Antilles, Wedge

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Homeworld:
  Corellia

• Species:
  Human

• Gender:
  Male

• Size:
  1.7 meters

• Weapon:
  Blaster pistol

• Vehicle:
  X-wing starfighter, snowspeeder

• Affiliation:
  Rebel Alliance, Rogue Squadron, New Republic, Galactic Alliance

• 

A survivor if ever there was one, Wedge Antilles has lived through some of the Rebellion's most important battles against the Empire. He quickly grew from a wet-behind-the-ears rookie pilot to the greatest ace of the Rebel fighter pilot forces. Behind the stick of an X-wing, there are few who could outfly Wedge Antilles, yet he was content to take a back seat to some of the more famous heroes of the Galactic Civil War.

Before Episode IV: A New Hope

Born and raised on outer Gus Treta, a space station in the Corellian system, Antilles became an orphan as a teenager after his parents, Jagged and Zena, were killed when the station was destroyed by fleeing pirates. With money from an insurance settlement, he purchased a freighter and was soon smuggling weapons for the Rebel Alliance. Answering an open call for combat pilots, he jumped into the cockpit of an X-wing fighter and quickly became one of the Rebellion's most skilled pilots. Wedge earned a post in Red Squadron at the Battle of Yavin, where he first met Luke Skywalker.

Episode IV: A New Hope

The young Corellian served as Red Two during the Battle of Yavin, and flew as Skywalker's wingman during the final approach on the Death Star's thermal exhaust port. When Wedge sustained damage to his fighter, he had to pull out and leave the battle.

Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

After the destruction of the first Death Star, Wedge and Luke founded Rogue Squadron and soon surrounded themselves with some of the best pilots in the galaxy. Wedge flew as part of the Rogues during the Battle of Hoth. He and his gunner Wes Janson perfected a daring maneuver wherein a snowspeeder used its harpoon and tow-cable to trip up the legs of the attacking Imperial walker.

Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

After Hoth, Antilles reorganized the elite fighter pilot group and was promoted to Commander, or Rogue Leader. The squadron was assigned to the Headquarters Frigate, Home One. During the Battle of Endor, Rogue Squadron flew as Red Group, in homage to the original X-wing squadron that flew over the the first Death Star. Although Antilles was allowed the opportunity to equip his squadron with newer A-wings and B-wings, he stayed with the traditional X-wing. During the climactic Battle of Endor, Wedge, as Red Leader, spearheaded the Alliance starfighter attack into the heart of the uncompleted Death Star.

After Return of the Jedi

Following the Battles of Endor and Bakura, Wedge's missions became increasingly political. Rogue Squadron had become famous throughout the galaxy, and this elite starfighter group spearheaded missions into the heart of Imperial territory, liberating worlds and bringing more systems into the growing New Republic. Wedge and the Rogues were the New Republic's lance in retaking the heart of the Core Worlds, leading the mission that would wrest control of Coruscant from the Empire. Wedge also went on to found the unorthodox Wraith Squadron and hunted down various Imperial stalwarts and warlords.

After the defeat of Grand Admiral Thrawn five years after the Battle of Endor, Antilles agreed to accept the rank of general under the condition that he could still lead Rogue Squadron. He proved an incredible tactician, but both he and Lando Calrissian suffered heavy losses in the war against the reborn Emperor during which the Empire used many new and advanced military weapons. In response, the New Republic began a reassessment of its own forces. Despite Wedge's objections, his superiors ordered him to create a new Rogue Squadron based around fighters of several different designs, which in theory would allow for greater flexibility in battle. Wedge's argument that the purpose of Rogue Squadron would be compromised was refuted with the reasoning that a new squadron's chances of success would be enhanced under the name of the famous Rogue Squadron.

Wedge's distaste for the bureaucratic decisions affecting his command led him to direct the new Rogue Squadron from afar, as commander of the captured Star Destroyer Lusankya. He was able to persuade his superiors that this would allow for the broadest range of fighters to be available, with over 100 different types of ships for Rogue Squadron -- or Rogue Wing -- alone. The new fighter unit saw its first action in the Battle of Phaeda, during which a squadron comprised of B-wings, A-wings, and other fighters decimated the Imperial forces.

Wedge's focus on career was such that he rarely had time to pursue much of a personal life. Though he had started a stalled romantic relationship with Iella Wessiri, as well as one with Imperial scientist Qwi Xux, more pressing matters -- like the campaign of destruction waged by Admiral Daala -- frequently surfaced. After a diplomatic mission to Adumar, Wedge proposed marriage to Iella, and she accepted. The couple soon had two daughters, Syal and Myri.

Wedge eventually retired from active duty when peace between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant was achieved. The Yuuzhan Vong invasion, however, brought Antilles back out of retirement. At first, he played an advisory role to the new Rogue Leader, Gavin Darklighter, but before long, he was actively flying missions at Sernpidal, Coruscant, Borleais and elsewhere. Wedge was able to retire once more after the defeat of the Yuuzhan Vong, but the interim of peace did not last.

The Antilles family retired to Corellia. When tensions between the Corellian Conferedacy and the Galactic Alliance escalated, he attempted to remain neutral in the conflict, but a preemptive attempt by Alliance agents to arrest him made that impossible. Antilles served as a general in the Corellian Defense Force, planning the Battle of Tralus to minimize civilian deaths, despite the overly bellicose tactics of Thrackan Sal-Solo. Antilles' "soft" attitude spurred his resignation from the Corellian Defense Force, and even a failed assassination attempt against him. He and his family chose to lay low, traveling aboard the converted Star Destroyer Errant Venture.

Behind the Scenes

Although an uncommon man, Wedge has a common name. A number of characters in Star Wars stories have had the last name "Antilles," but very few of them are related. In the early draft scripts of Star Wars, Wedge was a young human pilot named "Chewie."

Actor Denis Lawson -- who is Ewan McGregor's real-life uncle -- played Wedge Antilles in the classic trilogy. Although the script identifies him as Wedge Antilles, and the character's voice-over (provided by actor David Ankrum) is the same, that is not Lawson sitting beside Mark Hamill during the Yavin briefing. Lawson was unavailable that day for shooting and another actor, Colin Higgins, filled in. This has led to fans identifying that particular Wedge as the "fake Wedge," although it is intended as the same character. Lawson's name is misspelled "Dennis" in the credits to A New Hope.