly wiped out by Darth Vader in the Battle of Yavin. Under the command of
Lando Calrissian, it succeeded in destroying the second Death Star's reactor during the Battle of Endor.
*Green Squadron, commanded by
Arvel Crynyd
Kuat RZ-1 A-wing Interceptor are starfighters in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Designed and manufactured by the Kuat Systems Engineering, they are depicted as fast but fragile interceptors of the Rebel Alliance, conceived for high-speed surgical ...
, was a
RZ-1 A-wing interceptor squadron that served as part of the Rebel Alliance's starfighter corps during the Galactic Civil War. The squadron most notably participated in the Alliance's most decisive campaigns, including: the Battle of Atollon; the Battle of Scarif; and the Battle of Endor. It was Arvel Cyrnyd who
crashed
"Crashed" is the third U.S. rock single, (the fifth overall), from the band Daughtry's debut album. It was released only to U.S. rock stations on September 5, 2007. Upon its release the song got adds at those stations, along with some Alternativ ...
his A-wing into the bridge of the ''
Executor
An executor is someone who is responsible for executing, or following through on, an assigned task or duty. The feminine form, executrix, may sometimes be used.
Overview
An executor is a legal term referring to a person named by the maker of a ...
'', thereby disabling the ship.
*Red Squadron, commanded by
Garven Dreis
This incomplete list of characters from the ''Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt Dis ...
, was a
T-65B X-wing starfighter squadron that served as part of the Rebel Alliance's starfighter corps during the Galactic Civil War. The squadron most notably participated in the Alliance's most decisive campaigns, including: the Battle of Scarif; the Battle of Vrogas Vas; the
Battle of Hoth; and the Battle of Endor.
*Blue Squadron, commanded by
Antoc Merrick
''Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (or simply ''Rogue One'') is a 2016 American epic space opera film directed by Gareth Edwards. The screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy is from a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta. It was produced by Luca ...
, was an airspeeder and starfighter squadron that served as part of the Rebel Alliance's elite starfighter corps during the Galactic Civil War. The squadron most notably participated in the Alliance's most decisive campaigns, including: the Battle of Scarif; the Siege on Tureen VII; the
Battle of Hoth; and the Battle of Endor.
*
Rogue Squadron, commanded by
Wedge Antilles, was a
starfighter squadron in the
''Star Wars'' franchise. The squadron appears in ''
The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) as "Rogue Group". In the 2016 film ''
Rogue One'', Rebel fighters on a suicide mission to steal the plans for the
Death Star (which causes the Battle of Scarif) self-identify as "Rogue One", a possible precursor to Rogue Squadron.
Galactic Civil War
The fall of the Old Republic and the birth of the Empire, as depicted in ''Revenge of the Sith'', marked the beginning of the bloody Galactic Civil War.
Decisive losses and victories
The ''
Rebels
Rebels may refer to:
* Participants in a rebellion
* Rebel groups, people who refuse obedience or order
* Rebels (American Revolution), patriots who rejected British rule in 1776
Film and television
* ''Rebels'' (film) or ''Rebelles'', a 2019 ...
'' episode, "Zero Hour", demonstrates the Imperials' absolute
naval supremacy when they successfully entrapped the "Phoenix Fleet" during the
Battle of Atollon, and forced them in engaging on equal footing; resulting a decisive victory for the Imperials and the total decimation of the Rebel fleet.
During the events of ''
Rogue One'' and ''
A New Hope
''Star Wars'' (retroactively titled ''Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope'') is a 1977 American Epic film, epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas, produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is the first ...
'', the Alliance learns of the construction of the '
Death Star', an enormous
superweapon capable of obliterating entire planets, intended to cement the Empire's rule of terror. Intelligence gathered reveals that a Death Star engineer antipathetic to the causes of the Empire had intentionally included a design flaw that, if exploited, could bring down the entire station. With the help of the Rogue One squad led by
Jyn Erso and
Cassian Andor, a Rebel assault on an Imperial facility on the heavily-defended planet Scarif successfully manages to capture schematics of the Death Star. The Battle of Scarif was the first major engagement against the Empire, and ended in a pyrrhic victory; all members of Rogue One are killed in action, and the Rebel fleet was decimated.
After successfully capturing the Death Star plans, Alderaanian soldiers aboard a Mon Calamari flagship barely manage to escape the
501st Legion and
Death Squadron
The Galactic Empire is a fictional autocracy featured in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It was first introduced in the 1977 film ''Star Wars'' and appears in its two sequels: ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) and ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983). It ...
with the stolen data plans. Right after the battle, the ''Tantive IV'', an Alderaanian corvette carrying Princess
Leia Organa is captured by Vader's flagship, ''Imperial I''-class Star Destroyer ''Devastator'', while attempting to deliver the plans to
Bail Organa on
Alderaan. All members of the Alderaanian Consular Security onboard are either killed or taken prisoner and Princess Leia Organa is held hostage for a time by
Darth Vader. In order to punish both her and her home planet government's central involvement in the Rebel Alliance, Leia is forced to witness
Alderaan's destruction by the
Death Star. The Princess is subsequently rescued by
Luke Skywalker,
Han Solo,
Chewbacca
Chewbacca ( ), nicknamed "Chewie", is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a Wookiee, a tall, hirsute, bipedal, intelligent species originating from the fictional planet of Kashyyyk. Chewbacca is the loyal friend and firs ...
