The Resistance is a fictional
partisan resistance movement
A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objective ...
and
private paramilitary force led by
General Leia Organa that opposes the
First Order in the
fictional universe
A fictional universe, or fictional world, is a self-consistent setting with events, and often other elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed, or fictional realm (or world). Fictional universes may ...
of ''
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 ...
''. It is a splinter of the
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
of the
New Republic and takes inspiration from the
Rebel Alliance
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-imperial ...
, which had established the
democratic New Republic after its war with the
Galactic Empire
Galactic empires are a common trope used in science fantasy and science fiction, particularly in works known as 'space operas'. Many authors have either used a galaxy-spanning empire as background or written about the growth and/or decline of s ...
. Many of the senior officers of the Resistance also served in the Rebel Alliance thirty years prior, including General Organa and
Admiral Ackbar
Fleet Admiral Gial Ackbar is a fictional character from the ''Star Wars'' franchise. A member of the amphibious Mon Calamari species, Ackbar was the foremost military commander of the Rebel Alliance, and led the attack against the second Dea ...
, while some junior officers had parents who served in the Rebel Alliance, as is the case with
Poe Dameron
Poe Dameron is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the 2015 film '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'', he is portrayed by Oscar Isaac. Poe is an X-wing fighter pilot for the Resistance who inadvertently brings renega ...
.
The Resistance was a precautionary movement founded by Senator Leia Organa in response to the rise of the First Order; a
military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a dictatorship in which the military exerts complete or substantial control over political authority, and the dictator is often a high-ranked military officer.
The reverse situation is to have civilian control of the m ...
that rose from the fallen Old Empire in the galaxy's unexplored space (the Unknown Regions) by staunchly loyal former Imperial hardliners. The New Republic did not deem the First Order to be a credible threat, so Senator Organa and several other Rebel veterans broke away from the New Republic's military and founded the Resistance. As depicted in the events of ''
Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), the First Order used the
Starkiller Base superweapon to shatter the New Republic government and starfleet, leaving the galaxy vulnerable for conquest. They were now only opposed by the Resistance, whose fears had come true.
The Resistance is the main
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
faction in the
''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy, first introduced in the 2015 film ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens''. It made subsequent appearances in ''
Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' (2017), ''
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'' (2019), and related media.
Depiction
Origins
One year after the
Battle of Endor
''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas from a story by Lucas, who w ...
(depicted in ''
Return of the Jedi
''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas from a story by Lucas, who ...
''), following Imperial defeat at 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 Jedi ...
, many Imperial loyalists fled to the galaxy's Unknown Regions, which were nigh-impossible to safely navigate, though was made possible for these select Imperial loyalists through a secret
contingency plan
A contingency plan, also known colloquially as Plan B, is a plan devised for an outcome other than in the usual (expected) plan. It is often used for risk management for an exceptional risk that, though unlikely, would have catastrophic conseque ...
designed to destroy the
Galactic Empire
Galactic empires are a common trope used in science fantasy and science fiction, particularly in works known as 'space operas'. Many authors have either used a galaxy-spanning empire as background or written about the growth and/or decline of s ...
and rebuild it, to eventually return to the galaxy. The
Rebel Alliance
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-imperial ...
had established the
New Republic, following in the footsteps of the
Old Republic, and signed the Galactic Concordance with what remained of the Empire, reducing it to a mere
rump state
A rump state is the remnant of a once much larger state, left with a reduced territory in the wake of secession, annexation, occupation, decolonization, or a successful coup d'état or revolution on part of its former territory. In the last case, ...
of what it once was and eventually dissolving it entirely, leaving the Republic as the sole galactic power and government. Eventually, the
First Order, a remnant of Palpatine's regime, rose to power in the Unknown Regions and repeatedly ignored and violated the Galactic Concordance, rebuilding former Imperial fleets and mobilizing a new generation of
stormtrooper forces in its expanding armies. Despite this, the heavily demilitarized New Republic did not view the First Order as a true threat and disregarded it entirely, leading to several Rebel veterans led by
General Leia Organa to break away and form the Resistance as a check on the designs of the First Order. The Resistance, which hearkened back to the Rebel Alliance, recruited from both the New Republic military and worlds that experienced the worst of the Empire. Though the Republic tolerated the Resistance, it did not officially support the private military force, though secretly some within the Republic Senate, who shared the fears of the Resistance, funded and armed the group.
''Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015)
As depicted in the 2015 film, ''
Star Wars: The Force Awakens'', the Resistance is in a desperate race with the
First Order in finding the location of
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in ''Star Wars'' (1977), and he returned in ''The ...
