Wedge Antilles
Wedge Antilles
Main page

Wedge Antilles

logo
Community Hub0 subscribers
What are your thoughts?
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Wedge Antilles

Wedge Antilles is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He is a supporting character portrayed by Denis Lawson in the original Star Wars trilogy, and voiced by David Ankrum in Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) and Rogue One (2016). He is also featured in the Star Wars expanded universe, most notably as the lead character in most of the X-Wing novels. Antilles has also appeared in the sequel trilogy film The Rise of Skywalker (2019), with Lawson reprising his role; in the 2014 animated series Star Wars Rebels, voiced by Nathan Kress; and in the 2023 second volume of Star Wars: Visions, voiced again by Lawson.

Before defecting to the Rebel Alliance, Antilles was an Imperial cadet (callsign: TIE SS25) of the Skystrike Academy. Antilles founded Rogue Squadron with his friend Luke Skywalker. His superior piloting skills, in-depth knowledge of Imperial military doctrine, and tactical leadership quickly propelled him through the ranks to become Marshal of the Alliance Starfighter Corps. Antilles is notable for having participated in more starfighter battles ending with decisive Alliance victories than any other character: he led the allied assault during the Battle of Exegol and Jakku; supported Project Starhawk; piloted a snowspeeder in the defense of Echo Base on Hoth; and is the only Rebel starfighter pilot to have survived both attack runs on the Death Stars at the battles of Yavin and Endor.

Wedge Antilles was first seen in the 1977 film A New Hope in the Rebels' Death Star attack briefing. In this scene he was portrayed by Colin Higgins and voiced by David Ankrum, who dubbed the character throughout the film. For the remaining scenes filmed in the X-wing cockpit, the character was played by Denis Lawson. Higgins was originally cast in the role of Antilles but reportedly had difficulty remembering his lines, and was consequently replaced by Lawson for subsequent scenes, but Higgins' scene remained in the final cut of the film. The discrepancy became a popular subject in Star Wars fandom, and Higgins acquired the nickname "Fake Wedge".

Lawson reprised the role of Antilles in The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. Lawson used his own voice in these films, masking his natural Scottish accent with an imitation of an American accent. Ankrum was also the voice of Antilles in Rogue One. Coincidentally, Denis Lawson is the maternal uncle of Ewan McGregor, who made his first appearance in the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

Wedge Antilles 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 during the Battle of Yavin when he saves Luke Skywalker from being shot down by a TIE fighter pilot that he could not shake off, picking off the hostile with a point blank, high deflection angle shot. Along with Skywalker and Biggs Darklighter, Antilles is one of only three X-wing pilots to survive until the final attack runs 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.

Antilles appears in The Empire Strikes Back as a member of the newly formed Rogue Squadron. He flies a snowspeeder under the callsign "Rogue Three" 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, Antilles is seen and heard wishing Luke a safe trip.

Antilles 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 Antilles 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 Calrissian reach the Death Star's core, Antilles destroys the power regulator on the core's north tower, while Calrissian destroys the core itself. He later appears at the victory celebration at the Ewok village on Endor, apparently the only surviving member of his fleet.

Antilles appears, once again played by Denis Lawson, in the final installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, The Rise of Skywalker. He is seen manning a gun turret on the Millennium Falcon during the battle between the Resistance and the Sith Eternal, shortly after the death of his stepson Snap. Lawson had previously been asked to appear as Wedge Antilles in The Force Awakens, in the narrative role the character Poe Dameron was ultimately created for, but declined due to scheduling conflicts.

See all
User Avatar
No comments yet.