Star Wars Resistance

• 1. Introduction

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  Star Wars Resistance premiered on Disney Channel on the 7th of October 2018. Its protagonist, Kazuda Xiono, was a New Republic pilot recruited by the Resistance to spy on the growing threat of the First Order. He takes up his post on a fueling platform called the Colossus, among mechanics, racers, and pirates. Creator Dave Filoni has said the show drew partly from his grandfather's experiences in World War II. In a franchise built around Jedi and Sith, that personal source of inspiration raises a question. What kind of Star Wars story did Resistance set out to be? The show ran forty episodes before its final installment on the 26th of January 2020. The answer threads through the making and reception of this short-lived series.

• 2. Racers, Pirates, Spies

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  Greg Proops voiced Fode, the race commentator in The Phantom Menace, and Resistance brought him back for a similar assignment. His new character, Jak Sivrak, calls races from the Colossus, a fueling platform populated by pilots, mechanics, and pirates. Captain Imanuel Doza, voiced by Jason Hightower, runs the Colossus itself. Five elite pilots known as the Ace Squadron protect the platform; their leader, Hype Fazon, is voiced by Donald Faison. Torra Doza, Captain Doza's daughter, flies alongside Freya Fenris, Griff Halloran, and Bo Keevil to complete the roster.

  At the workshop level, Jarek Yeager runs a repair business, voiced by Scott Lawrence. Working for him is Tamara Ryvora, voiced by Suzie McGrath, a mechanic with her sights on a pilot's seat. Neeku Vozo, a skilled Nikto technician, is voiced by Josh Brener. Bobby Moynihan and Jim Rash voice Orka and Flix, who run the Office of Acquisitions aboard the Colossus.

  The Warbird pirates provide an ongoing threat, led by the Quarren captain Kragan Gorr. Synara San, a Warbird member voiced by Nazneen Contractor, eventually embeds herself in the Colossus community. Two stowaways, a brother and sister named Kel and Eila, are voiced by Antony Del Rio and Nikki SooHoo. Mika Grey, a hunter of Sith relics voiced by Tudi Roche, brings a stranger thread of galactic history into the mix. The droid BB-8 appears throughout most of the first season, giving the Colossus a visible connection to the franchise's wider cast of characters.

• 3. Filoni's Founding Vision

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  Dave Filoni officially announced Star Wars Resistance on the 26th of April 2018, scheduling the show for a fall 2018 premiere. He described it as influenced by anime and by his grandfather's experiences in World War II. Filoni had developed a substantial track record in the franchise before this project. He directed the 2008 theatrical film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and developed the television series that followed. He then created and executive produced Star Wars Rebels. In 2017, he was named head of Lucasfilm Animation.

  By the 1st of August 2018, Polygon Pictures had been selected as the animation production company. On August 12, Filoni said he would not manage Resistance day-to-day as he had on earlier projects. The reason was his concurrent work on a revival of The Clone Wars. He described his supervisory role as similar to the input George Lucas had given on The Clone Wars. He would set direction and provide notes to the story team rather than oversee every decision.

  A trailer released on the 17th of August 2018 drew a largely negative reaction from fans. Criticism centered on the show's apparent targeting of younger viewers, and the anime-style CGI attracted both praise and criticism. Blair Marnell of Nerdist compared that initial response to the early skepticism that had greeted The Clone Wars and Rebels. Both shows had gone on to build more positive reputations with later seasons. Twelve shorts depicting the lives of the Resistance cast debuted on the Disney Channel YouTube channel in December 2018.

• 4. Familiar Voices

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  Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie were announced alongside the series and reprised their roles from the sequel films. Isaac voiced Poe Dameron, Kaz's friend and a Resistance commander. Christie played Captain Phasma in season one, with Ellen Dubin taking the role in season two. Domhnall Gleeson voiced General Hux in the first season, and Ben Prendergast stepped in for the second.

  Anthony Daniels reprised C-3PO for the series. In the pilot episode, the character's voice can be heard briefly over an intercom. Carolyn Hennesy voiced Princess Leia. Matthew Wood took on two roles, voicing both the resistance pilot Ello Asty and Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of the First Order. Tzi Ma voiced Senator Hamato Xiono, Kazuda's father and a senator of the New Republic.

  Among the extended guest cast, Elijah Wood played Jace Rucklin, a Colossus resident. Joe Manganiello voiced Ax Tagrin, an Iktotchi bounty hunter. Lucy Lawless played the Queen of the Aeosians. John DiMaggio voiced Vranki the Blue, a Hutt who operates a casino. Daveed Diggs played Norath Kev, a resistance pilot. Rachael MacFarlane voiced Lin Gaava, a friend of Jace Rucklin, while Steve Blum played Leoz, a Nikto pirate.

• 5. Critics and the Saturn

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  Fourteen critics contributed reviews to Rotten Tomatoes for the first season, producing a 93% approval rating and an average score of 6.70 out of 10. The site's consensus described the series as a streamlined story primed to explore relatable characters with plenty of potential. William Hughes of The A.V. Club awarded the first episode a B. He wrote that at the end of its first hour, Resistance 'feels pleasantly primed with potential.' Brian Lowry of CNN offered a more measured view. He noted that prior Star Wars animated shows had given older fans more to engage with, while Resistance was clearly aimed at a younger audience. Lowry wrote that the series painted with a much brighter, more colorful palette but settled for more pallid characters and situations in its early episodes. Syfy Wire noted the show's cel-shading animation stood apart from the franchise's traditional computer-generated approach. Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media called the series lighthearted, with vivid animation and high-flying action.

  Both seasons earned nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program. The debut season won the Saturn Award for Best Animated Series on Television in 2019. Liam McIntyre voiced Commander Pyre, a high-ranking First Order officer who appears across both seasons of the series.

• 6. Into the Sequel Trilogy

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  The first season of Resistance begins precisely six months before the events of The Force Awakens. By the end of episode seventeen, the story crosses over directly with that film. Season two picks up immediately where season one left off. It runs in parallel with The Last Jedi before leading into the events of The Rise of Skywalker. The first episode of the second season was screened at Star Wars Celebration in Chicago before its television premiere on the 6th of October 2019.

  The complete first season was packaged on DVD and released on the 20th of August 2019. The set included all 21 episodes of season one alongside the twelve shorts. Four audio commentaries with Christopher Sean, Scott Lawrence, Josh Brener, and Myrna Velasco were also on the disc. An exclusive behind-the-scenes segment and a feature called Resistance Rewind completed the release. The first season became available for streaming on the 12th of November 2019, the launch date for Disney+ in the United States. Season two arrived on the service on the 25th of February 2020. Sumalee Montano voiced Agent Tierny, an officer in the First Order Security Bureau, among the recurring cast of the show's second season.