, the last
Jedi
Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are the main heroic protagonists of many works of the '' Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Old Galactic Republic, and later supporting the Rebel Alliance, the Jedi ...
.
General Leia Organa hopes to recruit her brother back into the fight while
Kylo Ren
Kylo Ren is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise. He first appeared as the main antagonist of ''The Force Awakens (2015)'', in which he is portrayed by Adam Driver. Driver reprised his role in the sequel films '' Star Wars: T ...
of the First Order seeks to eliminate him, though
Supreme Leader Snoke
Supreme Leader Snoke is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was created by J. J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, and Michael Arndt for the 2015 film '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'', in which he is introduced as the Supreme Leade ...
, leader of the First Order and Kylo Ren's master, only seeks to prevent the Resistance from reaching him first. This culminates in General Organa dispatching agent
Poe Dameron
Poe Dameron is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the 2015 film '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'', he is portrayed by Oscar Isaac. Poe is an X-wing fighter pilot for the Resistance who inadvertently brings renega ...
to
Jakku
Jakku is a fictional desert planet in the '' Star Wars'' universe, first featured in the 2015 film ''The Force Awakens''. Remote, lawless, and inhospitable, it is the homeworld of sequel trilogy protagonist Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, and ''A ...
to recover part of a navigational star map to the first Jedi temple from an old ally,
Lor San Tekka, where Skywalker is believed to be residing, though Ren intercepts Dameron and captures him, killing San Tekka in the process. Dameron's droid,
BB-8
BB-8 (or Beebee-Ate) is a droid character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He appeared in the three films of the sequel trilogy, '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' (2017), and '' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywa ...
, is able to escape with the map. Dameron is tortured for information, but is able to escape with the aid of
defector stormtrooper FN-2187, whom Dameron dubs
Finn. They crash land back on Jakku, where Dameron is presumed dead, though Finn finds the droid BB-8 in the company of local
scavenger
Scavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While scavenging generally refers to carnivores feeding on carrion, it is also a herbivorous feeding b ...
Rey. When the two are seen together, they are marked by First Order stormtroopers and forced to escape Jakku together aboard the ''
Millennium Falcon
The ''Millennium Falcon'' is a fictional starship in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Designed by Joe Johnston for the movie ''Star Wars'' (1977), it has subsequently appeared in ''The Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), ''The Empire Strikes Back' ...
'', which is docked in a local establishment.
The ''Millennium Falcon'' is found and captured by
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. The character first appeared in the 1977 film '' Star Wars'' portrayed by Harrison Ford, who reprised his role in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) an ...
and
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 ...
, who are forced to escape with Rey, Finn, and BB-8 after they are pursued by two rival criminal gangs, though one of them identifies the droid BB-8 and informs the First Order of it now being in the hands of Solo. Solo, Chewbacca, Rey, Finn, and BB-8 find refuge on
Takodana
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 ...
with Solo's old friend
Maz Kanata
Maz Kanata is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the 2015 film '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'', she is a computer-generated imagery character voiced and performed through motion capture by Lupita Nyong'o. Maz, ...
, who runs a refugee castle on the planet and has some knowledge of
the Force
The Force is a metaphysical and ubiquitous power in the '' Star Wars'' fictional universe. "Force-sensitive" characters use the Force throughout the franchise. Heroes like the Jedi seek to "become one with the Force", matching their personal wi ...
herself, though is not a Jedi. There, Kanata implores Solo to return to his wife, the two having split after a tragic incident (their son, Ben Solo's fall to the dark side and transformation into Kylo Ren), helps Finn, who reveals to Rey that he was a stormtrooper, find passage to the Outer Rim to disappear, and advises Rey, who is strong in the Force, to take Skywalker's
lightsaber
A lightsaber is a fictional energy sword featured throughout the ''Star Wars'' franchise. A typical lightsaber is depicted as a luminescent plasma blade about in length emitted from a metal hilt around in length. First introduced in the or ...
, which Kanata has been holding onto. Rey refuses, however, and runs into the forest. While Finn loads onto a transport and Rey runs away,
General Hux
General Armitage Hux is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. First introduced in the 2015 film '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'', he is portrayed by Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson. He is an unpleasant military commander in a power ...
uses the Starkiller Base superweapon to destroy the
New Republic capital, where the Republic Senate and Starfleet are also destroyed, shattering the Republic government and confirming the Resistance's worst fears, leaving the galaxy vulnerable to First Order conquest. Kylo Ren attacks Takodana and takes Rey captive after learning she has seen the map, withdrawing the stormtrooper forces when the surviving Poe Dameron comes to aid with Resistance
starfighter pilots. Solo reunites with his wife, and travels to
D'Qar with her, Finn, and BB-8, where Finn reunites with Poe Dameron.
