While its beloved animated predecessors, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, were sweeping stories, spanning pivotal periods of the epic saga, the new Star Wars Resistance is far more limited in scope, if not necessarily ambition. That's a function of its setting, just six months before the events of 2015's The Force Awakens, but perhaps also a result of its influences.
Announced as an "anime-inspired" adventure, Resistance establishes with its hour-long premiere, airing Sunday, Oct. 7, on Disney Channel, that inspiration goes beyond simple character designs and animation. It's a shōnen-style story about a young protagonist determined to overcome obstacles (created by his father, his opponents and himself) to become the greatest something (in this case, starfighter pilot). It's, effectively, Speed Racer in space, playing out against the backdrop of a brewing war between the Resistance and the First Order. And that mostly works, as long as viewers keep in mind that this series is geared toward a younger audience.
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Granted, Star Wars has a long history with high-speed racing, stretching back to the Death Star trench run in A New Hope, the speeder bike chase in Return of the Jedi, and the Podrace of The Clone Wars, each of which were later adapted for video games. But with Resistance, the race moves from a thrilling set piece to a central focus.
The series follows Kazuda Xiono, a young pilot in the New Republic Navy who, during the course of a mission, impresses Poe Dameron (voiced by Oscar Isaac, reprising his role from the films) with his skill. Before he, or the audience, knows it, Kaz is recruited as a spy for the Resistance, a role he accepts, at least in part, to prove he doesn't need the help of his senator father to succeed. Tasked with identifying First Order spies, he's whisked away to the Outer Rim ocean planet of Castilon, and the Colossus, a massive fueling station that will undoubtedly draw comparisons to Mos Eisley. While not quite rising to the level of "a hive of scum and villainy," it possesses a similar, if fully G-rated, Wild West flair. It's a lawless crossroads, where those who renege on a bet might be dropped into the waters below, brawls are frequent, and marauders are a near-constant cause for concern. The latter falls within the purview of the Aces, five celebrity hot-shot pilots who, when not fending off attacks on the Colossus, race each other for fame, and for the entertainment of the fueling station's denizens.
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In short, it's the perfect setting for a spy hunt, to say nothing of a coming-of-age adventure. But if Kaz was supposed to keep a low profile on the Colossus as a humble mechanic (and he most certainly was), that pretense almost immediately crumbles when his expressed desire to become the greatest starfighter pilot in the galaxy is misinterpreted by his literal-minded new friend Neeku Vozo as a boast that he is the greatest. On the fueling station, where information is currency, Kaz's unearned reputation reaches Aunt Z's Tavern -- a sort of sanitized Chalmun's Cantina -- more quickly than he does, thrusting him into the center of his new home's racing, and betting, culture.
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To many Star Wars fans, the primary appeal of Resistance will no doubt lie in the search for its connections to the current live-action trilogy, underscored by appearances by Poe Dameron, Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma, voiced by the original actors, and General Organa. And there will no doubt be plenty to uncover. However, the show's relatively straightforward setup and more modest scope also may allow room to more fully explore the new characters, and the "culture" of the stationary primary setting.
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There's a lot to recommend in both. While nothing will replace the Ghost crew in the hearts of the Star Wars Rebels faithful, the diverse cast introduced in Resistance's premiere holds an undeniable charm. Voiced by Christopher Sean (Hawaii Five-0, Days of Our Lives), Kazudo is a familiar character type in a franchise that loves its starry-eyed young heroes, pilots in particular. But there are enough variations on the theme -- the son of a senator, Kaz is from a privileged background, and clearly out of his depths on the Colossus -- to keep it interesting. Thanks in no small part to Sean's earnest performance, we're quickly invested in Kazuda's goal, whether that's to become the best pilot or to fulfill the mission given to him by Poe.
The rest of the central cast feels similarly familiar, which may be part of the appeal. These feel like characters we've met before in the franchise, even if they're not. There's Neeku Vozo, the endlessly optimistic mechanic who quickly becomes Kazuda's biggest supporter; Jarek Yeager, the former Rebel pilot turned repair-shop owner who wants nothing to do with the coming war, but nevertheless agrees to hire Kazuda to provide him with cover; Tam Ryvora, the inventive mechanic who dreams of becoming a pilot; 15-year-old Torra Doza, the best pilot among the Aces, who genuinely wants Kazuda to succeed; and Bucket (R1-J5), the battered, eccentric astromech droid whose temperament appears to have more in common with Chopper than with R2-D2.
As enjoyable as it might be to simply watch Kazuda interact with his new co-workers and surrounding, interrupted by the occasional race, the looming threat of the First Order will no doubt fuel the overarching plot of Star Wars Resistance, as the young pilot turned spy faces a ticking clock to fulfill his mission, whether he knows it or not. While it's difficult to imagine Lucasfilm stretching a span of six months over multiple seasons, between the series premiere and the promos, we're presented with clues to enough intrigue to keep viewers entertained for a while: Who on the Colossus is allied with the First Order? Who's supporting the pirates? And who is the mysterious pilot of the red TIE Fighter that's so harassed the New Republic Navy and the Resistance while receiving nary a scratch itself?
Just think of the latter as a sinister Racer X to Kazuda's Speed Racer.
Premiering Sunday, Oct. 7, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel before moving to Disney XD, Star Wars Resistance stars Christopher Sean as Kazuda Xiono, Suzie McGrath as Tam Ryvora, Scott Lawrence as Jarek Yeager, Myrna Velasco as Torra Doza, Josh Brener as Neeku Vozo, Donald Faison as Hype Fazon, Jim Rash as Flix, Bobby Moynihan as Orka, and Rachel Butera as General Leia Organa, with Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma and Elijah Wood as Jace Rucklin.