Star Wars Resistance is a series often overlooked in Star Wars media. The series was caught in behind-the-scenes messes, which hampered it from becoming a growing success.
Unlike Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, which were released between finished movies with defined timelines and set endpoints, Resistance was created while The Last Jedi was filmed and completed before The Rise of Skywalker was even written. It aired in the dying wasteland that is cable TV with little fanfare before the announcement of Disney+’s creation with Clone Wars Season 7 being one of the flagship shows of the streaming platform.
Despite everything stacked against it, Star Wars Resistance has an incredibly loyal and dedicated fanbase. Every year, there is the celebration of Remembering Resistance Day. The little Star Wars show that could is loved and deserves more attention than it’s given. Here are 35 reasons to love Star Wars Resistance.
1. Andor for Kids
The first season of Star Wars Resistance is essentially the same plot as the first season of Andor. Resistance was made for a younger demographic, but it never shies away from the themes that Andor explores. It just presents the same stories in a way for kids to understand. Both shows are about close-knit communities invaded by a fascist government. Like Andor, Resistance explores the error of taking the middle ground, how radicalization works, and the horrors of torture and interrogation.
Resistance even one-ups Andor in ways, as it has a wide cast of alien characters, which Andor sorely lacks. Because of the aliens, Resistance can tackle other coded stories by evoking Holocaust imagery. There’s an episode where only the aliens of the Colossus are being rounded up by the First Order to be shipped off to work camps, never to be seen again.
These are important stories to tell, and Resistance takes on the task of making sure children aren’t missing the lesson.
2. The Colossus
Resistance is blue-collar Star Wars starting with the setting of the series. Most of the show takes place on the Colossus, a refueling station on the planet of Castilon on the edges of the known galaxy in Wild Space. Because of the remote location, the people of the Colossus are a little city built within the walls of their old ship. They’re a hearty, diverse group with that small-town feeling of looking out for each other. The ship is their home, and they will defend it with the invasion of the First Order.
The Colossus is a vast set piece with varied locations to explore over the show. Whether it’s engineering with the turtle folk, the Chelidae, or the High Tower where the upper-class lives, the Colossus is the backdrop for stories about community, social classes, and how to stand together despite differences.
3. The Racing
Ship racing is an integral part of Star Wars Resistance. One of the attractions of the Colossus is that it is a racing platform that hosts various events throughout the year. The best racers are the Aces, the platform’s protectors. It’s some of the best high-octane moments whenever there is a race.
4. Kazuda Xiono
The series’s protagonist is Kazuda “Kaz” Xiono, an excellent pilot but a bit of a fish out of water in all other aspects of his life. As the son of the senator from Hosnian Prime, Kaz gets his privilege checked when he joins the resistance, thanks to his hero Poe Dameron. He is suddenly thrown into a lower-class environment and has to quickly learn to be a spy and adjust to this new world to save people’s lives.
Kaz is the most slapstick of the characters, as he’s incredibly clumsy when he’s not flying a ship. It’s a welcomed bit of comedy because of the above Andor-like themes in this younger demographic show. This humor might not be for everyone, which is fine. Still, Kaz has one of the best character arcs of the show as he learns that the resistance isn’t some fun club. He’s in a war and suffers a devastating loss, leading him into surprisingly dark, murderous moments.
5. Poe Dameron
It is so incredibly clear that Oscar Isaac has the best time playing Poe in Star Wars Resistance. He’s one of the few movie characters who show up in the series, and it’s fantastic getting to see a different side of the character. Poe is forced to be responsible, something he’s not the best at in a pre-The Last Jedi timeline. He’s a mentor to Kaz, and their bond over the series is incredibly endearing.
6. Tamara Ryvora
Tam is the deuteragonist of the series, but she has by far the most compelling story of the show. She represents how easy it can be for a young person to be radicalized for a horrific cause. Genuinely hurt by her found family and the people she was supposed to trust, Tam joins the First Order in a devastating choice. She is never presented as a villain but as a victim of circumstance, and the audience always roots for Tam to come home to the Colossus.
7. Neeku Vozo
Everyone could stand to be more like Neeku. The ever-positive member of Team Fireball is a shining light in the series. He constantly searches for the best in everyone, but that doesn’t mean Neeku is as naive as people think. He’s a competent mechanic and a crucial member of the team. His love of the galaxy (and food) is infectious, and his occasional dark humor moments are also some of the series’ best and least expected comedy beats.
8. Jarek Yeager
Yeager is the gruff mentor figure of the show. Once a pilot in the Rebellion, he left it all behind to settle on the Colossus after tragedy struck his life. Poe leaves Kaz in Yeager’s care, much to the latter’s chagrin. Over the show, Yeager is pulled back into the fight as the First Order invades the Colossus. His relationship with Tam is particularly heartbreaking as he’s accidentally responsible for her joining the bad guys. Yeager is a complicated character who makes mistakes and grows from them.
