The Wren Phoenix crest, also referred to as the starbird, presented a visual representation of a legendary bird taking flight, wings outstretched and head facing right. This particular emblem served as the personal signature for Sabine Wren, the Mandalorian skilled in weaponry and a graffiti artist.
The design originated from the ancient starbird legend. According to the legend, a starbird possessed immortality, capable of rebirth from the heart of a nova if it appeared to vanish or die.
Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian warrior, eventually adopted the symbol, adding her own artistic flair inspired by Janyor's protest paintings on Bith. During her time fighting alongside the rebels from Lothal, a planet led by former Jedi padawan Kanan Jarrus, she used the symbol as a tag wherever the team attacked. Furthermore, she adorned her breastplate with it. Over time, it evolved into her distinctive mark, also becoming known as the Wren Phoenix crest.
One instance of its use was on Lothal, where Wren carried out sabotage on one of the planet's main airfields. She employed the symbol once more during the skirmish when she destroyed a significant portion of the Lawbringer. Furthermore, during the rebels' mission to steal Imperial weapons, she marked crates in a hangar bay on Garel with her trademark, which served to eliminate or distract pursuing stormtroopers, enabling the Ghost, piloted by rebel captain Hera Syndulla, to make its escape. Wren's symbol was not created using ordinary paint, but rather a unique explosive concoction of her own creation. She again deployed her explosive symbol at the Spire on Stygeon Prime.
She also enjoyed defacing Imperial propaganda posters by adding the starbird symbol.
The term Starbird was also used as one of the Spectres' many false identities to identify the Ghost.
Over time, the use of Wren's starbird became widespread among the members of the larger rebellion. Notably, the rebel ship Evac One displayed this symbol on its hull.
The Lothal resistance group utilized the starbird symbol to indicate escape routes through the sewer systems of various towns and cities, including Jhothal. The Spectres used these markings during their mission to Lothal in 1 BBY. Ezra, recognizing the symbol, realized that the Lothalian rebels must have left it, as Sabine would not have had the chance to leave her signature there. Later, Chopper and Mart Mattin used the starbirds in the sewers of Lothal City to escape following the failed Rebel attack on Lothal's Imperial Armory Complex.
Eventually, Wren's starbird was combined with the three-pronged symbol used by Saw Gerrera, resulting in the creation of the Rebel Alliance starbird.
Around the time that the Battle of Scarif occurred, Farns Monsbee, a Rebel pilot, sported a modified version of Wren's Phoenix crest on his flight helmet.
During the later stages of the Cold War, Torra Doza had a poster displaying the full starbird symbol on the wall of her bedroom on the Colossus.
Chris Glenn, a concept artist working for Lucasfilm, was responsible for the design of the Star Wars Rebels phoenix logo.