With San Diego Comic-Con around the corner, one of the biggest franchises that fans will have their eye on is Star Wars. There are bound to be questions about Star Wars: Episode IX and any news about any Star Wars side projects. However, there’s also an animated series that’s on the horizon. Star Wars Resistance will be unlike any TV show in the series to date, mainly because it’ll be the first to dive into events after Return of the Jedi.
Expectations for Star Wars Resistance will be high, given the pedigree of showrunner Dave Filoni, showrunner on previous Star Wars animated shows Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, the latter of which is coming off a wild series finale. The lead up to Star Wars Resistance‘s premiere this fall will also come with many questions from fans. Some of those questions might be answered at San Diego Comic-Con later this month. Others will likely be answered over the course of the series itself. Here are four questions we want answered on the show.
No More Jedi?
Star Wars Resistance will focus on pilots. specifically a young pilot named Kazuda Xiono. He will help carry out a mission to spy on the rising First Order. It’ll also focus on Poe Dameron’s time with the Resistance Fleet. When Resistance was first announced, Filoni cited his interest in World War II-era fighter pilots. So while Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels focused largely on the neverending clash between the Jedi and the Sith, Resistance looks to examine Star Wars from a different, more grounded lens. Think of it as something closer to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Should Fans Expect Other Characters From the Movies?
Poe and Captain Phasma have both been confirmed to return, with Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie returning to voice their characters. Fans looking for any other central characters from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi may be disappointed. After all, if this takes place before Episode VII, then Finn will still be a nameless drone serving the First Order and Rey will be struggling for survival on Jakku.
However, that leaves ample room for other supporting characters to pop up over the course of the series. The Tico Sisters are almost a sure bet, with viewers getting to learn more about Rose and Paige and their service to the Resistance. Fans remember Paige’s sacrifice that allowed her allies to escape First Order forces, but they’re largely unfamiliar with Paige’s decorated career with Cobalt Squadron and Rose’s work as a trusted mechanic.
Similarly, there’s a good chance that fans will get to see more of Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo. While she wouldn’t be a central character, given her relative unfamiliarity with Poe in The Last Jedi, there’s room for her as a recurring cameo character. Filoni’s past animated shows have been brilliant about filling in blanks for ancillary movie characters, the best example being Rogue One‘s Saw Gerrera in Star Wars Rebels. If there’s an opportunity to expand someone’s role in the series mythos, there’s a good chance he will take it.
How Far Has the First Order Risen?
This is a key question that will determine the scope of Kazuda’s central mission. Depending on how close Resistance is to the events of The Force Awakens, the First Order could either be a rising movement or already an Empire unto itself.
The measure of the First Order’s threat will ultimately be determined by Supreme Leader Snoke‘s role on this show, if any. In fact, depending on how far from Episode VII this show takes place, it’s entirely possible that the Resistance is entirely unaware of Snoke’s existence. He could be a central villain behind the scenes, much like Palpatine was throughout one of Filoni’s other projects, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
One thing that fans can expect is that if the idea of Resistance is to lead into The Force Awakens in some fashion, Snoke will eventually come out of the shadows and present himself as a dire threat.
Will There Be Any Follow-Up on the Star Wars Rebels Finale?
Ah, the big tease of the Star Wars Rebels finale. First off, there are spoilers ahead for anyone who has yet to see it, so be forewarned.
Star Wars Rebels ended with a fast-forward into the direct aftermath of Return of the Jedi. Sabine Wren vowed to continue the search for the lost Ezra Bridger, who disappeared into hyperspace along with Grand Admiral Thrawn. Sabine presumes Ezra is still alive, so she embarks on a journey to find her friend, alongside Star Wars: The Clone Wars heroine Ahsoka Tano, shockingly still alive following one of the earlier events of Rebels‘ final season.
It is possible that the search for Ezra is still going over the course of Resistance and that it will eventually be addressed, likely in a later season. Just as Filoni revisited old friends from the Clone Wars cast for Rebels, there’s a good chance he’ll check back in with some of the Rebels cast members for Resistance. Sabine and Ahsoka are the safest bets, given their new mission at the end of that show.
However, their search may also lead them to Grand Admiral Thrawn, who may also still be alive along with Ezra. Given Filoni’s goals for this series in regards to focusing on pilots and fighter squadrons, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Thrawn could make his return and act as strategic tactician for the rising First Order.
If Filoni does decide to revisit this open plot thread from Rebels, there’s a good chance it could be one of the last canonical appearances for these characters, including fan-favorite Ahsoka. Of course, the same thing was said of her in Rebels and she survived, so maybe she’s not out of surprises just yet.
Star Wars Resistance will premiere on Disney XD this Fall.
