We are now 7 episodes into the first season of Star Wars Resistance, approximately a third of the way through the first season. First impressions of the show have felt varied among fans with some welcoming it while others are hesitant to the change in tone and direction from what we had in the final seasons of Clone Wars and Rebels. While I’m enjoying the show, it has not immediately grabbed my attention the way the other shows did previously.
Comparing Resistance to Clone Wars and Rebels doesn’t feel fair. Comparisons are unavoidable, but Resistance is a different type of show than the previous animated shows. First, both Clone Wars and Rebels gave us recognizable heroes and situations right away. In Clone Wars, we were immediately following Obi-wan and Anakin, the heroes of the prequel trilogy in situations that were very reminiscent of the films. With Rebels, we had a whole new cast but the situations were very similar to that of the original trilogy and it didn’t take long for us to get familiar faces.
However, with Resistance, it’s all new. New characters, new situations, new locations. There is very little to connect us to the rest of the canon. Yes, we have Poe and BB-8 but they are very minor roles. The First Order and Resistance are there from the films, but they are not the main focus. Instead, the majority of the show revolves around brand new characters in a brand new locale and it’s all in a galaxy that we are mostly unfamiliar with. We don’t really know how the First Order fits into the galaxy at this time, nor do we really know the relationship between the Republic and the Resistance. If we don’t understand the stakes, it’s very hard to get connected to the show and follow the drama.
That was my problem with the first few episodes. It felt like you are dropped into the story, much like Kaz is dropped on the Colossus in the first episode. Our hero doesn’t understand his situation and neither do we. We are all new in this and it feels like there should have been more of an orientation to all of this. As we’ve spent more time on the Colossus and with our new cast of characters, the world has started to make more sense. Much like how Kaz has adjusted to his life in Yeager’s shop.
The marketing of the show presented the show one way and I feel like the episodes we’ve gotten have been a much different kind of show. I expected the racers to be a much bigger part of the show than what we have seen so far. The first batch of episodes has revolved very closely around Kaz and Yeager’s crew. We’ve only spent time with two of the aces so far and we learned very little about either of them. I expected the aces and the racing to be a much bigger part of this show.
Resistance is a beautiful looking show. The cel-shading gives it a bright and unique look. The animation models look very similar to the Rebels models, but the different coloring and shading make the show stand out. This is a gorgeous looking show, completely unlike anything else out right now. The character models are very detailed too, in the close-up shots you can see lots of small details on the characters. I’m always looking at the characters costumes and there are lots of details put in that help to flesh out the world. The pirates are my favorites right now as they each have scavenged pieces of Imperial armor. It’s these kinds of small details that always impress me.
For the most part, I’m enjoying the characters on the Colossus. However, I’m still having a hard time connecting with Kaz. His growth has been feeling very slow. It’s hard to reconcile the X-wing pilot we saw in the opening with the clumsy buffoon we have on the Colossus. It’s possible he’s more confident in the cockpit than on his own two feet. His character fits very well with someone coming from privilege who always had his Senator father to help him. I’m anxious to learn more about Kaz and to see where he goes from here.
My number one complaint about the stories were getting in the sequel trilogy era is the lack of world building. The Force Awakens drops us into the conflict between the First Order and the Resistance without much explanation. There has been almost no supplemental material to explain how the First Order rose from the ashes of the Empire. The Resistance and the Republic are much the same way, we don’t fully understand all the pieces in play. This show is starting to give an idea of what the First Order is about as they use pirates and others before fully revealing themselves to the galaxy. The episodes that have prominently featured the First Order have been the show’s best so far.
Star Wars Resistance is a beautifully animated show with a rich world of characters. We are slowly finding our way in this new galaxy while we are simultaneously watching our main character Kaz learn about himself and his role in the galaxy. There are lots of threads and possibilities presented in this first third of the season. I can only hope that they will begin to connect giving us more information about the galaxy and about our new heroes. The animation team at Lucasfilm has not let us down in the past and I trust them to deliver a solid Star Wars story.
Author: Paul Depaola
Born in the desert, raised on the beach and now residing in the mountains. An obsessive, compulsive geek with a tendency to bring everything back to Star Wars. In his spare time he is TK-5990, a proud member of the 501st Legion. Paul is also the host of his own podcast, Fanboys Talking.