The Partisans represented a militant group of insurgents who waged armed brutal campaigns against the Galactic Empire throughout the Imperial Era. Established and commanded by Saw Gerrera in 19 BBY, the Partisans were instrumental in the destabilization of Gerrera's homeworld, Onderon, wresting it from the grasp of Imperial occupation forces. They subsequently evolved into a rebel cell aligned with the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Nonetheless, figures such as Rebel Alliance founders Mon Mothma and Bail Organa distanced themselves from Gerrera's group because of their willingness to employ drastic measures, including torture and assaults on non-military targets.
By 1 BBY, communication between the militia and the main Alliance was minimal. Gerrera's militia besieged the sacred moon of Jedha, aiming to eliminate the Imperial presence. This campaign suffered a major setback with the destruction of the Holy City by the superlaser of the Imperial Death Star battle station, which also resulted in Saw Gerrera's death.
The Partisans' actions, which resulted in significant civilian casualties, prompted the Galactic Empire to create a propaganda poster that labeled the Rebel Alliance as a terrorist organization. Later, New Republic Senator Ransolm Casterfo cited the Partisans' campaigns as evidence of the Rebels' alleged terrorist tactics during the war. He questioned Leia Organa about whether she condoned these actions, to which Leia responded that Gerrera did what he thought was necessary, without explicitly stating her own opinion.
The Partisans emerged as one of the earliest rebel cells following the creation of the Galactic Empire. Their fighters were renowned as fierce warriors, known for their ruthlessness, effectiveness in completing missions, and eagerness to combat the Empire by any means. Due to their extreme methods, such as the use of torture and targeting of civilians, the rebel cell was often viewed as too radical and ultimately detrimental to the rebellion. Despite these concerns, communication and collaboration continued between the rebellion and the Partisans until Mon Mothma's official censure around the time of the public, official formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic.
Operating primarily in the Outer Rim near the Corellian Run, the Partisans maintained several headquarters across the galaxy. This was a deliberate strategy by Saw Gerrera, who believed that having multiple outposts would prevent the Empire from crippling his operations if one base was discovered.
Individuals unaffiliated with the Partisans sometimes imitated their violent tactics, claiming to be members, which caused confusion within both Imperial and rebel intelligence agencies. Gerrera generally approved of such imitation if it proved effective.
Following the Onderon's Civil War and the Galactic Republic's transformation into the Galactic Empire, Saw Gerrera reorganized the Onderon rebels into the Partisans. Governor Wilhuff Tarkin dispatched Clone Force 99 to eliminate them, falsely claiming they were a remnant of the Separatist movement. However, they disobeyed these orders and deserted after learning the truth. Subsequently, a new squadron led by Crosshair, who had left Clone Force 99 due to their defection, arrived to complete the mission of eliminating Saw and his militia. However, Saw had already left, leaving behind only some militia members and civilians, all of whom were killed. This included Elite Squad Trooper ES-01, who refused to execute the civilians and was deemed a traitor by Crosshair. Later, the Empire sent ISB Agent Kallus and his squad to restore order to Onderon. Gerrera and a Lasat mercenary ambushed them, and the Lasat brutally executed the squad, leaving Kallus alive.
In 14 BBY, the Partisans launched an incursion against the Empire on Kashyyyk, aiming to weaken the Empire and liberate imprisoned Wookiees. They aided the Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis and the crew of the Stinger Mantis in locating Wookiee Chieftain Tarfful. After finding Tarfful, they were overwhelmed by Imperial forces, forcing most of them to withdraw from the planet. Saw offered Kestis a place among the Partisans, but Kestis declined, citing his own mission. Saw assured him that the offer remained open. Over the following years, Kestis maintained contact with Gerrera, and the two collaborated on missions against the Empire.
In 13 BBY, Gerrera recruited Jyn Erso into the Partisans. By 5 BBY, Erso had become one of the most skilled fighters within the group. However, Gerrera was forced to abandon her due to her father, Galen Walton Erso, working with the Empire.
At a later time, Arane Oreida and her group of partisans hired Gerrera and his Partisans to infiltrate the Sakoola blossom festival on Inusagi. Using flechette launchers, the partisans massacred the festival, resulting in the deaths of Maia, the Inusagi chieftess, numerous Imperials including governor Cor Tophervin, and many Inusagi civilians. Consequently, some of Gerrera's members left the Partisans, seeking less extreme rebel groups.