, and
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi () is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the Star Wars original trilogy, original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinn ...
, who then deliver the station schematics to the Alliance. Subsequent analysis of the schematics reveals the critical vulnerability to be an exhaust port leading directly to the station's reactor core.
The Empire discovers the location of the primary Alliance headquarters on a moon of the planet Yavin through a tracking device covertly planted on
Han Solo's vessel, and deploys the Death Star to destroy the base and crush the insurgency once and for all. During the ensuing battle of Yavin, Rebel starfighter squadrons lead an assault on the Death Star in a last-ditch attempt to exploit the vulnerability before it could fire upon the Rebel base. Despite fighters sustaining heavy losses, one pilot—the
Force-sensitive Luke Skywalker—successfully guides torpedoes down the exhaust port. The Death Star is obliterated in a catastrophic explosion, and the battle ends in a decisive Rebel victory.
In the ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' comics, the Rebellion wins numerous victories against the Empire after the destruction of the Death Star, destroying its major weapons factory on Cymoon 1, breaking an Imperial blockade around the Rebel world of Tureen VII by stealing the ''Imperial I''-class Star Destroyer ''Harbinger'' and recruiting the Mon Calamari trading fleet to be refitted as an assault fleet. Such firepower would finally allow the Alliance to attack the Empire on a larger scale. However, one of the Rebellion's allies, Queen Trios of Shu-Torun (whose world's technology had been fitted into the ships of the new Rebel fleet), revealed herself as an undercover Imperial agent sent by Darth Vader to sabotage their efforts. With their ships unexpectedly paralyzed by the Shu-Torun technology, the gathered Rebel fleet could do little as they were targeted for destruction by Vader's Imperial fleet. Half the Rebel ships were destroyed in the battle before Leia found a way around the sabotage and allowed the remaining ships to escape. However, Generals
Jan Dodonna and Davits Draven, as well as several other high-ranking Rebel officers, were killed during the battle and the remaining Rebel ships were separated in their flight. Mon Mothma instructed all Rebel cells to regroup in time while striking out at the Empire when and how they could. Not until the Battle of Endor would the whole force of the Rebellion be once again united in a single place.
In ''
The Empire Strikes Back'', the Alliance suffers a crushing defeat on
Hoth when one of their main command centers,
Echo Base, is overrun by the Darth Vader's elite personal Imperial armed forces, the
Death Squadron
The Galactic Empire is a fictional autocracy featured in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It was first introduced in the 1977 film ''Star Wars'' and appears in its two sequels: ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) and ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983). It ...
and the
501st Legion. The remaining forces of the Rebellion are forced to stay mobile, using
Admiral Ackbar's flagship, ''
Home One'', as their headquarters.
By ''
Return of the Jedi'', the Alliance has regrouped and learned that a second, more powerful
Death Star is being constructed, and will be completed under Emperor Palpatine's personal supervision. Mon Mothma has
Admiral Ackbar and
Lando Calrissian command the Alliance fleet and dispatches Han Solo and Princess Leia in leading Alliance's elite special forces to disable the station's defenses while Luke distracts Darth Vader. The Alliance subsequently wins the Battle of
Endor, in which
Emperor Palpatine,
Darth Vader, the ''
Death Squadron
The Galactic Empire is a fictional autocracy featured in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It was first introduced in the 1977 film ''Star Wars'' and appears in its two sequels: ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) and ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983). It ...
''-Imperial armada, and much of the Imperial hierarchy are killed in action. The loss of the second Death Star and other invaluable Imperial naval assets, along with the deaths of Imperial leaders aboard, marked the beginning of the end of Imperial rule over the galaxy.
Successor
Following their victory at the Battle of Endor, a
provisional New Republic New Republic may refer to:
Places
* New Republic, California, former name of Santa Rita, Monterey County, California
* New Republic (Santarem), district in the city of Santarém, Pará
Countries
* New Republic (Brazil), the restored civilian gove ...
was officially formed by Alliance members. This, combined with the Imperial
power vacuum, political infighting, and ''Operation Cinder''—Palpatine's
scorched earth
A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy that aims to destroy anything that might be useful to the enemy. Any assets that could be used by the enemy may be targeted, which usually includes obvious weapons, transport vehicles, communi ...
contingency plan—encouraged thousands of inhabited planets to either declare independence from the collapsing Empire or defect to the Alliance.
