Wedge Antilles

Wedge Antilles
Star Wars character
First appearance Star Wars (1977)
Created by George Lucas
Portrayed by Denis Lawson (Episodes IV-VI)
Colin Higgins (Briefing scene in Episode IV)
Voiced by David Ankrum (Episode IV)
Meshach Taylor (Star Wars radio dramatization)
Don Scarino (The Empire Strikes Back radio dramatization)
Jon Matthews (Return of the Jedi radio dramatization)
Chris Cox (Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron III - Rebel Strike)
Matthew Mercer (Disney Infinity 3.0)
Information
Species Human
Gender Male
Occupation X-wing pilot, Rogue Squadron commander, Wraith Squadron commander, New Republic general, Supreme Commander of Corellia's armed forces
Affiliation Rebel Alliance, Rogue Squadron, New Republic, Galactic Alliance, Confederation, Jedi Coalition
Family Jagged Antilles (father, deceased)
Zena Antilles (mother, deceased)
Syal Antilles Fel (sister)
Soontir Fel (brother-in-law)
Iella Wessiri Antilles (wife)
Syal Antilles (daughter)
Myri Antilles (daughter)
Davin Fel (nephew, deceased)
Chak Fel (nephew, deceased)
Cherith Fel (niece, deceased)
Jagged Fel (nephew)
Wynssa Fel (niece)
Cem Fel (nephew)
Jaina Solo Fel (niece-in-law)
Fel II (great-nephew, deceased)
Roan Fel (great-great-nephew, deceased)
Other members of the Fel dynasty (distant relatives)
Homeworld Gus Treta Inner-System Market Station (in the Corellian system)

Wedge Antilles is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is a supporting character portrayed by Denis Lawson in the original Star Wars trilogy.[1] Antilles is a starfighter pilot for the Rebel Alliance, and founded Rogue Squadron with his friend Luke Skywalker. Wedge is notable for being the only Rebel pilot to have survived both attack runs on the Death Stars at the battles of Yavin and Endor.[1] He also appears in the Star Wars expanded universe, most notably as the lead character in most of the X-Wing novels.

Depiction

Antilles first appears in Star Wars during the Rebels' Death Star attack briefing. In this scene Wedge is portrayed by Colin Higgins and voiced by David Ankrum, who dubs the character throughout the film. Denis Lawson plays the character for the remaining scenes filmed in the X-wing cockpit.[1] Lawson also portrays Antilles in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. In the former, Lawson's voice was dubbed over by an unidentified actor, while Lawson used his own voice in the latter, masking his natural Scottish accent with an imitation of an American accent. Coincidentally, Lawson is the maternal uncle of Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy.

Star Wars Legends literature explains that Wedge's parents were killed when his parents' starship-refueling depot exploded.[1] He piloted a freighter before joining the Rebel Alliance as a starfighter pilot.[1] Michael A. Stackpole's and Aaron Allston's X-Wingnovels and several Dark Horse Comics series focus on Antilles and Rogue Squadron. Antilles also appears in other Expanded Universe works, including the New Jedi Order and Legacy of the Force novels. Antilles is one of two main player characters in the Rogue Squadron video game series (Luke Skywalker is the other). He appears as a minor character in Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, helping the player during one mission. He is also a playable character in Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars.[1]

Appearances

Star Wars films

Wedge appears towards the end of Star Wars as "Red Two," an X-wing pilot and a member of Red Squadron. His considerable dogfighting prowess is shown in the Battle of Yavin when he saves Luke Skywalker by shooting down a TIE fighter that Luke had been unable to shake off. Along with Luke, he is one of only three X-wing pilots to survive until the final attack run along the Death Star's trench. However, his X-wing is damaged, and he is forced to disengage before the Death Star is destroyed. He and Luke are the only two X-Wing pilots to survive the battle, along with a Y-wing and the Millennium Falcon.[2]

Wedge appears in The Empire Strikes Back as a member of the newly formed Rogue Squadron. He flies a snowspeeder against the Empire's AT-AT ground assault with Wes Janson as his harpoon gunner. Their snowspeeder inflicts the first casualty against the AT-AT attack group by firing a harpoon trailing a tow cable into one of the walker's legs and circling the walker several times, causing it to trip and fall and allowing Rebel forces to destroy the walker. After the battle, Wedge is seen and heard wishing Luke a safe trip.[3]

Wedge appears towards the end of Return of the Jedi as the leader of Red Squadron in the Battle of Endor. Along with Lando Calrissian, who pilots the Millennium Falcon with Nien Nunb, he leads the fighter attack on the second Death Star. His dogfighting prowess is shown again in this battle, as Wedge personally shoots down a number of Imperial TIE fighters, and appears to easily navigate the narrow and treacherous flight spaces inside the Death Star that lead to its core. When he and Lando reach the Death Star's core, Wedge destroys the power regulator on the core's north tower, while Lando destroys the core itself. He later appears at the victory celebration at the Ewok village on Endor.[4]

Wedge does not appear in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. However, Denis Lawson confirmed in a May 2014 interview that he was asked to reprise the role. Lawson declined, saying that it would have "bored [him]".[5] A similar character, Poe Dameron, has a prominent role in the film.

In popular culture

IGN named Wedge the 24th greatest Star Wars character of all time, claiming "Wedge Antilles may be the most important ancillary character in the Star Wars universe".[6]

Wedge was portrayed by three voice actors in the Star Wars radio series from National Public Radio: Meshach Taylor in A New Hope, Don Scardino in The Empire Strikes Back, and Jon Matthews in Return of the Jedi.

Two characters named Biggs and Wedge appear frequently in RPGs made by Square. They are named for Antilles and another X-wing pilot, Biggs Darklighter.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Antilles, Wedge". Lucasfilm. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
  2. ↑ Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2004), disc 1.
  3. ↑ Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2004), disc 1.
  4. ↑ Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2004), disc 1.
  5. ↑ McCormick, Rich (May 12, 2013). "Wedge Antilles actor rejected 'Star Wars: Episode VII' role because it would 'bore' him". TheVerge. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Wedge Antilles - #24 Star Wars Character". IGN. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  7. ↑ Square Co (1994-10-11). Final Fantasy III. Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Square Soft. Wedge: Hard to believe an Esper's been found intact there, 1000 years after the War of the Magi...

External links

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