Wedge Antilles may have survived attacks on two Death Stars, but early in his Rebellion career, both he and his buddy Hobbie weren’t the most professional pilots in the galaxy. The latest episode of Star Wars Rebels briefly depicts Wedge and Hobbie as absent-minded slackers.
Right at the start of the new Rebels episode “Warhead,” Hera Syndulla has to verbally motivate both Wedge and Hobbie to get to their fighters. Seemingly exasperated because her new recruits are just standing around, Hera barks orders: “Hobbie, Wedge, let’s go! Move it! We’re behind schedule, Phoenix Squadron!” Suddenly, like two teenagers caught loitering, Hobbie and Wedge snap to it and run in opposite directions, sloppily colliding with each other like they’re in a Buster Keaton slapstick comedy. Clearly, these guys weren’t always the brave and competent pilots who would become heroes of the Rebellion. In other words, if it weren’t for Hera, the Rebellion may never have gotten its shit together.
LEFT: Wedge before the Battle of Endor. CENTER: Hobbie and Wedge collide in 'Rebels.' RIGHT: Hobbie before the Battle of Hoth
Played primarily by Denis Lawson (and briefly Colin Higgins), Wedge Antilles is the only Rebel pilot who is seen flying and surviving major battles in all three original Star Wars films. In the Legends canon, Wedge took over the famous Rogue Squadron after Luke Skywalker stepped down. Derek “Hobbie” Klivian was played by Richard Oldfield in The Empire Strikes Back where he uttered the deadpan “Two fighters against a Star Destroyer?” question, which resulted in the ion cannon being explained by Leia. Though Hobbie only appeared in Empire, he was a big part of the Legends comics and novels in which Rogue Squadron appeared.
Sabine helps Wedge and Hobbie defect from the Empire in 'Rebels'
In nearly every way, Rebels is totally resetting the biographies of these minor characters, meaning it’s possible that Wedge and Hobbie will grow up sometime during the course of the entirety of Rebels. But, because the show is still a few years behind the events of Rogue One and A New Hope, it might be several seasons before Wedge and Hobbie shape up.
The remaining episodes of the third season of Star Wars Rebels air on Saturdays on Disney XD.
