"}},"i":0}}]}" id="mw1w">.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{padding-left:1.6em}}
George Lucas and Rick McCallum, who was the producer, they're such pros, they wrote to me and told me [the scenes had been cut], so I knew way before. And they were so beautiful about that and kind to me as a very young actor. And it made complete sense to me, because of course it was all about Darth Vader becoming Darth Vader. Cinema has to have a singular focus for it to drive, you know? Cinema doesn't have a lot of time to tell the story. So I respected their decision, and when I watched it, it made total sense. [19]
In a deleted scene from the film, Mon secretly meets with senators Bail Organa of Alderaan (Jimmy Smits) and Padmé Amidala of Naboo (Natalie Portman) during the last days of the Galactic Republic. [9] [10] Mon explains, "We are not Separatists trying to leave the Republic. We are loyalists trying to preserve democracy in the Republic." [19] The group discusses Palpatine's growing authoritarianism, and how to counter it, in what would be the seed of the rebellion against the Empire. [9]
In Rogue One (2016), Mon Mothma (O'Reilly) and senator Bail Organa (Smits) are Rebel leaders who enlist Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), a young renegade woman sent to a work camp for her crimes against the Empire, to help identify and extract her father, scientist Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), from Imperial confinement. Mon intends Galen to testify before the Senate and confirm the existence of the Death Star. He is killed during the extraction, but Jyn joins the dangerous mission to acquire the plans to the Death Star from the Imperial archive on Scarif. The success of this mission leads directly to the events of the originating 1977 film, Star Wars . [9] [10]
Kath Soucie voiced Mon Mothma in three 2010 episodes of the animated series The Clone Wars . [22] In "Senate Murders", "Heroes on Both Sides" and "Pursuit of Peace", supporting character Mon is an ally of fellow senators Bail Organa (Phil LaMarr) and Padmé Amidala (Catherine Taber). She makes her opposition to the war with the Separatists "her defining campaign promise", and even attempts to reach out to the Separatist Senate in "Heroes on Both Sides." [10]
O'Reilly voiced Mon Mothma in five 2017 episodes of the animated series Star Wars Rebels, set a couple of years before the events of Rogue One. [1] [14] She said, "I had finished filming Rogue One, and they rang and asked if I would I like to be involved in Rebels. I was thrilled. It was such an extraordinary thing to be a part of and to work with the team at Lucasfilm ... I would meet them via satellite link-up from wherever I was ... It was such a treat to step in at a different point in their storytelling." [14] O'Reilly explained that Mon comes into the series in a "highly charged time" in which the "stakes are high for everybody", and noted that the character "really shows the traits of a true leader in very difficult, very heightened, dangerous times." [14]
In "Secret Cargo", the crew of the Rebel ship Ghost finds themselves secretly transporting Mon Mothma, who is being hunted by the Empire after speaking out publicly against Palpatine. She resigns from the Senate, calling for those who oppose the Emperor to join her in opposition. Ships begin to appear over Dantooine as the Rebel Alliance is formed. [10] [15] [23] Rebel fighter Ezra Bridger petitions Mon Mothma to send reinforcements to thwart Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn's assault on the rebel base on Atollon in "Zero Hour: Part 1". Refusing, Mon points out that it is too soon for the Rebels to openly battle the Empire, and doing so would, as Thrawn surely intends, decimate their growing forces. In "In the Name of the Rebellion: Part 1", the Rebel Alliance receives valuable intel from extremist Saw Gerrera, but Mon makes it clear she does not condone Saw's unscrupulous methods. He later confronts Mon via hologram, accusing the Rebel Alliance of being too spineless to win against the Empire. Mon insists that Saw's tendency to target civilians, kill surrendering enemies and break every rule of engagement are things the Empire would do. In "The Occupation", Mon informs the Ghost crew that the Empire is testing a new kind of TIE Defender, and sends the team to Lothal for reconnaissance. In "Crawler Commandeers", Mon approves a plan for Hera Syndulla and her team to attack an Imperial TIE Defender factory on Lothal.