The New Republic found itself with no shortage of recruits and resources: the declining popularity of the Empire pushed many long time Imperial loyalists to the Rebel cause, including those of Inferno Squadron, who after Operation Cinder, which saw the destruction of countless Imperial worlds, opened the eyes of many to the atrocities of the Empire. Even the most dedicated Imperials such as Inferno Squadron commander
Iden Versio
Iden Versio is a fictional Character (arts), character in the Star Wars, ''Star Wars'' franchise. She is the commander of Inferno Squad, a group of elite Galactic Empire (Star Wars), Imperial soldiers, who eventually defects to the Rebel Alliance. ...
were moved to defect after the witnessing the destruction of her homeworld
Vardos. Finally realizing the Empire's propaganda had deceived them, many Imperials began to feel shame over their actions, in particular over the destruction of
Alderaan.
Despite fact that the New Republic was now winning the war, had a lot more resources than before—and a lot more recruits—the New Republic was suffering from logistic nightmares. The decentralized structure that served them well became a liability; described as "a ragtag force strategically ill-fed and cobbled together of incompatible ships and squadrons". The Alliance Fleet shifted
military doctrine
Military doctrine is the expression of how military forces contribute to campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements.
It is a guide to action, rather than being hard and fast rules. Doctrine provides a common frame of reference across ...
; the guerrilla warfare aspect of the grand strategy was de-emphasized, and
conventional forces took over the primary prosecution of the war. Once the New Republic became powerful enough, the Alliance Fleet was reorganized into the New Republic Military, charged with the defense of the New Republic.
About a year after the Battle of Endor, the Rebellion defeated Imperial forces during the
Battle of Jakku
''Star Wars: Lost Stars'' is a 2015 young adult science fiction novel by Claudia Gray set in the ''Star Wars'' universe. The book is set before, during, and after the events of ''Star Wars'', '' The Empire Strikes Back'' and '' Return of the ...
and formally established the New Republic. Thus, the Galactic Civil War came to a close. Three decades later, by the time of ''
The Force Awakens'', the New Republic backed the Resistance army, a successor of the Alliance, to stand against the
First Order
In mathematics and other formal sciences, first-order or first order most often means either:
* "linear" (a polynomial of degree at most one), as in first-order approximation and other calculus uses, where it is contrasted with "polynomials of high ...
, a new military power formed by
hardline remnants from the Empire.
''Legends''
After Disney's acquisition of the franchise, Lucasfilm announced in 2014 that previous works outside the theatrical films and ''
The Clone Wars'' would no longer be considered canon, but began to be republished under the ''Legends'' banner.
*According to ''
Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game'', the Cantham House Meetings of
Coruscant, including the participation of Senators
Mon Mothma and
Bail Organa, take place with the purpose of discussing the formation of a Galactic Alliance in opposition to Palpatine's Galactic Empire. In addition, the RPG tells that although throughout the galaxy many sectors are already fighting against Imperial interests, resistance is relatively quiet until the incident on the planet Ghorman, which takes place 18 years before the
Battle of Yavin. The incident begins when an Imperial military cruiser commanded by
Captain Wilhuff Tarkin is blocked by peaceful anti-Empire protesters who refuse to move off the ship's landing pad. With implied permission from the Emperor, Tarkin lands the ship anyway, injuring and killing many, an incident that history would record as the Ghorman Massacre.
The myriad of civilizations which are fighting the Empire continue to grow in number and progressively coalesce into a ragtag organization known as the Resistance. They intend upon removing the evil Emperor, but the growing ruthlessness of the Imperial state forces them into secrecy, as they are initially unable to undermine the Empire's regime. The RPG tells that part of the strategy of the Rebel Alliance is the ''Doctrine of Space Denial'', wherein the Rebellion would attack Imperial shipping frigates in hit and run raids, both to disrupt Imperial supplies and operations, and also to loot desperately needed materials. These Rebel starfighters were equipped with hyperdrive capability along prearranged routes which would allow this kind of harassment and escape before the Empire may react.
*The video game ''
The Force Unleashed
''Star Wars: The Force Unleashed'' is an action-adventure game developed by LucasArts and part of ''The Force Unleashed'' multimedia project. It was initially developed for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 consoles and on ...