In 9 BBY, Gerrera received Imperial military intelligence from Kestis, who had stolen it from Imperial Senator Daho Sejan's private starship on Coruscant after faking capture to gain access to the senator. At some point, the Partisans conducted a raid within the Ryloth capital of Lessu City, where they encountered and freed the Twi'lek rebel Beezer Fortuna, who joined the Partisans as a strategist.
In 3 BBY, a member of Saw's Partisans detonated a bomb in the chalet of Moff Quarsh Panaka, the governor of Naboo, on the moon Onoam. The explosion destroyed the building and killed Panaka, but also nearly killed Princess Leia Organa of [Alderaan](/article/alderaan], Bail Organa's adopted daughter, and Naboo's reigning Queen [Dalné](/article/daln%c3%a9], both of whom narrowly escaped death. Panaka's assassination led to a sector-wide lockdown and angered Bail, both because Panaka was one of the few Imperials who was neither corrupt nor cruel and because his daughter had almost been killed.
By 1 BBY, Saw Gerrera and Senator Mon Mothma, the leader of the Alliance to Restore the Republic, disagreed on how the war should be conducted. The Partisans, while affiliated with the Alliance, differed from the rest of the rebellion in their willingness to employ any means necessary, including openly attacking and killing civilians. The Partisan leader attempted to persuade the Spectres to join his cause. Shortly afterward, he assisted the rebels in their mission to the Jalindi Station, with he and Benthic in their [U-wing](/article/ut-60d_u-wing_starfighter/support_craft]. Gerrera dropped proton bombs on the relay to destroy it and rescued the Spectres from their mission.
Later, the Partisans undertook a mission to the Imperial Metal Factory on Dooma 4 after discovering that the factory supplied components for a secret Imperial project.
As his campaigns against the Empire became increasingly brutal, the Alliance High Command, at Mon Mothma's urging, formally censured Gerrera and cut off all official ties with the Partisans. Gerrera relocated his militia to Jedha, a small desert moon orbiting the planet NaJedha, believing it to be a suitable location for his rebellion due to its significance as a sacred world for many galactic religions.
From his new base in the Catacombs of Cadera, Gerrera began recruiting and organizing local insurgent groups under the banner of his Partisans. Over several months, the Partisans attacked the Imperial occupiers, leading to increasingly severe reprisals from the Empire. Joali Andit and Jalice Andit maintained loose connections with the Partisans, fighting alongside them.
After Gerrera's death, the remaining Partisans, under Benthic's leadership, continued his extremist legacy, aiming to thwart the Empire at any cost. Simultaneously, another group of Partisan survivors began operating as the Dreamers. Following the theft of the Death Star plans and the battle station's destruction, the newly formed Inferno Squad was ordered to infiltrate and eliminate the Dreamers, which they accomplished.
When the rebellion sought a new base, another group of surviving Partisans was approached by Leia, Jedi Luke Skywalker, Captain Han Solo, and Chewbacca after rescuing Partisan Ubin Des and Chulco Gi from the Imperials. The Partisans were trying to prevent the Empire from extracting more kyber crystals from the remnants of Jedha. Des and Gi then transported the Millennium Falcon to the Partisans' new base on Jedha. There, they were brought before Benthic, who initially wanted to kill the Rebels but agreed to listen to Leia. He then agreed to accept her supplies and discussed rejoining the Alliance. Skywalker and Benthic then boarded the drill citadel. Benthic forced one of the technicians to lower the shields, allowing the Partisans and the Falcon to attack the citadel.
Following the mission, the Falcon dropped off the surviving Partisans and refugees on NaJedha. Benthic pledged that he and his partisans would guard Jedha until its destruction. Leia agreed to have the Partisans collaborate with the Alliance once more. Ubin Des was then awarded the Medal of Bravery by Solo in recognition of her actions. After their joint effort with the Rebel Alliance in the mission to Shu-Torun, Benthic and his fellow partisans traveled to Salobea.
More than two decades after the Galactic Civil War ended and the New Republic emerged in 28 ABY, junior senator Ransolm Casterfo of the Centrist faction brought up Saw Gerrera and the Partisans, characterizing them as political extremists who embodied the worst aspects of the Rebel Alliance. He cited Saw's actions as evidence of alleged atrocities committed by the rebels during a discussion with his political opponent, senior senator Leia Organa of the Populists.