Star Wars: Andor reveals the divided factions of the Rebel Alliance – IGN

Mon Mothma first appeared in Return of the Jedi, by which time she was the leader and public face of the Alliance to Restore the Republic (as it’s officially called). But if there’s one takeaway from Mothma’s appearances on chronologically earlier projects like Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One, and now Andor, it’s that she’s had to spend decades building up the resources and support needed to lead a true rebellion.

Andor Episode 4 shows how difficult this process was in its early stages. We see Mothma meeting up with Luthen Rael, who has to hustle her for money to hire Cassian into his group of undercover spies. Along with her ally Bail Organa, Mothma is responsible for financing the early rebellion. And while Imperial Senators command a wealth that most ordinary people would struggle to understand, it takes more than a few wealthy politicians to fund an army capable of rivaling Emperor Palpatine’s vast military.

Mothma’s faction of rebels are known as the Loyalists, a name dating back to the Clone Wars. At this point, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine charged Mothma and her committee (which included fellow senators Bail Organa and Padme Amidala) with promoting loyalty to the Republic, hence the name. Mothma did so less out of support for the war than out of her belief that a strong, functioning Republic was best for the galaxy. Therefore, their ultimate goal is to restore the Republic as it existed before the Clone Wars, and not to create an entirely new system of government. It could be argued that their commitment to the old ways contributed to the rise of the First Order decades later.

The Atrivis resistance group

Little is known about this mysterious group of freedom fighters, but thanks to the reference book Star Wars: The Rebel Files, we know that the Atrivis resistance group was a major player in the early days of the Galactic Civil War. They were led by a woman named Travia Chan. After a fellow resistance cell called the Liberators was killed in a failed uprising on Mantooine, Chan decided to officially ally her group with Mon Mothma. This partnership showed Mothma that working together was possible and paved the way for a more focused and unified rebellion.

These events take place roughly five years before the Battle of Yavin, which happens to be the same general time period as Andor. Could we see how this particular conflict plays out as the series progresses?

Saw Gerrera and the partisans

Rogue One offered a sobering reminder that some freedom fighters become so committed to their cause that they lose moral superiority in the process. At least that’s how it is with Saw Gerrera, the militant, highly paranoid leader of the partisans.

Gerrera was a leader of the resistance for most of his adult life. Originally, he helped lead a rebellion on his homeworld of Onderon, whose king sided with the Separatists during the Clone Wars. With the rise of the Empire, Gerrera turned his surviving soldiers into partisans and launched deadly guerrilla attacks whenever the opportunity arose. Though technically on the same side as Mon Mothm and Bail Organa, Gerrera’s extreme methods eventually alienated him from the rest of the Rebellion.

The trailers for Andor confirm that Forest Whitaker will reprise his role in the series. With the events of Rogue One still five years in the future, we’ll see a Saw Gerrera who isn’t quite as radically and physically deformed as in this film. Even so, we’ll no doubt learn more about the bitter chasm between the partisans and their more idealistic allies.

The Separatists

War makes for strange bedfellows, as Andor’s fourth episode reminds us. Upon first meeting Luthen Rael’s guerrilla team, Cassian demands to know which faction they serve, even naming the Separatists. All of the prequels that depicted the Confederacy of Independent Systems as a nefarious military power run by Sith Lords and evil bankers had valid reasons for secession from the Republic. Many worlds simply wanted to leave corruption and pointless bureaucracy behind. And so some Separatists joined the fight against the Empire.

We know that the rebels occasionally used discarded Clone Wars-era technology to augment their limited resources. Star Wars: Andor could reveal more about the former Separatists’ role in the growth of the rebellion. After all, the rise of the empire basically proved that they were right all along.

Enfys Nest and the Cloud Riders

Solo: A Star Wars Story introduced the Cloud Riders as another key faction in the early days of the Rebellion. Led by Enfys Nest, this group of armored spacebikers devoted most of their resources to fighting Maul’s Crimson Dawn syndicate rather than confronting the Empire itself directly. However, Enfy’s Nest made her true goals clear when she convinced a young Han Solo to hand over his stolen stash of coaxium, giving the fledgling rebellion a much-needed shot in the arm.

phoenix cell

Phoenix Cell is probably the earliest incarnation of what Star Wars fans traditionally think of when they hear “Rebel Alliance.” Led by Commander Jun Sato, this group of elite pilots launched a series of daring raids on the Empire. They received most of their funding from Bail Organa. Based on the events of Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi, we can assume that after his daughter Leia almost met her end, Senator Organa felt more and more motivated to secretly oppose the Empire.

Eventually, as seen in the Star Wars Rebels animated series, Phoenix Cell was dealt a severe blow when they were tracked down by Darth Vader. The survivors joined with Hera Syndulla and the crew of the Ghost, ensuring that Phoenix Cell continued to play a key role in the fight against the Empire in the years leading up to the Battle of Yavin.

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