The Rebel Legion constitutes a global group of costumed Star Wars enthusiasts, specifically those portraying characters from the Rebel Alliance. This organization frequently engages in philanthropic endeavors and community contributions. Since its inception in 2000, the Rebel Legion has collaborated extensively with Disney and Lucasfilm, alongside other costuming communities like the 501st Legion. Several members of the Rebel Legion have appeared as extras in the Star Tours: The Adventures Continue attraction, and the organization has been featured in numerous articles on StarWars.com.
The Rebel Legion, a worldwide association of Star Wars devotees who don costumes of the Rebel Alliance, was brought into being in January 2000 by Tony Troxell, Richard Fairbrother, Doug Fesko, and Ed O'Connell. They often participate in charitable activities and give back to their communities. This group was initially established as a counterpart to the 501st Legion, another costuming organization, and the two groups often collaborate and share members. Over the years, the Rebel Legion has evolved into one of the preferred costuming groups for both Disney and Lucasfilm. After completion, some Rebel Legion costumes are submitted to Lucasfilm for review and feedback.
The Rebel Legion's highest-ranking officer is elected by the membership, acting as the public face and representative of the organization, and serving as the main contact point for Lucasfilm. As of 2024, Anthony Wilson holds the position of commanding officer. The costumes worn by members encompass a wide variety of characters including Jedi, clone troopers, rebel pilots, rebel troopers, rebel commanders, royalty and senators, smugglers, and various alien creatures.
Back in 2010, Lucasfilm requested the assistance of several members from the 501st Legion, some of whom were also affiliated with the Rebel Legion, to take part in a photoshoot for the then-upcoming Star Tours: The Adventures Continue attraction. In August of that same year, several members were present at the recording session, including Lawrence Green, a contributor to the Star Wars Blog and a member of both organizations.
Another member of the Rebel Legion, Rob Howe, played a snowspeeder pilot communicating via comms on the ice planet of Hoth. Additional members of the group played various background characters in silhouette throughout the attraction. The attraction initially opened at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida on May 20, 2011. The Rebel Legion's contributions to the project were later highlighted in a StarWars.com interview with Green by author Amy Ratcliffe, which was released on August 29, 2014.
The costuming group was also highlighted alongside other groups in a video promoting Celebration Europe II, created by Ashley Eckstein, the voice actress behind Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. Mark Newbold, who contributes to Star Wars Insider and the Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon magazines, is recognized as an Honorary Friend of the Rebel Legion.
Rebel Legion members were present at Celebration VI in 2012, and at Long Beach Comic Con in the same year, where they inducted Stephen Stanton, a voice actor from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, as an honorary member. The Rebel Legion also had a presence at San Diego Comic-Con and WonderCon in 2013, both of which were covered in articles on StarWars.com. In 2013, the Rebel Legion collaborated with Disney employees to volunteer for Operation Gratitude, an event later documented on StarWars.com.
In 2014, the Rebel Legion participated in WonderCon alongside the 501st Legion, and their presence was noted in a StarWars.com article that listed the event's Star Wars-related activities. A more detailed article about the organization's participation in the event was published by Green on April 29 of that year.
Rebel Legion members Alexina Duncan and Emily Schram, who were also members of the 501st Legion, were interviewed as part of Ratcliffe's "Galactic Costuming" series on StarWars.com, which highlighted members of fan costuming groups globally. These interviews were published on August 17, 2017, and January 3, 2018, respectively. In December 2017, Rebel Legion members were invited to the premiere of Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi, the 2017 sequel trilogy film. Dressed as new characters from the film, they met various cast and crew members, and excerpts from their interviews were featured in a StarWars.com article by Dan Brooks.
Lisa Liebig, a Rebel Legion member, was interviewed at Celebration Anaheim in 2022 as part of a series of fan interviews for a StarWars.com article published on May 29 of that year. In May of the same year, the Rebel Legion and other fan costuming groups collaborated with Lucasfilm to raise funds for the Starlight Children's Foundation, collecting thirty thousand dollars. Their efforts were mentioned on the June 9, 2022, episode of This Week! in Star Wars on the official Star Wars YouTube channel, hosted by Kristin Baver.
- SWCVI: The 501st Legion Begins Landing Its Troops on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- SWCVI: Imperial Troops Have Entered The Base on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- SWCVI: This Will Be A Day Long Remembered on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- SWCVI: Everything is Going as Planned on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- 501st at DragonCon 2012 – My Kind of Convention: Fearless and Inventive on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Long Beach Comic Com: I Should Have Expected to Find You Here on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- WonderCon Wonderment 2013! on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Troopers and Rebels: Behind the Magic at SDCC 2013 on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Star Wars Fan Groups: Celebrating A Galaxy Far, Far Away on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Trooping for the Troops on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- Star Wars in the UK: Memorabilia, 23-24 November 2013 on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Vanessa Marshall, the Galaxy's Newest Rebel, Is Heading to WonderCon on StarWars.com (backup link)
- WonderCon 2014: The 501st and Rebel Legion In Full Force on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- How the 501st and Rebel Legions Became Part of Star Tours on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Galactic Costuming: Alexina Duncan's Amazing Hera Syndulla Cosplay on StarWars.com (backup link)
- These Star Wars: The Last Jedi Cosplayers from the Red Carpet Premiere Are Most Impressive on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Galactic Costuming: Emily Schram's Cool Captain Rex Cosplay on StarWars.com (backup link)
- SWCA 2022: Fans Share the Joy of Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022 on StarWars.com (backup link)
- This Week! in Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi Leaves Tatooine, Deborah Chow and Moses Ingram Talk Reva, and More! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)
- Mark Newbold on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Official website (backup link)
- The Rebel Legion (@therebellegion) on Facebook (backup link (therebellegion) not verified!)
- The Rebel Legion (@officialrebellegion) on Instagram (backup link (officialrebellegion) not verified!)
- The Rebel Legion ( @rebellegion ) on Twitter (backup link (rebellegion) not verified!)
- The Rebel Legion on YouTube (backup link (RebelLegionOfficial) not verified!)