In order to launch a counterattack on the First Order, Finn is used for his knowledge of Starkiller Base and taken to the icy planet by Solo and Chewbacca while Poe Dameron leads two starfighter squadrons, awaiting to attack the
star system
A star system or stellar system is a small number of stars that orbit each other, bound by gravitational attraction. A large group of stars bound by gravitation is generally called a '' star cluster'' or '' galaxy'', although, broadly speak ...
-destroying superweapon as Solo, Finn, and Chewbacca take down the planet's shields, though Finn also seeks to rescue Rey from the clutches of Kylo Ren. They run into Rey, who has already escaped on her own, and capture
Captain Phasma
Captain Phasma is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, portrayed by English actress Gwendoline Christie. Introduced in '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), the first film in the ''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy, Phasma is the ...
, whom they force to lower the shields. The Resistance party then travels to the base's thermal oscillator to plant bombs and destroy it, leaving the weapon itself vulnerable, though in the process, Han Solo reunites with his son. Rey, Finn, and Chewbacca watch on as Han Solo implores Ben to return to his family and abandon the dark side, but Kylo Ren kills his father per the urging of Supreme Leader Snoke, hoping it will give him power. Instead, Kylo Ren finds himself only further lost in conflict and is struck by a bolt from Chewbacca. Nevertheless, it buys time for Poe Dameron and his squadrons to attack the base and perform bombing runs on the oscillator. After Chewbacca detonates the bombs, the oscillator is left vulnerable and Dameron performs a trench run, bombing it and destroying it, leading to the entire planet to begin collapsing in itself. Rey and Finn duel Kylo Ren; Finn is beaten and knocked unconscious, but Rey is able to overcome Ren. Rey escapes with Finn's body aboard the ''Millennium Falcon'' piloted by Chewbacca, and they return with Dameron and the surviving Resistance pilots back to their base on D'Qar. While Finn and Chewbacca are healed of their injuries, the droid
R2-D2
R2-D2 () or Artoo-Detoo is a fictional robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. He has appeared in ten of the eleven theatrical ''Star Wars'' films to date. At various points throughout the course of the films, R2, ...
wakes up, revealing the rest of the map to the first Jedi temple and combining it with BB-8's. Rey is sent there by General Organa, where she finds Luke Skywalker and offers him his father's lightsaber as a symbol of hope for the Resistance and the galaxy.
''Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' (2017)
In the 2017 film ''
Star Wars: The Last Jedi'', following their successful destruction of Starkiller Base, the Resistance is ruthlessly pursued and nearly decimated by the First Order. Having failed to destroy the Resistance base on D'Qar, the First Order dispatches the ''Mandator IV''-class Siege Dreadnought ''Fulminatrix'' to destroy it with powerful orbital weaponry. As the Resistance evacuate aboard the flagship ''Raddus'' and a fleet of other ships, Poe Dameron, who was recently promoted to be a commander, decides to lead a desperate assault on the ''Fulminatrix'', hoping to destroy it to ensure that more Resistance personnel escape the planet alive. His starfighter forces succeed in doing so, but many pilots are killed in the process. Upon returning to the ''Raddus'', he is demoted to captain by General Organa for losing a major portion of the Resistance's starfighters.
The Resistance's fleet is then pursued across the galaxy by the First Order's fleet of Star Destroyers, led by the massive ''Mega''-class Star Dreadnought ''Supremacy'', with Supreme Leader Snoke on board. The First Order is able to keep up with the Resistance due to the ''Supremacy''s ability to track down hyperspace jumps, and dispatches its starfighters, led by Kylo Ren, to degrade the Resistance's fighting abilities. The Resistance's remaining starfighters are destroyed, several Resistance leaders, including Admiral Ackbar, are killed in the assault, and Organa is seriously wounded, which results in Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo assuming temporary leadership of the Resistance. With very little fuel and combat resources available, Holdo deduces that the only option for the Resistance is to evacuate to another planet via escape pods, a course of action that Dameron objects to, but is unable to prevent. The First Order then begins firing upon the fleeing convoy, destroying some of the escape pods and much of the dwindling Resistance fleet as its personnel, except Holdo, begin abandoning ship, but is unable to destroy the ''Raddus'' due to its rear shield deflector.