9. Bucket
Bucket is Yeager’s cantankerous droid and co-pilot for his ship that’s been flying with Yeager since the Rebellion. The old droid has seen better days than newer ones like BB-8 and CB-23. With his old man-like attitude, Bucket isn’t one to get kicked around by the younger droids and still has plenty of fight left in him.
10. Torra Doza
Torra is the youngest member of the Aces, but she is a skilled flier rather than someone to mess with. Her fiery spirit makes her fierce in the air and on the ground. She is the daughter of the Colossus’ captain. Still, unlike Kaz, she’s aware of her privilege and often works as an intermediate voice between her father and the people of their community. Torra is a firebrand of a person, ready to fight instantly, and loyal to those around her.
11. Synara San
Along with Tam, Synara has another fascinating story of switching sides and being a spy. She begins as a pirate, infiltrating the Colossus to coordinate attacks on the refilling station. But as she befriends Kaz, Tam, and the rest of the crew, she finds a proper home on the station, the first real home she ever had. Synara joins the people of the Colossus to become a member of their community and is willing to fight against the First Order and her pirate crew to protect it.
12. CB-23
CB-23 is the MVP of the series. This little droid is a powerhouse from the moment she arrives towards the end of season one. She saves the main characters’ lives on multiple occasions and is the linchpin of several missions. On top of that, she has a sassy personality and refuses to put up with other people’s nonsense, mainly Kaz. Her and BB-8’s flirting is quite adorable too.
13. Imanuel Doza
As an ex-Imperial who defected from the Empire because he fell in love, Captain Doza struggles with his predicament throughout the series. As the leader of the Colossus, the duty to protect the people of his station is a heavy burden. He knows exactly how the First Order works. But as series like The Mandalorian has shown, the New Republic isn’t a powerful government, and Captain Doza doesn’t feel he can reach out to them for help. Watching Doza navigate these dangerous waters is compelling.
14. Venisa Doza
Even though Venisa enters the show very late in its run, she leaves a lasting impression. She’s Torra’s mother and Imanuel’s wife. When she was part of the Rebellion, she was the one who convinced Imanuel to leave the Empire. She plays a crucial role in Tam’s story in season two. Though mother and daughter stories are rare in Star Wars, Venisa and Torra’s relationship is truly a special story in the franchise.
15. Hype Fazon
Voiced by the ever-funny Donald Faison, who is the inspiration for his character’s name, Hype is the egotistical member of the Aces. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a heart, as he has a past with Tam and a good working relationship with Torra. He’s old enough to remember being discriminated against by the Empire, which makes him uneasy when the First Order moves into the Colossus.
16. The Aces
The Aces are a heavy presence throughout the show as the protectors of the Colossus. Along with Hype and Torra, the rest of the group includes the usually silent and mysterious Bo Keevil, the no-nonsense Freya Fenris, and ex-Imperial Griff Halloran. The ragtag group shifts from racers to starfighters as they have to learn to work as a squadron to fight the First Order.
17. Orka and Flix
The loveable duo who runs the Office of Acquisitions is also historic and groundbreaking. Orka and Flix are the first on-screen queer couple in the franchise. With their pet Gorg, Bitey, the savvy partners run their business with plenty of flourish and camp. Jim Rash and Bobby Moynihan are excellent in their roles.
18. Aunt Z
Aunt Z doesn’t take nonsense from anyone and will personally throw out trouble herself. As the owner of the cantina on the Colossus, her place is the heart of the community as the station’s residents tend to gather there. Aunt Z protects all who enter her door, even standing up to the First Order and almost losing her freedom.
19. Kel and Eila
Kel and Eila have a tragic yet hopeful place in the series. As some of the first victims of the First Order, they flee to the Colossus for safety after their village is decimated. Kaz and the crew help them find a new life in their community. The children from Tehar also have a unique view of the Force being from the Unknown Regions, especially since it’s heavily hinted that Eila is Force-sensitive.
20. Mika Grey
This series needs way more Mika Grey. She comes into the series relatively late, so there isn’t much time to fully establish her. What the audience does get of Mika is terrific as she’s an old lady Indiana Jones type of character they find in a Sith Temple. She brings a different kind of energy into the series, which needs more exploration.
21. Norath Kev
Before he was in Star Wars: Visions, Hamilton’s Daveed Diggs’s first outing in Star Wars was voicing resistance to spy Norath Kev. With his straight-man attitude, Norath is the perfect comedic balance to Kaz’s clumsy side as the two spies work together.
