Star Wars Resistance
Star Wars Resistance is an animated TV program that first aired on October 7, 2018, and its final episode was broadcast on January 26, 2020, after being shown on both Disney Channel and Disney XD. Dave Filoni conceived the show, and Athena Yvette Portillo, Justin Ridge, and Brandon Auman served as executive producers. The main cast includes Christopher Sean, Josh Brener, Suzie McGrath, Scott Lawrence, and Justin Ridge, with guest appearances by Oscar Isaac playing Poe Dameron and Gwendoline Christie portraying Captain Phasma.
Plot summary
This series takes place in the timeline between the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, specifically when the Resistance is still becoming aware of the growing threat posed by the First Order. The story revolves around Kazuda Xiono, a youthful pilot serving in General Leia Organa's Resistance, who is assigned the mission of gathering intelligence on the increasing danger of the First Order.
On November 12, 2018, Slashfilm reported that a more defined timeline was presented in episode 1.6 of Resistance Rewind. In that episode, executive producer Justin Ridge revealed that Star Wars Resistance happens six months prior to the events of The Force Awakens, stating: "Because this series takes place six months before The Force Awakens we have a lot of connective tissue to what we see in the movie. So eventually our events in the show will parallel what happens in the movie."
Development
Dave Filoni, the head of Lucasfilm Animation and the creative force behind Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, created Star Wars Resistance. Filoni's fascination with World War II planes and pilots served as the foundation for the series, with his grandfather's experiences as a pilot during the war profoundly shaping his vision. Upon the show's announcement, Filoni mentioned that the series aimed to capture the thrilling essence of high-speed racing, a theme that Star Wars had explored in numerous narratives throughout its history. Justin Ridge, another executive producer, added: "It was a concept Dave came up with: he wanted to have a show that went more into 'How is the First Order gathering materials? What is the First Order doing before The Force Awakens?' It grew from that initial seed." Filoni also drew inspiration from the sitcom Cheers for the show's setting; Athena Yvette Portillo, an executive producer, explained to StarWars.com: "He said, 'I want a show that takes place in one set that you go to constantly. You get to know the patrons, you get to know the people, and you introduce new characters…and it's all about their way of life.'"
Resistance starts half a year before the Battle of Starkiller Base, eventually intersecting with the events of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. The creative team was initially unsure about the specifics of Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi and Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker when the series was in development, so they had to be cautious to prevent any potential continuity errors with those movies. The show was designed to run for only two seasons to effectively bridge the gap between the two films.
Ben Sherwood, the president of Disney Television, disclosed in September 2016 that he had been collaborating with Lucasfilm on a new animated series. Upon the premiere of the third season of Star Wars Rebels, it was revealed that Filoni had relinquished his role as Supervising Director to focus on assisting in the development of "future animation development." Pablo Hidalgo shared that Filoni and his team were actively developing the new series as of September 2017. In February 2018, it was reported that Lucasfilm Ltd. had applied for a trademark for the title Star Wars Resistance (rumors about such a series had circulated as far back as 2014). The official announcement of the series came on April 26, 2018, with a planned debut in the fall of the same year. Despite being the show's creator, Filoni confirmed in an interview on August 12 that he would not be as directly involved in the day-to-day operations of Resistance as he had been on previous projects, due to his work on the revival of The Clone Wars. However, he would still offer feedback and guidance to the story team, a role Filoni likened to George Lucas' contributions to The Clone Wars. Polygon Pictures handled the show's animation. The animation is rendered using CG and is inspired by the anime style, drawing heavily from Robotech, Lupin the Third, and the movies of Hayao Miyazaki. Many of the show's designs are based on unused concept sketches from the original trilogy by artists such as Joe Johnston, Ralph McQuarrie, and Nilo Rodis-Jamero. During its production phase, the animated series was known as "Zero."
Release
Star Wars Resistance was initially broadcast on October 7, 2018. Leading up to its debut, the show was promoted at the 2018 New York Comic Con, where a life-size replica of the Fireball was displayed, and Hasbro introduced a toy line inspired by the series.
On August 4, 2019, it was announced that the second season would start airing on October 6, 2019, coinciding with the release of the Season 2 trailer. It was also revealed that this would be the show's final season.
Home video
The initial season was made available on DVD on August 20, 2019.
Both seasons can be streamed on the Disney+ platform. The first season was available at launch on November 12, 2019, and the second season was added on February 25, 2020.
Credits
Seasons
Sources
Non-canon sources
- Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 Release Date, Studios Revealed on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Meet the Visionaries: LeAndre Thomas and Justin Ridge on the Heartbreak and Hope of "The Pit" on StarWars.com (backup link)
Notes and references
External links
- Star Wars Resistance on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars Resistance on Lucasfilm's official website (backup link)
- Star Wars Resistance on Wikipedia
- Star Wars Resistance at the Internet Movie Database ·