What Separates Saw Gerrera As A Supposed Terrorist And The Rebels As Heroes?
What separates a freedom fighter from being a terrorist? This question arises every time Saw Gerrera makes an appearance in Star Wars.
At its core, Star Wars is a tale of good versus evil. In most stories, the heroic Rebels beat the Imperial villains and save the day. However, morally ambiguous characters like Saw Gerrera complicate this simple dynamic.
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Saw Gerrera started his career as a fiery ally to Republic forces in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. As the Clone Wars ended and the Galactic Civil War began, Saw switched targets and kept fighting. In Star Wars: Rogue One, Saw’s life ended in tragedy following the defeat of his band of Partisans on Jedha.
Saw Gerrera died with a reputation as an extremist from the perspective of the Rebel Alliance. How should fans view Saw’s legacy? What differentiates Saw from the rest of the Rebels?
Mission
Saw Gererra and the Rebel Alliance shared a strong opposition to the Galactic Empire. They both viewed life under the Empire as oppressive. Each group aimed to bring an end to Imperial Rule.
While these forces sought an end to the Emperor’s rule, they did not share the same vision for what came after Imperial rule. The Rebel Alliance wanted to bring back democracy and establish a New Republic without completely dismantling the political institutions used within the Empire. From Saw’s perspective, anything short of total destruction of the Empire was a compromise.
Organizational Structure
Although the Rebel Alliance acted as a decentralized force without a fully-fledged government, it used a hierarchical structure to maintain order. Rebel members maintained ranks and operated under the rules and instructions of Chancellor Mon Mothma and the Alliance High Command.
By contrast, the only unifying factor for the Partisans seemed to be loyalty to Saw Gerrera and a shared hatred of the Empire. This band included mercenaries and smugglers, and it did not have the same level of structural cohesiveness as the Rebel Alliance.
Tactics
From Saw Gerrera’s point of view, the Rebel Alliance did not have the strength to do what it would take to defeat the Empire. In Star Wars: Rebels, Saw Gerrera said “I’m fighting for you and everyone else not to lose what they’ve got. And I won’t apologize for how I do it.”
Problematically, Saw used any means necessary to achieve his goals. From killing prisoners to using torture with the creature Bol Gullet, Saw used violence outside of the battlefield to accomplish his goals. Saw viewed following rules of engagement as a weakness instead of a distinguishing feature between the Rebel Alliance and the Empire.
Civilian Casualties
Saw Gerrera fought the Empire using any means necessary. During one battle, the Partisans massacred the Sakoola blossom festival on Inusagi, leading to the death of Inusagi civilians.
While Saw viewed civilian casualties as an inevitable cost of waging war, the Rebel Alliance balked at taking civilian lives. Saw’s willingness to risk the death of civilian casualties eventually led Mon Mothma to formally censure Saw Gerrera for damaging the cause.
Of course, the Rebel Alliance is not without its faults. As a military installation, the Death Star was a fair target for the Rebels to attack. However, it still held many independent contractors and relatively innocent individuals upon its destruction. Smaller battles might have harmed civilians as well.
The Rebel Alliance could not avoid the heavy cost of staging a revolution against the Empire. Even with their principles, the Rebels provoked the Empire into taking extreme measures like destroying Alderaan.
Upholding Moral Principles
In the end, the main distinction between Saw Gerrera and the Rebel Alliance comes down to intention. How one means to act can be as definitive as the end results.
The Rebel Alliance might not have perfectly lived up to its ideals. Yet it established moral principles of protecting the value of individual life and recognized democratic ideas even during combat. These moral principles were worth upholding even if Saw Gerrera viewed them as a liability.
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