In 2022, O'Reilly reprised the role of Mon Mothma in the live-action television series Andor , set five years before the events of the 2016 film Rogue One . [7] [9] Andor is centered on smuggler and future rebel Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), and Mon Mothma first appears in the fourth episode, "Aldhani". [24] Dalton Ross of Entertainment Weekly wrote of Mon's inclusion, "[We] are finally seeing this classic original trilogy character ... fleshed out beyond mere Rebellion briefings and interviews in Return of the Jedi and Rogue One. [19] Larson called her appearance in Andor "by far—the most demanding role of the character seen yet", and noted that "almost none of what Mothma does in Andor is what it seems". [4]
O'Reilly said of Andor's portrayal of Mon, "We really get to develop her as a character, and we get to learn about her not just as a senator, but as a woman. [We learn] what her life is like, what she has to wrestle with, what are the dangers to her life, what it costs to be her." [1] Gilroy said of the character, "She's always presented as very proper and sober and perfectly put together all the time in canon, and it just seemed like that was such a perfect opportunity to say, 'Well what's really going on behind here?’ It was very exciting to take a sort of still portrait of someone and throw it away and build a real life behind it. She has a much, much, much more complicated life [than] anybody was ever aware." [18] O'Reilly said it has been an "extraordinary gift" from Gilroy to be able to explore "not just the role of the senator or the leader, but the woman behind that—who she is, what that is, what she has to sacrifice, what she has to risk, what the cost is to her, what this rebellion is to her." [21] She explained, "We meet a woman who looks different than we've seen her before, who feels different, who certainly dresses different. When she walks in, you can see the power that she wields. But within a couple of minutes ... it shifts dramatically to reveal a private face that we've not encountered before. You see that she's under threat. You see that she's in danger. You see that she's taking risks." [25]
O'Reilly added, "We meet a woman steeped in empire, navigating a very male-dominated empire with a very powerful Emperor Palpatine at the top of it. We've seen her surrounded by people... maybe with different opinions, but like-minded rebels. We find her in Andor very alone, living in a world of orthodoxy and construct. We see a woman who has had to navigate her ideals and beliefs within systems of oppression." [26] O'Reilly said that Gilroy wanted to explore the rules and constructs that Mon, who has been married and a senator since she was 16 years old, has had to navigate within during the intervening 14 years. She asked, "What is that cage?" [19] O'Reilly explained that Andor presents Mon as a "deeply complicated woman" who "might make compromising choices that we haven't seen before." [19] Being set five years before the events of Rogue One allows the series "to discover where this woman goes, and how she navigates the dangers and the risks that is her life, and how she ends up in a world where she introduces Cassian Andor to Jyn Erso." [19]
In the series, Mon has an elevated wardrobe and hairstyle from previous appearances. O'Reilly said, "We wanted to meet her at a new stage, a stage we hadn't seen before. And so, you meet a very successful, political woman ... she is successful, she is sophisticated, she is a political mover, she is living within a world of high society. So, we wanted her look to reflect that. It's five years before she's in a bunker, you know?" She added, "What Tony [Gilroy] has done is write a character ... in a polar opposite moment of their life to Rogue One, so we have somewhere to go. So, why not meet her in an art gallery, in beautiful clothes, flown in on this extraordinary car and navigating this sophisticated, but deceptive, life?" [19]
In Andor, Mon is an embattled senator from Chandrila, fighting against the increased overreach of the Imperial regime. Watched closely by agents of the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB), she is secretly raising funds for the nascent Rebel Alliance. Andor also introduces Mon's disaffected husband Perrin Fertha (Alastair Mackenzie) and daughter Leida Mothma (Bronte Carmichael). [9] [19] Vel Sartha (Faye Marsay), an active member of the Rebel Alliance in the field, is revealed to be Mon's cousin in "Nobody's Listening!". [27] Gilroy said, "Of all the people that walk through this show and face all kinds of decisions and problems and pressures and the hiding and chasing and betrayal—[Mon] has to stand out almost in the open for the whole show, in a really dangerous position. In many ways her story is the most tense story in the whole show, because she has to do everything in the open." [18]
In "Aldhani", Senator Mon Mothma meets with antiques dealer Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) on Coruscant, ostensibly looking for a gift for her husband. Luthen, however, runs a network of rebels quietly fighting against the Empire, and Mon is funding his efforts. Restricted by Imperial policies and suspecting that she is being watched by the Imperial Security Bureau, Mon is having increased difficulty accessing and moving money, and they both face challenges in keeping their opposition to the Empire hidden. At home, Mon's husband Perrin has invited some of her opponents in the Senate to their dinner party. He does not share her sense of urgency regarding the Empire's rising power, and is dismissive of how seriously she takes it. [28] [29] O'Reilly said that the episode "exposes how much of Empire is also within the marriage, and how far she has to go to fight for what she really believes in. She has to lose a lot, because her husband is Empire. Perhaps her life is Empire. She has to escape it, right? Or she has to risk stuff. And she ends up in that rebel bunker." [19] She noted that though Mon's passions are expressed in her encounter with Luthen, at home she must put on the armor of her political persona. [19]
