War! The Resistance is struggling to rebuild after a debilitating battle with the First Order on Crait. General Leia Organa has dispatched her most trusted spy, Vi Moradi to the planet of Batuu to establish a new base. In an unsettling move, the First Order has tracked her there. As the First Order begins the occupation, the Resistance fighters attempt to flee the compromised base…
There’s a lot of story, and backstory, to Disney’s blockbuster new Rise of the Resistance attraction. With the opening this weekend, we thought many of you might benefit from a quick rundown of the story, locations, characters, and timeline of Galaxy’s Edge and how you fit into the story of the new ride. Whether you’re a longtime Star Wars fan, a Disneyland buff, or just starting out, there’s a lot involved with this mega attraction.
Locations and Things You’ll Need to Know
Galaxy’s Edge is comprised of locations around the planet of Batuu, a new Star Wars planet crafted specifically for the theme parks. These are the locations you need to know:
Batuu/Black Spire Outpost
The setting of Galaxy’s Edge. A remote planet on the edge of the Outer Rim (the known galaxy is made of up of the Inner Rim, Mid Rim, and Outer Rim), Batuu is a planet lost to the invention of Hyperspace travel. Black Spire Outpost, the largest of the settlements on the planet, is a popular stopping point for those looking to fly under the radar.
The Old Outpost (Ancients Ruins)
The ruins are the location of the Resistance Base and the setting of the Rise of the Resistance attraction queue. Originally constructed by an unknown race known as the Ancients, the Resistance has taken up residence in its relative obscurity and safety.
ITS (Intergalactic Transport Shuttle)
Less of a location and more of a craft, the ITS is a shuttle that’s meant to take you off-world. It plays a very important part in your Rise of the Resistance adventure.
The Finalizer (Kylo Ren’s Star Destroyer)
First seen in The Force Awakens, The Finalizer is the flagship commanded by Supreme Leader Kylo Ren and General Armitage Hux. This is the setting of the majority of the attraction, including pre-show elements on the ship and boarding the actual ride vehicles. You’ll also find particular rooms from The Force Awakens, including a hangar (Finn and Poe’s escape), a detention cell (Poe and Rey interrogation scenes), and the bridge.
Rise of the Resistance Characters
Characters seen in Rise of the Resistance come from the most recent trilogy of films. As such, most of the characters you see in the ride have previously been seen on screen and have reprised their roles for the attraction!
Resistance
Led by General Leia Organa, the Resistance opposes the First Order. Directly descending from the Rebellion that opposed the Empire, the Resistance seeks to find sympathizers who may support them in their efforts to keep the galaxy free.
In Rise of the Resistance, you take on the role of a Resistance fighter, as do some of the Cast Members. Cast playing the part of the Resistance will have a kind demeanor and attempt to help you escape the First Order.
Rey
Scavenger turned Jedi, Rey is the last of that ancient religion after the passing of her master, Luke Skywalker. Joining the Resistance, she is one half of the dyad in the Force, the bond between the light and the dark sides, Kylo Ren being the other half. She appears as a hologram to help brief you.
Poe Dameron
An ace New Republic pilot turned Resistance pilot, Poe is Wing Commander of the Resistance fleet. He appears to fly backup on the evacuation of Batuu.
BB-8
Poe’s trusted BB-unit, BB-8 is a scrappy ball-shaped droid. He appears to help brief you and then assist Poe on his X-Wing.
Finn
A former stormtrooper, Finn defected from the First Order to help Poe escape capture. During your capture, he’s running backup on your escape and attempting to steal intel from the First Order.
Lieutenant Bek
Created specifically for this attraction, Lieutenant Bek is a Mon Calamari (the same species as Admiral Ackbar in the original trilogy). He’s in charge of your shuttle during the evacuation.
Nien Nunb
A veteran of the war with the Empire (where he flew co-pilot with Lando Calrissian), Nien Numb is a Sollustian smuggler and pilot. He’s the pilot of your shuttle during the evacuation.
R5
Reprogrammed from the First Order, the R5 droid that sit on the front of your troop transport vehicles will aid in your escape from Kylo Ren. Good luck!
Vi Moradi
One of General Organa’s most trusted spies, Vi is the main contact for the Resistance on Batuu. She’s the one who established the Resistance base that acts as the attraction’s queue. While not seen in the attraction itself, she can be seen walking around Black Spire Outpost.
First Order
Led by Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, the First Order rose from the ashes of the Empire. Opposing the New Republic and the Resistance, they seek to control the galaxy through fascism and militarism.
In Rise of the Resistance, cast members will take on the role of First Order officers who have captured you. CMs playing the part of First Order will have a serious and merciless demeanor and will be looking to interrogate you (on not so nice terms).
Kylo Ren
Son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, Kylo Ren is the Supreme Leader of the First Order. After feeling betrayed by his master, Luke Skywalker, Ben Solo renounced his name and seeks to end the Jedi. He became the Supreme Leader after murdering his master, Snoke. Kylo Ren is conflicted by the light and dark sides in his blood and the dyad formed between him and Rey. He appears many times in the attraction, seeking the location of General Organa’s base.
General Armitage Hux
General of the First Order, Hux is a raging ball of fury. A promotor of advanced training, technology, and weaponry. His biggest accomplishment was the construction of the Starkiller Base, which brought about the genocide of the Hosnian system, killing billions. With Kylo Ren’s accession to Supreme Leader, Hux now has little authority. He appears multiple times, assisting Ren with finding the location of the Resistance base.
Timeline
Now that we’re acquainted with the setting and characters, let’s take a look at the timeframe in which this story takes place. Galaxy’s Edge is based on the sequel trilogy of films, the one that comes after the original three films and Lucas’ prequel films of the 90s and early 2000s.
There’s about a year period between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker where the Resistance must rebuild from what was left after the end of The Last Jedi’s Battle of Crait. This is when the stories of Galaxy’s Edge and Rise of the Resistance take place, meaning that the release of Rise of Skywalker this past December has no bearing on the story of Galaxy’s Edge (if you’ve seen the film, you’d probably understand why). That’s why we haven’t included those details here.
Now it’s your turn to take on the First Order in Rise of the Resistance. It opens this Friday, January 17th, at Disneyland. But to get on the ride, you’ll need a Boarding Pass. Here’s everything you need to know about obtaining one of those:
Everything You Need to Know About Getting a Boarding Pass for Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland
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Let’s Hear From You
We’re just a few days away from the Disneyland opening of Rise of the Resistance. Do you have any other questions about the characters, story or setting of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? Are you looking forward to this attraction opening at Disneyland? Let us know in the comments below.
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