In the Star Wars Original Trilogy, the Rebellion battle against the Empire is clearly a good versus evil situation. What makes the war so compelling is how small the Rebellion is in comparison, yet they still win against the odds. However, most Rebels were one-dimensional heroes, and it wasn't until the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story that the Rebellion was finally shown in a more interesting light.

Star Wars is known for giving almost every character on screen a name and backstory, no matter how insignificant they are. When it comes to the Rebels, the vast majority are heroic people with good morals, which of course, most need to be if they're to take part in the war. But sometimes, this can make the Empire much more interesting, as the characters tend to be more complex with power struggles and sometimes actually question their actions.

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But Rogue One: A Star Wars Story revealed that many Rebels aren't the perfect do-gooders they're made out to be. This is seen right from the get-go, as Cassian Andor meets a Rebel spy on an asteroid trading post. The informant tells Andor about the existence of the Death Star but is then discovered by a group of Stormtroopers. With the Spy already being injured, Andor realizes he'll likely be captured and possibly reveal what he knows, so he kills him there and then with no hesitation.

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This was the first time a Rebel had been seen making such a morally questionable choice, and the theme carried all throughout the movie. Every soldier who agrees to go on Jyn Erso's suicide mission has had a dark past, with Cassian saying, "We've all done terrible things on behalf of the Rebellion, spies, saboteurs, assassins," which gives them all a need for redemption.

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While it may paint the Rebellion in a darker light, it grounds the war in reality. With how outmatched they are compared to the Empire, it makes sense that they'd have to make difficult decisions to survive. Cassian killing the spy was undoubtedly immoral, yet it's understandable with how much is at stake. However, Rogue One also introduced Saw Gerrera and his band of fighters, who were so extreme that they were kicked out of the Alliance, which goes to show they still have some boundaries when it comes to winning the war.

Still, it's certainly refreshing to see the Rebellion have some complexity to them while placing some emphasis on their struggles. Hopefully, more of this will be seen in the upcoming Andor Disney+ show, which takes place before the events of Rogue One.

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