The Iconic Rebel Alliance Symbol in Star Wars Has a Surprising Origin

In Star Wars, the Rebel Alliance has a distinctive crown-like symbol. The three-pronged design can be seen branded all over rebel ships, helmets, outfits, and locations in the original trilogy as an image of hope against the oppressive Imperial regime. The history behind the Rebel Alliance symbol gives a deeper meaning to what could have been just a throwaway design chalked up to the whims of filmmaking, transforming a simple logo into a war cry across the galaxy. The origins of the sign of rebellion is addressed in the animated series, Star Wars Rebels, which debuted on October 3, 2014, with the two-part premiere, “Spark of Rebellion.”

Though Rebels was released 37 years after Star Wars: A New Hope, the writers found a way to cleverly connect the events of the 1977 film and the show, as the plot of Rebels sets the stage for the Galactic Civil War.

Mandalorian Sabine Wren Was the Architect Behind the Symbol

Star Wars Rebels introduces a small crew of rebels who operate around the Outer Rim planet of Lothal, providing humanitarian aid to refugees who have been affected by the Empire. The crew consists of Captain of the Ghost ship, Hera Syndulla, and her trusty droid, Chopper; former Jedi-padawan/Order 66 survivor, Kanan Jarrus; Lasat warrior, Zeb Orrelios; Lothal native and Force-sensitive orphan, Ezra Bridger; and disgraced Mandalorian artist, Sabine Wren. 

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Sabine’s armor reflects her originality and artistic talents, setting her apart from other Mandalorians and their seemingly rigid traditions. While on missions, Sabine tends to use spray paint to make murals that speak against the Empire, and tag locations of rebel success with a very specific design of a phoenix. The bird’s wings and head are all pointed, creating five distinct, sharp edges. The design is very clearly the first draft of the symbol the Rebel Alliance would eventually adopt. 

The Rebel Alliance does away with two of the five points of Sabine’s phoenix, creating the distinct three-pronged design that would come to be synonymous with the Rebellion. The significance of the symbol being born from Sabine’s unique art is even more striking when Mandalore’s fate is revealed in Season 2 of The Mandalorian. Bo-Katan Kryze, the previous leader of Mandalore, reveals that the Empire attacked Mandalore at the end of the Galactic Civil War and killed most of the inhabitants of the planet in what came to be known as The Night of a Thousand Tears. Among those killed during the slaughter were Sabine’s family — her mother, father, and brother. In Star Wars: Ahsoka, Sabine expresses regret that she was not on Mandalore to fight with her family, as she was away training with Ahsoka at the time. 

Considering the terrible fate that awaited Mandalore at the hands of the Empire, it’s fitting that a Mandalorian was the one to originate the symbol of the Rebel Alliance. Though she could not be there to fight against the Imperial forces, Sabine’s spirit and sentiment were still there with her family and her fellow Mandalorians when they made their final stand against the Empire.