Star Wars Resistance is an animated TV show that originally aired on Disney Channel and Disney XD, beginning on October 7, 2018, and ending on January 26, 2020. Dave Filoni conceived the series, while Athena Yvette Portillo, Justin Ridge, and Brandon Auman served as executive producers. The voice cast includes Christopher Sean, Josh Brener, Suzie McGrath, Scott Lawrence, and Justin Ridge, alongside guest appearances by Oscar Isaac voicing Poe Dameron and Gwendoline Christie voicing Captain Phasma.
The story unfolds between the events of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, at a time when the Resistance is still in the process of discovering the First Order's growing threat. The narrative focuses on Kazuda Xiono, a youthful pilot serving in General Leia Organa's Resistance, who is assigned the mission of spying on the increasing menace posed by the First Order.
A more precise timeline was disclosed in episode 1.6 of Resistance Rewind, according to a Slashfilm report from November 12, 2018. Justin Ridge, the executive producer, revealed in that episode that Star Wars Resistance is set six months before 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."
Dave Filoni, who heads Lucasfilm Animation and previously led the creative teams for Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, originated Star Wars Resistance. Filoni's fascination with World War II fighter pilots and aircraft served as the basis for the series, with his grandfather's experiences as a pilot during the war having a significant impact. Upon the series' announcement, Filoni mentioned that the series aimed to capture the excitement associated with high-speed racing, a theme explored in various Star Wars narratives over time. Justin Ridge, the 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, another 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 commences six months prior to the Battle of Starkiller Base, eventually aligning with the events of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. At the start of the series' development, the creative team lacked detailed information about Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi and Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker, requiring them to exercise caution to prevent any potential continuity discrepancies with those films. The show's duration was planned for only two seasons, intended to bridge the narrative gap between the two movies.
Ben Sherwood, president of Disney Television, announced in September 2016 that he had been collaborating with Lucasfilm on a new animated series. Upon the debut of the third season of Star Wars Rebels, it was revealed that Filoni had relinquished his role as Supervising Director to assist in the development of "future animation development." Pablo Hidalgo disclosed that Filoni and his team had been working on the new series as of September 2017. In February 2018, it was reported that Lucasfilm Ltd. had filed a trademark for the name Star Wars Resistance (rumors of such a series had circulated since 2014). The official announcement of the series occurred on April 26, 2018, with a planned premiere in the fall of the same year. Despite being the show's creator, Filoni confirmed in an August 12 interview 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. Instead, he would offer guidance and feedback to the story team, a role he likened to George Lucas' contributions to The Clone Wars. Polygon Pictures handled the show's animation. The animations are rendered using CG and are influenced by the anime animation style, drawing significant inspiration from Robotech, Lupin the Third, and the works of Hayao Miyazaki. Many of the show's designs are rooted in unused concept sketches from the original trilogy by artists like Joe Johnston, Ralph McQuarrie, and Nilo Rodis-Jamero. During production, the animated series was called "Zero."
Star Wars Resistance debuted on October 7, 2018. Leading up to the premiere, the show was featured at the 2018 New York Comic Con, where a life-sized model of the Fireball was displayed, and Hasbro launched a toy line inspired by the series.
On August 4, 2019, the release of the Season 2 trailer announced that the second season would begin on October 6, 2019. It was also revealed that this would be the show's final season.
The complete first season was made available on DVD starting August 20, 2019.
Both seasons are accessible on the Disney+ streaming platform. The first season was available at launch on November 12, 2019, and the second season was added on February 25, 2020.