'' presents a differing view of the Alliance's beginnings, hinting that the Emperor actually secretly pushed for its formation. Palpatine clandestinely bids for the creation of another opposing force, intent on starting yet another war in order to consolidate his power with the fledgling Empire, just as he had done earlier with the
Confederacy of Independent Systems. The Emperor orders his apprentice
Darth Vader to use his own secret apprentice,
Galen Marek (called "Starkiller"), as a pawn to gather together the Empire's enemies, manipulating him into believing that the intention is to start a rebellion. Vader quickly realizes that this is obviously a ploy by Palpatine in order to lure any significant rebels into a trap; however, it is unclear whether Vader (or the Emperor) had intended for the Rebellion to survive. At the supposedly secret meeting known as the Corellian Treaty, Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, Garm Bel Iblis, Jedi-General Rahm Kota, and others meet to formally create the Rebellion against the Empire. However, the proceedings are ambushed by Vader under orders from the Emperor, whom had actually secretly orchestrated the Treaty himself in order to gather all the Rebel leaders together and eliminate them. Starkiller, now aligned with the Rebellion after two betrayals by his former master, manages to save the principal founders from the Empire, though at the cost of his own life. Regrouping on
Kashyyyk, the Senators formally proclaim an open ''Declaration of Rebellion'', which states the grievances of the Empire against the Alliance to Restore the Republic and concludes with an open threat to depose the Emperor. This marks the formal "founding" of the Rebel Alliance, and Galen Marek's family crest is chosen by Leia as its official symbol.
Thus, the Rebel Alliance is effectively founded by Darth Vader himself, and, by extension, Emperor Palpatine, though it is clear neither had imagined that the Alliance would actually ever become a serious threat. The
Galactic Civil War consequently ensues, during which the Rebellion confronts the Empire many times throughout the galaxy.
*''
Empire at War'' depicts various allies contributing secretly to the Alliance, slowly making the united Rebel Force more powerful. The most notable equipment contributions include the defection of the Incom Corporation staff and all relevant material involved in the development of an advanced spacefighter, the
X-wing.
['' Star Wars: Empire at War'']
*A "Declaration of Rebellion" was depicted in the 1990 book ''The Star Wars Rebel Alliance Sourcebook''.
*After its victory on Endor, the Rebellion was temporarily stationed there and renamed the "Alliance of Free Planets".
Members
Canon members:
*
General Leia Organa
*Senator
Bail Organa
*
Admiral Raddus – Captain of the Profundity
*
Nien Nunb – Rebel Engineer and pilot
*
Han Solo – Captain of the ''Millennium Falcon''
*
Hera Syndulla – Pilot, leader of the Phoenix Squadron
*Commander Sato
*
Jyn Erso – Member of the ''Rogue One'' group
=Founders
=
* Senator Bana Breemu – Co-founder; early constituting member (deceased)
* Senator
Garm Bel Iblis – Co-founder; financed private army to fight against the Empire; rejoined Alliance during the Thrawn campaign.
* Senator
Bail Organa of the Imperial Senate (deceased)
* Senator
Mon Mothma of the Imperial Senate
=Senior civil government and military high command
=
* Col Serra – Commander of
Renegade Squadron
''Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron'' is a third-person shooter video game based on the '' Star Wars'' franchise. It is the third entry in the '' Star Wars: Battlefront'' series and the first handheld exclusive. It was released on October ...
* Ylenic It'kla – Commander and Jedi Knight who escaped Order 66, serving as a personal aide to Bail Organa on
Alderaan. Works with Alderaanian authorities to coordinate rebel activity.
* Qu Rahn – General and Jedi Master who survived Order 66, mostly due to his connection and training with Yoda.
*
Rahm Kota
This is an incomplete list of characters from the ''Star Wars'' expanded universe, now rebranded ''Star Wars Legends''. The accompanying works were declared non-canon to the ''Star Wars'' franchise by Lucasfilm in 2014.
This list applies ''on ...
– General and former Jedi Master who survived Order 66, thanks to the aid of his own private militia.
* Echuu Shen-Jon – General and Jedi Master who survived Order 66, thanks to his exile on Krant.
*
Talon Karrde –
General and former
smuggler who aided the New Republic during the Thrawn campaign.
See also
*
Galactic Republic
*
Galactic Empire
*
New Republic New Republic may refer to:
Places
* New Republic, California, former name of Santa Rita, Monterey County, California
* New Republic (Santarem), district in the city of Santarém, Pará
Countries
* New Republic (Brazil), the restored civilian gove ...
Brief list of appearances
*''
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'' (2005; founded in a deleted scene)
*''
Solo: A Star Wars Story'' (2018)
*''
Star Wars Rebels'' (2014–2018)
*''
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (2016)
*''
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope'' (1977)
*''
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980)
*''
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' (1983)
*''
Star Wars Battlefront
''Star Wars: Battlefront'' is a series of first- and third-person shooter video games based on the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Players take the role of characters from the franchise in either of two opposing factions in different time periods of ...
'' (2015)
*''
Star Wars Battlefront II'' (2017)
Notes
References
External links
*
*
{{Star Wars universe, state=collapsed
Star Wars governments
Fictional military organizations
Fictional revolutionary organizations
Fiction about space warfare
Fictional elements introduced in 1977