22. Buggles
Torra’s pet Voorpak, Buggles, is as cute as he is mischievous. Having a pet in a Star Wars series is fun, adding a neat dynamic to scenes. Buggles is helpful and a hindrance, so the audience never knows what kind of chaos will come when he shows up.
23. Aeos Prime
Aeos Prime is one of the most breathtaking locations in Star Wars. The few episodes spent on the planet are a visual feast with the planet’s rings streaking across the sky, the ocean shots, and the cities made of luscious, vivid coral.
24. The Aeosian Queen
Who better to voice a warrior queen than Xena herself, Lucy Lawless? The Aeosian Queen is fair and stern, protecting her people from the invasion of the First Order. In the beginning, she’s wary of the plight of the Colossus, but she leads her people to become powerful allies to the heroes.
25. General Leia Organa
As one of the first series to use Leia after the death of Carrie Fisher, Resistance gives the princess and general the respect and gravitas she deserves. They don’t lose Leia’s trademark sass either, as she is not afraid to chew out Poe when needed.
26. Kragan Gorr and His Pirates
Kragan and his pirate crew play a compelling scum and villainy role. They flip sides constantly, making the audience guess who they will eventually fight for. Sometimes allies and frequent enemies, Kragan’s crew are the wild card in the mix.
27. Captain Phasma
Gwendoline Christie returns to voice her character from the Sequel Trilogy. Phasma has far more time in this show than she ever had in the films, giving the villain more room to breathe. She is not someone to mess with, clashing with Poe and Kaz in season one.
28. Jace Rucklin
Jace Rucklin is Kaz’s narrative foil. Both young men have ambitions of being Ace Pilots. Whereas Kaz is kind and willing to learn, Jace lies and cuts corners. He takes no accountability and feels entitled to greatness versus Kaz’s humbleness. A prime recruit for the First Order, Jace doesn’t hesitate to turn on his old home of the Colossus and takes pleasure in causing pain. Jace represents the next generation of fascists following in the footsteps of the Nazi-coded Empire from the Original Trilogy.
He’s a character that the audience loves to hate, much of this because of Elijah Wood’s fantastic performance of Jace.
29. Commander Pyre
Pyre is the main villain throughout the entire series. With his distinctive gold stormtrooper armor, he’s hard to miss. Crafty and patient, he organizes the slow infiltration of the Colossus. Pyre is a threat on all sides as he plays a bit of politics with Doza, appears as a peacekeeper to people like Tam, and is not afraid to use violence when needed. He’s a good villain for the show.
30. Agent Tierny
Tierny is the most terrifying villain of the series. In a single episode, she lies, manipulates, and twists Tam’s pain and anger towards Yeager and Kaz to make the young woman join the First Order. Tierny continues to use abusive tactics to keep Tam in her grasp. This agent is a monster and shows the treachery the First Order will go to while wearing a smile on her face. Tierny is scary in an incredibly real-world way.
31. Armitage Hux
Recreating Hux’s chilling speech from The Force Awakens in animation was a triumph as it’s a heart-wrenching moment for the show. The General would return for season two, upping the stakes for Kaz, who is face to face with the man who destroyed his world.
32. The Destruction of Hosnian Prime
It must seem weird to say that the destruction of a planet and the massacre of billions of people is good, but this moment in the season one finale is a sucker punch to the gut. This scene hits hard because, unlike The Force Awakens where the people are strangers, Hosnian Prime is Kaz’s home world. He watches as everything he knows, everyone he cares for is instantly vaporized.
The destruction of Hosnian Prime is personal in Resistance, giving a face and a character to the tragedy. Kaz’s voice actor Christopher Sean brings out every ounce of his talent in the scene, making this some of his best work in the show.
33. Kylo Ren
Pyre and Tierny might be the overall villains of the series, but they pale in comparison when Kylo Ren shows up. He’s not afraid to wield the Force to threaten the two from afar, making them come off as the lackeys they are.
34. Matt, the Radar Technician
In 2016, Adam Driver hosted Saturday Night Live!, where he acted in a sketch where Kylo Ren was on the series Undercover Boss. In the sketch, Kylo disguised himself as Matt, the Radar Technician. It’s a hilarious video if you haven’t seen it.
The Resistance Season 2 episode “Station to Station” pays some homage to the sketch. Kaz and Neeku sneak onto a First Order ship undercover as engineers, wearing similar orange vests to Matt, the Radar Technician.
35. A Happy Ending
This final point is a spoiler, but it’s a selling point. When a franchise has the word “Wars” in its name, happy endings are often few and far between. This wholesome series proves that a story can still have high stakes, drama, and excitement without killing characters unnecessarily.
Sometimes the right people are beaten, and the good guys win. Star Wars is full of tragedy, so it’s cathartic and needed to have this kind of ending every so often.
