Wedge Antilles, The Unsung Hero Of The Rebellion
He Plays His Part
It might be a headscratcher to casual viewers of the Star Wars films if one were to acknowledge Wedge Antilles as a hero of the Rebellion. He may not be Luke, Han, Leia, Lando, Chewie, Artoo, or Threepio, but he is present in all three films of the original trilogy, during which is is instrumental in the major battles. Despite being a side character, he is a familiar face who essentially becomes an underdog to root for.
Within canon, Wedge Antilles becomes involved with the Rebellion when he is among other cadets trying to escape an Imperial flight academy in the Star Wars Rebels episode "The Antilles Extraction." While he helps the Ghost crew every now and then, he might be perceived a bit more as a comic relief character in this show. At least when he is essentially the straight man against AP-5, who is correct about Chopper having been hacked.
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However, he grows to become a very prominent figure within the Rebel Alliance. Though he is not present at the Battle of Scarif, he is part of Red Squadron during the Battle of Yavin. In fact, apart from Luke Skywalker, he is the only member of Red Squadron to make it out alive. Some might think it rather lackluster seeing Wedge have to leave the battle saying "Sorry" when his ship is too damaged, but people should remember that, earlier, he helps Luke by taking out a TIE Fighter on his tail. Without this heroic action, Luke might have been killed and been unable to destroy the Death Star. The entire Rebel Base on Yavin IV would have been destroyed, our familiar heroes included.
Over the next few years, he continues to help Luke on missions. They even create Rogue Squadron, named in honor of the heroes of Rogue One. During the Battle of Hoth, Wedge is the first one to take down an AT-AT. Even though the battle, in the end, is a major loss for the Rebel Alliance, Wedge is still able to bide time for some to succeed and escape by taking down some of the enemies they face.
Recently, in the comic Star Wars #15 by Charles Soule, we have seen Wedge and Luke aid some rebels by blasting a mountain, causing a volcano to erupt and destroy a Star Destroyer in the process. By the time of the Battle of Endor, Wedge has a lot of experience. Here, he aids Lando Calrissian in destroying the second Death Star. Wedge has seen so many key moments in the Galactic Civil War and played his part. During the celebration, we see the other heroes happy to see him.
Of course, the war continues on for another year. While Wedge essentially becomes a McGuffin in the first Aftermath novel, he ends up playing a role, becoming Norra Wexley's love interest and taking part in the Battle of Jakku. He eventually marries Norra, becoming stepfather to Snap Wexley, with whom he forms a bond. He also becomes an instructor at a flight academy on Hosnian Prime, where he teaches future leader Poe Dameron.
By the time of the sequel trilogy era, Wedge and Norra are retired, but they get involved again in the novel Resistance Reborn, following the Battle of Crait. He eventually fights in the Battle of Exegol, though he arrives shortly after his stepson has been killed. This might actually be an interesting story thread to pick up on in the future. But in any case, Wedge remains a hero throughout this timeline.
Of course, there are plenty of stories of Wedge's heroics in Legends, particularly via the X-Wing series. All that being said, Wedge Antilles is a hero through and through. He may not be as popular of a character as others, but he is a hero the Rebellion deserves.
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Written By Steven Shinder
Source(s): CBR
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