Star Wars has brought back the Legends origin of the X-wing, but with a dark twist linking it to Saw Gerrera. The Incom T-65 starfighter, better known as the X-wing, is a staple ship used by the Rebel Alliance and later the New Republic. The most famous X-wing of all is undoubtedly the starfighter flown by Luke Skywalker during the Battle of Yavin, when he fired “the shot heard across the galaxy” – destroying the Death Star and igniting the Galactic Civil War.
This is Star Wars, of course, where everything has a backstory and origin – right down to the background aliens in Jabba the Hutt’s palace. It will come as no surprise to viewers, then, to learn the X-wing too has an established history. In fact, this history was first laid out in the old Star Wars Expanded Universe, but has since become canon once again. Here’s all we know to date about the X-wing’s origin.
The Battle Of Fresia Was First Mentioned In Star Wars Legends
How the Rebel Alliance acquired the X-wing
In Star Wars Legends, dissident scientists at Incom told the Rebel Alliance the location of four prototype X-wings on the planet Fresia. The rebels sent a task force to retrieve them, but didn’t expect the Imperial Star Destroyer Tyranny in orbit. This led to a complex operation in which the rebels lured the Tyranny back to the shipyard planet Kuat while they sliced into the Imperial network on Wayland. Unfortunately the subsequent attack on Fresia itself went badly wrong, in large part because of hidden defenses. The Battle of Fresia had already been referenced in Star Wars canon, but Dawn of Rebellion by Pablo Hidalgo gives exciting details.
Saw Gerrera’s Involvement Means This Was Very Violent Indeed
Saw Gerrera was a particularly brutal rebel leader
Played in live-action by Forest Whitaker, Saw Gerrera has become one of the most important rebel leaders. He ran a violent and brutal rebel cell known as the Partisans, and disagreements over his methods ultimately led to his becoming isolated from the wider Rebel Alliance. If Saw was involved in the Battle of Fresia in Star Wars canon, then it must have been very violent indeed.
Meanwhile, it’s important to note that Saw Gerrera’s rebel story will continue to be told in Andor season 2. It’s entirely possible the Battle of Fresie itself will be told in the upcoming Star Wars TV show, allowing viewers to experience the origin of the X-wing for themselves. Andor season 1 avoided too many Star Wars Easter eggs, but this would be a definite potential plot point – and it’s a thrilling one.
