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- "Red Leader standing by."
- ―Wedge Antilles
Red Leader was the call sign of the commander of Red Squadron. There were a number of starfighter squadrons with this name, and several pilots went by the call sign "Red Leader."
History[]
Galactic Republic[]
Tsui Choi flew as Red Leader with his Jedi starfighter squadron,[10] and led his Jedi Delta-7 starfighter pilots, including Aayla Secura, into battle against the forces of Commander Merai at the Battle of Kamino.[11]
A clone trooper pilot Red Leader commanded a group of Republic V-19 Torrent starfighters at the Battle of Muunilinst.[12]
Jedi Master Mavra Zane flew the YT-2400 light freighter Star Runner as "Red Leader", commanding a Delta-7 starfighter squadron in pursuit of Separatist leader Shu Mai over Felucia, and in defense of the Galactic Senate over Coruscant.[1]
Jedi General A'Sharad Hett flew an Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor as Red Leader in the Siege of Saleucami.[13]
During the recapture of Tythe and the Battle of Coruscant,[14] Obi-Wan Kenobi led Red Squadron, flying in his Jedi Interceptor along with Anakin Skywalker, as Red Five and a squadron of ARC-170 starfighters led by Commander Davijaan.
Rebel Alliance[]
In 1 BBY, Lieutenant Hamo Blastwell was Red Leader of the Rebel Alliance's Red Squadron aboard the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Independence, leading Keyan Farlander on his first mission.[15]
In 0 BBY, Garven Dreis[16] served as Red Leader at the Alliance's Massassi Base on Yavin 4, leading his pilots against the Death Star in the Battle of Yavin, during which Dreis was killed by Darth Vader.[2]
Luke Skywalker flew as Red Leader during a reconnaissance mission to Kamino,[17] an Imperial ambush in the Ison Corridor[18] and later, a skirmish at Chinshassa.[19]
Approximately two years after the Battle of Yavin, Lieutenant Commander Bakki Sourthol was Red Leader,[10] commanding an X-wing squadron with Reekeene's Roughnecks in the Fakir sector.[20]
During the Battle of Endor, Wedge Antilles flew as Red Leader, commanding the squadron formerly known as Rogue Squadron. He led Red Squadron into the superstructure of the second Death Star, and, along with Gold Leader Lando Calrissian, destroyed the battle station.[9] Following that battle, Red Squadron was once more renamed Rogue Squadron,[21] although Antilles flew with the Rogues as Red Leader on at least one occasion.[4]
Shortly after the Alliance's victory at Endor, another Red Leader—the youngest of the Rebel squadron leaders of the Bakura task force—led an element of Red Squadron tasked with maintaining an escape cone for Rogue and Gold Squadrons during the planet's invasion by the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium, and later in the battle destroyed a Ssi-ruuvi Wurrif-class light cruiser.[22]
New Republic[]
A pilot designated "Red Leader"[5] led the New Republic's Red Squadron months after the Battle of Endor,[6] rescuing a Star Tours travel agency StarSpeeder 3000 from an Imperial Star Destroyer's tractor beam, and defending the civilian vessel from TIE fighters when it accidentally ended up in the midst of the squadron's battle to destroy a Death Star-like space station.[23]
Commander Mirith Sinn flew a tandem X-wing starfighter as Red Leader in the Battle of Smarck.[3]
Wedge Antilles again flew as Red Leader in simulated TIE/D Defender training,[24] and later with Red Flight on a New Republic mission to the planet Adumar.[7]
During the the Black Fleet Crisis, BTL-S8 K-wing assault starfighter pilot Esege Tuketu led the New Republic Fifth Battle Group's Red Flight as Red Leader, with Skids as his gunner.[8]
Behind the scenes[]
The novelization of A New Hope identifies Garven Dreis as Blue Leader and the film's Gold Leader, Jon "Dutch" Vander, as Red Leader.[2][25]
Appearances[]
Sources[]
- A Guide to the Star Wars Universe
- X-Wing: The Official Strategy Guide
- Star Wars: The National Public Radio Dramatization
- Star Wars Technical Journal of the Rebel Forces
- Alliance Intelligence Reports
- The Essential Guide to Characters
- Galaxy Guide 5: Return of the Jedi, Second Edition
- Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded
- Return of the Jedi: The National Public Radio Dramatization
- Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary
- Star Wars: Rogue Squadron: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide
- Star Wars: Empire at War: Prima Official Game Guide
- Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption Expansion: Prima Official Game Guide
- Star Wars Fandex Deluxe Edition
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 8
Star Wars: The Card Game — Core Set (Card: Rebel Assault)- Star Wars: The Card Game — Core Set (Card: Red Two)
- Star Wars: The Card Game — Core Set (Card: X-Wing Escort)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kinect Star Wars
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood 5
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 X-Wing Rogue Squadron Special
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Vaz, Mark Cotta. Industrial Light & Magic : into the digital realm, Del Rey, 1996. (web archive)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1
Convenient Daily Departures: The History of Star Tours on StarWars.com (article) (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 X-Wing: Starfighters of Adumar
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Before the Storm
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- ↑ Republic 50
- ↑ Star Wars: Clone Wars — "Chapter 10"
- ↑ Republic 77
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
- ↑ X-Wing: The Official Strategy Guide
- ↑ Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Premiere Limited (Card: Red Leader) (backup link)
- ↑ Rebel Force: Firefight
- ↑ Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader
- ↑ Star Wars (1977) 60
- ↑ Alliance Intelligence Reports
- ↑ Galaxy Guide 5: Return of the Jedi, Second Edition
- ↑ The Truce at Bakura
- ↑ Star Tours
- ↑ X-Wing: Isard's Revenge
- ↑ Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope novel