Star Wars has many factions throughout its vast galaxy, but the most heroic (and one of the most recognizable) is the Rebel Alliance. They're essentially the saviors of the downtrodden, opposing the tyranny of the Galactic Empire for much of the saga's history. As noble as their goals are, however, they make some dumb decisions in the movies.
The Rebels fall victim to numerous blunders that leave viewers scratching their heads. These mistakes are apparent through the plethora of Star Wars movies, TV shows, and video games. With screw-ups like these, the Empire should have destroyed these "Rebel scum" long ago.
10 Leading The Empire To Yavin
One wouldn't think the original classic's simple story would have many plot holes, but the setup for the final battle feels somewhat contrived. In A New Hope, Empire is looking for the Rebel base, but Leia never gives up the information. Sadly, her resolve and intelligence seem to vanish once she's rescued. As Han flies her and the other heroes out of the Death Star, she asserts that their enemies deliberately let them escape. Sure enough, Vader and Tarkin place a tracker on the Millennium Falcon.
If Leia knows this, why do she and the others go directly to the Rebel base on Yavin? They could have tried to divert their pursuers, but no. They lead the villains straight to their secret hideout, dooming the Rebellion in the process.
9 Not Evacuating Yavin
Leia may have led the Empire to their doorstep, but the Rebels' response isn't especially bright, either. Obviously, they have the Death Star plans and can now launch an assault on the superweapon. The downside is that said superweapon is heading right toward them. They could easily remedy this by moving to another planet or moon, but that never occurs to them.
The members of Rebel High Command simply stare at computer screens while a handful of pilots lead a desperate attack mission. Their success hinges on a one-in-a-million shot, so any inaction from the guys on the ground is pure idiocy. Even when the Death Star bears down on Yavin, ready to reduce the planet to ashes, they simply wait for their impending demise. The term "rebel" implies going against the grain, but these people seem content to play right into the Empire's hands.
8 Falling into The Emperor's Trap
In Return of the Jedi, Rebel spies uncover info which could prove vital. The Empire's new Death Star is not yet operational and is, therefore, open to attack. In addition, the Emperor himself is overseeing its completion. The heroes could potentially solve all their problems in one fell swoop. It seems too good to be true.
That's because it is. The Emperor is the same Machiavellian mastermind who executed a decades-long scheme of galactic conquest. He manipulated people like puppets and hid his treachery from the sharpest eyes. After all that, he just happens to make this crucial error? The whole scenario has "Trap" written all over it. Regardless, the Rebels fall for this ruse and send their entire fleet to the slaughter.
7 Not Employing Bounty Hunters
In Episode 5, the Empire resorts to hiring bounty hunters to track the Rebels. They may not like it, but it gets the job done. Boba Fett catches the heroes and secures a victory for the bad guys. With such positive results, why can't the Rebels recruit some of that "scum and villainy?" They work for the highest bidders, after all.
Granted, the Empire has more resources, so the ragtag resistance fighters would risk being outbid, especially when dealing with less honorable bounty hunters. That said, they're perfectly fine trusting Han Solo in the movies and other "scoundrels" in the Expanded Universe. The Rebels clearly have no moral reservations about using shadier operatives, so it's well worth taking the chance.
6 Letting Politicians Command Military Operations
When Mon Mothma outlines the Rebels' plan in Return of the Jedi, audiences assume she's one of their commanders. That may be true, but subsequent prequel material reveals that she was originally a senator. The same goes for leaders like Bail Organa and even Leia. It seems politicians mostly lead the Rebels into battle, not soldiers.
To be fair, the Empire also has political figures leading their forces, but many had prior military experience. Tarkin, for instance, commanded troops before becoming a governor. Deeds come first, then the fancy title.
5 Associating With Saw Gerrera
The Rebels may be fighting the established order, but even they have standards. That becomes clear when they encounter Saw Gerrera. He also fights the Empire, just with more extremist methods. Civilian casualties and disregarding other rules of engagement are necessary sacrifices in the big picture. What's more, he doesn't stick around to face the consequences. He's perfectly content to leave people behind, as evidenced in Jedi Fallen Order. It's no wonder the Rebels disagree with his tactics, but they nevertheless ally with him on occasion.
They should have distanced themselves from this trigger-happy renegade long ago. His tactics undermine their messages of peace and liberation, providing easy ammunition for the Empire to win the war of public opinion. They send Jyn Erso to kill him in Rogue One, but it's too little too late. Even then, sending an assassin with a sentimental attachment to the target is just asking for failure.
4 Letting The First Order Rise
The final battle of Return Of The Jedi sees the Rebels destroy the second Death Star, rout the Imperial fleet, and take down the Emperor. That should have been the end, but the Empire's remnants survive. They continue to plague the galaxy for the next thirty years as the First Order.
By this point, the Rebels have formed the New Republic. This means they have a wealth of resources; they're now the ones with the advantage. Despite that, the First Order manages to exact the same tyranny on the unsuspecting populace, drafting armies of Stormtroopers and building bigger superweapons. The Rebels have no excuse for not stamping out their enemies long before The Force Awakens.
3 Sending Rey To Get Luke Skywalker
At the end of The Force Awakens, the Rebels finally discern Luke Skywalker's secret location. It's not a moment too soon, since the First Order quickly retaliates for the destruction of Starkiller Base. To retrieve their greatest hero, the Rebels send Rey.
This is illogical on many levels. Why not send a whole party? Even better, how about they move all their forces to Luke's location? It remained secret for years, so it could conceivably hide them now. Above all, why doesn't Leia go? She's his sister, and would likely have an easier time snapping him out of his self-pity — but no, it's better to trust this vital mission to a girl they just met. Rather than stressing the urgency of the situation, Rey gets distracted by Jedi training. No one is there to keep her on track except Chewbacca, who himself wastes precious time with porgs.
2 Giving Holdo Power
Following The Last Jedi's second battle, most members of the Rebel Command are either dead or incapacitated. The leadership role passes to Holdo, who immediately shuts out Poe Dameron and the other troops, ignoring any concerns they voice. She refuses to tell anyone about her plan, and her delayed action gets most of the survivors killed.
Expecting soldiers to blindly follow questionable orders is unreasonable, especially in a life-or-death scenario like this. Her lack of communication with her soldiers leads them to dangerously take matters into their own hands. The film also implies that Leia gave Holdo preferential treatment, so her authority likely wasn't based on merit.
1 Flying Into A Losing Battle On Exegol
The ninth mainline entry, The Rise Of Skywalker,has sloppy writing all around. The Emperor has conjured a new fleet with thousands of ships, yet they can't leave the planet Exegol without a navigation array. Putting aside the fact that the Rebels got no hint of this operation in thirty years, how do they resolve it?
They fly into the lion's den and fight a losing battle to take out the nav device. Their only hope lies in a call for help across the galaxy. This is a ridiculous plan on the best of days, but don't forget that they already tried it in the last movie. The denizens of countless planets ignored the Rebels in their hour of need. Now, the heroes somehow expect the same ploy to work in a battle with exponentially worse odds.