Meanwhile, Finn, BB-8 and Resistance technician
Rose Tico
Rose Tico is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, first appearing in the simultaneously released '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' and '' Cobalt Squadron'' (both 2017). A mechanic with the Resistance, she befriends Finn (John Boy ...
embark on a secret mission to the planet Cantonica to find a slicer who can disable the ''Supremacy''s hyperspace tracker, which turns out to be a man named
DJ. The four of them then sneak on board the ''Supremacy'' in disguise and nearly succeed in shutting down the tracker, only to have DJ betray the three others and turn them over to the First Order, before escaping with a monetary reward. Finn and Rose are then taken to a hangar where they await execution, but before they could be struck down, Holdo turns the ''Raddus'' around and stages a
suicide attack
A suicide attack is any violent Strike (attack), attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has suicide, accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have oc ...
by aiming a hyperspace jump right through the ''Supremacy'', tearing it asunder. Finn, Rose and BB-8 then fight their way out of the damaged Mega-Destroyer as it falls apart, defeating Captain Phasma in the process, and join the other surviving Resistance personnel as they gather on the planet
Crait
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 ...
, taking refuge in an abandoned Rebel Alliance base.
The First Order, led by Kylo Ren, arrives on Crait and assaults the base, using a superlaser siege cannon, AT-M6 and AT-AT
walkers to break down its heavy-duty doors. The Resistance forces were preparing for defense, using several laser turrets and ski speeders to attack on the First Order walkers, including the ''Millennium Falcon'' counterattack on the First Order TIE fighters and Finn's attempted suicide attack on the First Order's siege cannon, the First Order successfully breaches the base's entrance. However, before the First Order could advance further to finish off what little remained of the Resistance, they are stopped by a Force projection of Luke Skywalker, who then confronts Kylo Ren, stalling him and his forces long enough for the remnants of the Resistance to escape the base through a backdoor exit and on board the ''Millennium Falcon'', with additional help from Rey and Chewbacca, before blasting into hyperspace away from the First Order to regroup.
''Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'' (2019)
The Resistance appears in ''
The Rise of Skywalker
''Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker'') is a 2019 American epic space opera film produced, , and directed by J. J. Abrams. Produced by Lucasfilm and Abrams' productio ...
'', set a year after ''The Last Jedi''. They are based on the jungle moon of Ajan Kloss. Finn, Poe, R2-D2, and Chewie were first seen to be collecting Intel about Palpatine's return from the First Order's spy and fled back to their base using the ''Falcon'' after wiping off the TIE fighters that chased them. Later on, they and C-3PO accompanied Rey to search for clues to the Sith wayfinder artifact mentioned by Luke Skywalker. The Resistance under command by Poe Dameron and Finn, traveled to Exegol with their fleet to face the
Sith Eternal forces, including the Final Order, and ultimately emerged victorious. After the death of Palpatine, the Resistance has won, as citizens of the galaxy rise up against the First Order, thus bringing the regime to its demise. The fate of the galaxy following the defeat of the Sith Eternal has never been revealed, but it's likely that thanks to the Resistance that it made a return to democracy.
Leadership
Fleet Command
Led by Fleet Admiral
Gial Ackbar, General
Leia Organa
Princess Leia Organa is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, portrayed in films by Carrie Fisher. Introduced in the Star Wars (film), original ''Star Wars'' film in 1977, Leia is princess of th ...
, and
Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo, the Resistance Fleet is vital to the survival of the resistance in ''
Star Wars: The Last Jedi''. When Admiral Ackbar is killed and Leia in a coma, Vice Admiral Holdo assumes command of the fleet.
Ground Forces
The Resistance Ground forces are led by
General Caluan Ematt and Commander Larma D'Acy. Because the Resistance is too small to support official infantry units, pilots, technicians, and other personnel are trained to fight if necessary.
References
Further reading
*
Hidalgo, Pablo. ''
Star Wars: The Force Awakens: The Visual Dictionary'' (2015).
*
Rucka, Greg. ''
Before the Awakening
"Journey to ''Star Wars''" is a Disney/Lucasfilm publishing initiative that connects the ''Star Wars'' sequel films with previous film installments in the franchise. It currently includes the initiatives "Journey to ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens ...
'' (2015).
*
Gray, Claudia. ''
Bloodline
Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic informa ...
'' (2016).
External links
*
The Resistance in the StarWars.com Databank
{{Star Wars universe, state=collapsed
Star Wars organizations
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars Resistance
Fictional military organizations
Fictional revolutionary organizations
Fictional elements introduced in 2015