Firefly remains a sore spot for science fiction fans. The beloved space western captured the imagination of many before disappearing suddenly, leaving some of its story untold. Some still bray for the show's return, despite the well-received feature film. The series' lore was rarely the focal point of its drama. The crew of lovable rogues struggling to survive in a lawless land mattered more than the lives they led before the show caught them. However, Mal's time with the Browncoats stayed central.
The space western genre remains enduringly popular. It's a simple concept, broadening the wild frontier of the Old West to the endless frontier of the void beyond our atmosphere. However, most of the best examples are less about exploring outward and more about delving inward. One of its most important tropes is the good-natured protagonist with a violent past. Mal's violent past involves a particular earth-toned garment.
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What did the Browncoats fight for?
The Browncoats were the soldiers who fought for the Independent Planets in the Unification War of 2506. Humanity fled the Earth-that-was after dwindling resources threatened to harm the population. Humans discovered a new star that supported countless safe planets, colonizing the several closest to its new sun. The people who lived on the Core Planets wanted for nothing, but those who settled on Border Planets far from the star struggled to meet their needs. In time, skirmishes turned to battles over resources. The people of the outer worlds saw the ease of life in the Core but fought to secure independence at the cost of convenience. In response to the conflict, the central planets formed the Alliance, which united many worlds under one Parliament. Allied rule was fair and intelligent, but constantly expansionist. They sought to add every planet to their hegemony, prompting the Independent Planets to strike back.
The Browncoats were mostly volunteers who signed up to fight perceived tyranny. They were hopelessly outgunned and outmanned. The brutal lack of resources practically guaranteed an Allied victory, but the early days of the war were less one-sided than expected. Browncoats were named for their signature uniform, a plain brown trenchcoat. They decorated their gear with a red scarf. The Allied forces earned the name "Purple Bellies" because their fancy body armor bore a purple tint. Independents were often untrained, barely armed, and struggling to find food. They augmented their limited arsenals with whatever they could scrounge from home or steal from Purple Bellies. Their strong initial performance came from guerrilla warfare tactics, which benefited massively from the Browncoats' knowledge of their terrain. Early Browncoat aerospace pilots also dominated dogfights with small, maneuverable vessels armed with powerful plasma weaponry. Most Browncoats came from the planets Hera and Shadow, fighting to defend their homes with whatever they had to give. Tracey Smith, who fought alongside Mal and Zoe in the Unification War, summed up his experience like this:
You know, it's funny. We went to the war never lookin' to come back, but it's the real world I couldn't survive.
What happened to the Browncoats?
The Independent Planets lost the Unification War. The conflict lasted five years. The Browncoats gave and took tremendous casualties, but the Allied Planets had more soldiers to sacrifice. Independent governments fell apart, replaced by Alliance governors. Life changed little for most of the people on formerly Independent Planets. Though the Alliance sent some resources to rebuild the destroyed Independent Planets, many Allied citizens believed that the Browncoats should suffer for their rebellion. Many fled the planets they fought for, finding new homes even further from the central star.
Most of the surviving Browncoat soldiers became mercenaries, entering a booming market after the war concluded. The iconic garment became a symbol, prompting many to have their favorite outerwear dyed blue or black. Those who still wear the brown coat still carry the message of the Independent Planet, prompting ongoing hostilities and frequent criminal activity against the victorious Alliance. Some carry on the conflict more directly. Unificators are mercenaries who hunt and apprehend Browncoat soldiers seen as war criminals by the Alliance. Conversely, some Browncoats became the Dust Devils, a terrorist organization that targeted Allied officials in ongoing revenge.
The Browncoats are a mixed bag from an outside perspective. Fans love their message of freedom and simplicity so much that they took the term as a nickname. Firefly devotees see themselves as rebels fighting the crushing tyranny of Fox, who canceled the series. On the other hand, the "we will rise again" narrative is unquestionably a reference to the "Lost Cause" mythology of the American South. Despite its problematic elements, the Browncoats remain a symbol of everything Firefly stands for. They may have lost the war, but many of the most engaging characters still proudly wear that earth-toned duster.
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