Highlights
- Wedge Antilles, the unsung hero of the Rebellion, survived both Death Star battles and played a critical role in stopping AT-ATs in The Empire Strikes Back.
- Mon Mothma, a Senator and Rebel leader, quietly set up the Rebellion and played a vital role in inspiring Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso to steal the Death Star plans.
- Bail Organa, a Senator, worked behind the scenes with Mon Mothma and helped smuggle Yoda off the planet, ultimately raising Darth Vader's child and instilling her with the confidence to take on the Empire.
In Star Wars, the Rebellion rises up to overthrow the tyranny and oppression of the Empire. While the major focus is on Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Han Solo, there are hundreds of other members of the Rebellion who stand up to the Empire in some shape or form.
While many of these rebels are essentially nameless, faceless soldiers, many others rise to the occasion and play key roles in the Empire's defeat. These unsung heroes of Star Wars can be counted on to save the day when the main characters aren't around. One might even say these characters are the true heroes of the Rebellion.
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8 Wedge Antilles
While Wedge may have gotten his due in Legends, he doesn't get as much respect in canon as he should. He pilots one of the X-Wing fighters attacking the first Death Star in A New Hope, joining Luke as the only survivor of the battle. Then, in The Empire Strikes Back, he was critical in stopping the AT-ATs that were approaching the base as Rebels were evacuating.
Yes, by Return of the Jedi, Wedge is Rogue Squadron Leader, but he still barely gets recognition for firing the shot that destroyed the second Death Star. He's the only pilot to go into battle against two Death Stars, surviving both and destroying one. That's an unsung hero.
7 Mon Mothma
She may finally be getting her due in canon thanks to shows like Andor and Ahsoka, but with the expanded universe not counting as canon, Mon Mothma was just one of the Rebels who showed up to brief the heroes in Return of the Jedi.
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However, she was one of the Senators who managed to avoid being detected as a Rebel leader while quietly setting up the Rebellion. She was integral in the actions that led to Cassian Andor joining the Rebellion and the events that inspired Andor and Jyn Erso to steal the original Death Star plans.
6 Bail Organa
Sadly, viewers only learned about Bail Organa's heroics after he was killed along with the rest of the population of Alderaan. Serving as a Senator, he worked with Padme Amidala in the days of the Republic to stand against the tyranny of the then Supreme Chancellor. As a Senator, he continued working with Mon Mothma behind the scenes to strengthen the Rebellion.
Bail Organa's best act may have been his Jedi assistance. When noticing the Jedi Temple on fire, Organa went to help. Afterward, he helped smuggle Yoda off the planet allowing the Jedi Master to learn new skills and to be there to train Luke for his ultimate battle with Darth Vader. He also raised one of Darth Vader's children as his own, instilling her with the confidence needed to take on the Empire.
5 Galen Erso
The creation of the original Death Star and the mission to steal its plans were finally brought to the screen for the first time in Rogue One. The Empire abducted scientist Galen Erso to finish building the Death Star. That's where it's revealed he put in the exhaust port design flaw for the Rebellion to exploit.
Erso formerly worked for the Empire but was an honorable man. When he learned his work was being turned into a super weapon, he fled with his family until the Empire abducted him. Once captured, rather than just doing his duty, he worked on a plan for sabotage.
4 Arvel Crynyd
The Green Leader in the second Death Star attack gave his life to ensure the Rebellion was able to defeat the Empire. Once the attack ships realized the Death Star was operational, they focused their attacks on star destroyers surrounding the Death Star. It's here where Arvel Crynyd made the most important hit of the attack.
Green Leader challenged the primary star destroyer, the Executor. While his A-Wing didn't have enough firepower to stop the star destroyer on its own, when he got hit, he found a way to win. Knowing he was going to crash, Arvel Crynyd sent his ship right into the Executor's bridge, destroying the star destroyer in the process.
3 Owen and Beru Lars
If the wrong people learned about the existence of Darth Vader's children, the Empire could have shown up to take them away. This is especially true since Darth Vader's son was given to his stepbrother. Owen and Beru raised Luke Skywalker and protected the child from the Empire and the dangers lurking within his own family.
Their care helped shape who Luke Skywalker was. Their role in raising the young Skywalker was likely a big reason why he would often choose the Light Side over the Dark Side. Without their years of guidance, Luke could've easily fallen to the Dark Side and joined the Empire.
2 Lobot
Lobot was a loyal companion to one of the biggest scoundrels in the galaxy, Lando Calrissian. Lobot helped run day-to-day operations on Cloud City when Lando took over as its leader. He was eager to help Lando keep the Empire at bay in any way possible.
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When it appeared Lando was making a deal with the Empire to protect the city and betray Han, Leia, and Chewie, Lobot was right there with him. And when Lando revealed he was actually betraying the Empire and helping the Rebellion, Lobot was critical to the Millennium Falcon's escape.
1 Nien Nunb
While Han and Chewie were part of the team targeting the shield generator on Endor, Nien Nunb joined Lando Calrissian at the helm of the Millennium Falcon. This little alien proved his worth in battle, helping Lando on his attack run against the second Death Star.
Lando and Nien did everything in the third movie that Han and Chewie did in the first movie, except they were there for the entire battle instead of showing up halfway into it. Nien Nunb showed up in the sequel trilogy to further remind finds of how dedicated he is to crushing the forces of evil.