12

In Solo: A Star Wars Story,

Han and Chewbacca delivered two cases of coaxium over to Enfys Nest, who stated that they were most valuable in funding "the Rebellion".

According to the Wookieepedia sources, Solo was set around 10 BBY, but the Rebel Alliance was founded as late as in 2 BBY. Was the Alliance actually established earlier, after all, or did she refer to some other group of freedom fighters?

6
  • 2
    That might have been a rebellion, there were others during the clone wars, the rebel cells in Star Wars: Rebels but the Alliance was likely formed in 2BBY when Mon Mothma called the rebel cells to unit.
    – Edlothiad
    Commented May 31, 2018 at 15:22
  • An I ask what cannon you're asking for is this legends or nah?
    – Ummdustry
    Commented May 31, 2018 at 15:44
  • 1
    It seems to be disney, @Ummdustry we have a [star-wars-legends] tag for questions that allow that.
    – Edlothiad
    Commented May 31, 2018 at 16:13
  • 1
    @Ummdustry Yes, this was supposed to be a Disney canon question, just as the Solo movie is.
    – Essen
    Commented May 31, 2018 at 18:08
  • 2
    Was it formed in 1977? :D
    – Almo
    Commented Jun 1, 2018 at 1:57

2 Answers 2

22

The confusion comes from the difference between "rebels" and "Rebel Alliance". The first is people rebelling, the second is an alliance of groups of the first. The Rebel Alliance as instituted by Mon Mothma and Bail Organa was started roughly 2BBY. However, there were rebel cells all over the galaxy since the formation of the Empire (to be pedantic, they have been around a lot longer, but thats not applicable right now).

Pamlo: We must scatter the fleet. We have no recourse but to surrender.
Organa: Are we really talking about disbanding something that we’ve worked so hard to create?
Raddus: We can’t just give in.
Vaspar: We joined an Alliance, not a suicide pact!
Rogue One (2016)

The TV show Star Wars Rebels follows the actions of a single rebel cell on the planet of Lothal. For the vast majority of the show, this rebel cell is only concerned about Lothal, its not until the very end that they join up with the galactic wide Rebel Alliance.

Saw Gerrera is another example. As seen in Rogue One he ran his own rebel cell that was not affiliated with the Rebel Alliance.

Mon Mothma: Yes, but Saw Gerrera’s an extremist. He’s been fighting on his own since he broke with the Rebellion. His militancy has caused the Alliance a great many problems. We have no choice now but to try to mend that broken trust.
Rogue One (2016)

So to answer your question in the title, the Rebel Alliance was founded around 2BBY (we don't have an exact date yet in current canon). However, "the rebellion" you reference in the body of your question is almost certainly a preexisting rebel cell that, pending survival, would have likely eventually joined the Rebel Alliance 8 years later.

3
  • 2
    It might be more accurate to clearly disambiguate "the Rebellion" and "The Alliance to Restore the Republic". Unfortunate for clarity, they're often conflated as the "Rebel Alliance". It is possible to be part of the first without being part of the later, but by definition the entirety of the Alliance is part of the Rebellion.
    – T.J.L.
    Commented May 31, 2018 at 17:12
  • @amflare Thanks for setting the record straight! Very good answer!
    – Essen
    Commented May 31, 2018 at 18:09
  • I would just like to add, earlier in the film, the Empire was engaged in battle with some entity, opposed to them and appearing to be holding their own militarily Commented Jun 1, 2018 at 21:56
10

Real world analogy: when did World War 2 start?

  • Generally considered: September 1, 1939 (date Germany invaded Poland)
  • American POV: December 7, 1941
  • Russian POV: June 22, 1941
  • Chinese POV: July 7, 1937

It's entirely possible to have had people engaging in a rebellion against the Empire (and likely did, since the day it was founded), independently and at different times, before they officially merged some time later, just the Second Sino-Japanese War, the European War, the Pacific War, the Soviet-Finnish War, and a bunch of other conflicts eventually became considered the Second World War.

So, the Lothal group could have considered the Rebellion to have started around 4 BBY. Mandalore started rebelling in 1 BBY. Enfys Nest in 10 BBY, and so on.

4
  • 1
    Quick question, what's BBY stand for?
    – Almo
    Commented Jun 1, 2018 at 1:59
  • 1
    @Almo BBY stands for Before Battle of Yavin. ABY is After Battle of Yavin Commented Jun 1, 2018 at 4:43
  • Whereas ‘BDY’ stands for Before Death of Yoda Commented Jun 1, 2018 at 21:58
  • I get what you are saying, but the question was "When was the Rebel Alliance actually founded." And that was 2 BBY, and it was an event that actually happened in Star Wars: Rebels season 3 episode 8 "Secret Cargo" when Mon Mothma declared the creation of a Rebel Alliance and shortly after the Alliance to Restore the Republic was created. Before then there was no Rebel Alliance there were separate autonomous groups of rebels. Commented Jun 2, 2018 at 21:26

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.