Was The Rebellion A Group Of Freedom Fighters Or Terrorists?
Image Source: Star Wars Official Website
The rebellion's image in the Star Wars universe is something really interesting to talk about. It was formed right after Palpatine seized the Galactic Republic, changing it to the Galactic Empire. The movement started extremely small, with a handful of senators and other important figures that wanted to fight Palpatine's growing authoritarianism. They later acquired cruisers and fighters, taking a more "traditional" path toward opposing the Empire, but remained running small-scale operations.
George Lucas' intention right from the start was to create parallels between the Star Wars universe and the one we live in. The Empire was supposed to be the United States; the Rebels were the Vietcong. The Vietnam War (1955 - 1975) thus became the perfect inspiration for Lucas' revolutionary trilogy. It was a massive critique of American imperialism during that period, putting the so-called "good guys" (the American troops) as the true villains. But this is an extremely black-and-white way of seeing the world.
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The rebels sabotaged imperial facilities and killed officers who took care of day-to-day bureaucratic tasks. Two immense battle stations (the first and second Death Stars) were blown up. The problem with wars, in general, is that innocent people get caught in the crossfire. This applies to both sides. The Empire plays the role of the great power that represses the people, trying to achieve ultimate control. The rebellion attempts to overcome that through guerrilla techniques, sabotage, and espionage. Both have highly questionable methods.
One meaningful discussion is if their cause justified their actions. This is an old debate in which we can highlight the famous Machiavelli saying, "the end justifies the means." The essence is that if we have a goal of great importance, we can do whatever it costs to achieve it. But lines have to be drawn somewhere. This is a more simplistic approach to life and disregards everything besides our own interests. We can apply this to the Rebel Alliance's methods.
Image Source: Screenrant
On a few occasions, it was possible to see how this movement was torn between the two sides and their different approaches. Some wanted to deal with the Empire through politics. Mon Mothma and Bail Organa did what they knew best. Their colleague, Padme Amidala, death was a blow right from the start since she was one of the most prominent voices within the Senate. Others like Saw Guerrera kept fighting even after the Clone Wars ended.
Saw was an essential piece for the rebellion, but he chose a more violent way of facing the Empire. His tactics were sometimes labeled as being similar to those of terrorists. His techniques were shown in the Jedi: Fallen Order Kashyyyk mission and Rogue One, exemplifying his chosen path. The two sides clashed ideals during the events of Star Wars: Rebels, with Saw telling Mon Mothma that
"If you continue to allow this war to be fought on the Empire's terms, not yours, you are going to lose."
Rogue One displays this perfectly. Right from the start, Cassian and K2-SO save Jyn Erso from an imperial prisoner transport, which had much greater firepower than they did. In Jedha, they are fighting imperial tanks and troops in narrow streets, similar to those faced by American soldiers in the 2003 Iraq War. When your side doesn't have the numbers, you have to be smart and fight "dirty." The movie also portrays one of the biggest moments of the rebellion. They put together all their resources (in this case, all available ships and personnel) to support the Scarif infiltration team. Andor, a direct prequel to Rogue One, will likely elaborate even more on these details, showing the more down-to-earth moment of the rebellion.
Image Source: Polygon
In conclusion, classifying the rebellion as one or the other is complicated. Although the rebellion's goal was righteous, their means to reach that sometimes weren't. But that's the price of freedom. History has shown humanity that having self-determination is a strong tool, and fighting repressive, authoritarian governments is necessary. Star Wars and its characters are just a mere reflection of our reality. Political, economic, and social events have already influenced films in general. Star Wars will always be part of this process.
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Source(s): Collider; Screenrant