In "The Axe Forgets", Mon establishes a new charitable foundation while managing increasingly tense relations with her husband and daughter, who are annoyed by her devotion to her work. [30] [31] Mon's protests to the Senate about the Republic's treatment of the planet Ghorman fall on deaf ears in "The Eye". [32] In "Announcement", Mon learns that Luthen was involved in the recent robbery of an Imperial base on Aldhani. Though fearful of the inevitable Imperial crackdown, she understands it is time to step up efforts against the Empire. Mon also reunites with banker Tay Kolma (Ben Miles), a childhood friend from Chandrila, and enlists him to help her funnel her family funds to the Rebellion without detection. [4] [9] In "Narkina 5", Mon attempts to collect votes to oppose new Imperial legislation, which Tay agrees is having a chilling effect. He warns Mon that the Empire's new banking laws are making it more difficult to move money surreptitiously. Mon's daughter Leida remarks how often Tay has been visiting. At a banquet, Mon explains to her guests that she and Perrin were married at 16, per Chandrilan custom, around the same time she became a senator. [33] [34]
Mon addresses the Senate to criticize the Empire's new directives in "Nobody's Listening!", but is met with opposition. She reunites with Vel, revealed as her cousin, and encourages her to keep a low profile while maintaining the facade of a rich and politically uninvolved young woman. Tay alerts Mon that one large transaction she has made may put her in jeopardy should the authorities examine her accounts. He suggests she cover the amount with a loan from shady Chandrilan banker Davo Sculdun (Richard Dillane), whom she calls a thug. [35] [36] Mon meets with Davo in "One Way Out", and he offers to help her facilitate her clandestine financial transactions. His price for the assistance is for Mon arrange a meeting between her daughter and his son, an initial step towards marriage in Mon and Davo's Chandrilan culture. Horrified at the idea of a child betrothal for Leida, like Mon's own, Mon declines the offer. [37] In "Daughter of Ferrix", Mon and Vel are uncomfortable with Leida's interest in Chandrilan courtship rituals. Mon laments to Vel the danger she is in concerning missing funds in her accounts. Mon admits she is considering a solution that would require her to use Leida as a bargaining chip. [38] [39] Mon's daughter Leida and Davo's son Stekan (Finley Glasgow) are formally introduced in "Rix Road". To create a cover story for the missing funds, Mon stages an argument in front of her driver Kloris (Lee Ross), who she knows in an ISB spy, suggesting that Perrin has gambled the money away. Kloris reports the conversation to ISB supervisor Blevin (Ben Bailey Smith). [40]
O'Reilly appears as Mon, now the Chancellor of the New Republic, in the series Ahsoka . [41] In "Part Three: Time to Fly", General Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) seeks New Republic resources from Mon and her team of high-ranking government officials, but Senator Hamato Xiono (Nelson Lee) is dubious of Hera's desire to pursue rumors of Grand Admiral Thrawn. [42] [43] In "Part Five: Shadow Warrior", Mon appears to Hera via hologram, warning Hera that her disobedience has prompted New Republic Oversight to demand her return to Coruscant to be questioned by them. [44] In "Part Seven: Dreams and Madness", Mon reluctantly oversees the tribunal administering Hera's disciplinary hearing, and comes to believe that the threat of Thrawn's return is real. [45] [46]
Chuck Wendig's 2015 novel Aftermath establishes that after the events of Return of the Jedi, Mon quickly transitions the Rebel Alliance into the New Republic, forming the New Republic Senate and becoming the new government's first Chancellor. Hoping to prevent the New Republic from ever becoming corrupted into a fascist state, she scales down the centralized military in favor of local planetary forces. [12] In the 2016 novel Star Wars: Bloodline , Mon has stepped down as Chancellor due to illness. [13] But her attempt to prevent centralized overmilitarization from creating a new Empire by advocating a drastic reduction of the New Republic fleet has sparked the rise of two opposing factions in the Senate: the Populists, who support autonomy of individual planets and systems, and the Centrists, who believe a stronger central government is necessary. [9] As member systems are allowed to build their own defense forces, some Centrist elements ultimately back the nascent First Order regime. [9]
Mon also appears briefly in the novels Lost Stars (2015), [47] [48] The Princess and the Scoundrel (2022) [10] [49] and the Alphabet Squadron trilogy (2019–2021). [10]
Mon appears in the 2015 comic series Shattered Empire , set immediately after the events of Return of the Jedi. [50] [51] [52] In the comic Star Wars #28 (October 2022), set after the events of The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Mon is informed that the Empire is building a second Death Star. While others are shocked to silence, she expresses her confidence that after destroying the first one, they can do it again. [16] [17]
Mon Mothma has a major role in Star Wars Legends media. [10] Star Wars Legends refers to the alternate continuity of Star Wars ancillary works starting with the 1991 Timothy Zahn novel Heir to the Empire and ending when Lucasfilm rebranded the "Expanded Universe" continuity in 2014 to accommodate plans for film sequels, TV series and new fiction. [53] [54] In this continuity, New Republic Chief of State Mon Mothma is unable to demilitarize the government due to ongoing conflicts with Imperial warlords and other remnants of the Empire. [12] In Heir to the Empire, she becomes the New Republic's Chief of State and works with characters including Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Admiral Ackbar to restore Coruscant as the democratic heart of the galaxy. [10] [55] Mon survives an assassination attempt in the Jedi Academy trilogy (1994), and prepares Leia to become her successor. [55]
In the 1990s comic series Dark Empire , Mon also helps Luke form a New Jedi Order less involved with Republic politics than the original Jedi. [12] [56]
The 1993 West End Games Dark Empire Sourcebook for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game notes that Mon and her family were forced to flee their homeworld when she was revealed to be part of the Rebel Alliance. Her son, Jobin, was a rebel soldier killed in the Battle of Hoth, and Mon's duties as a resistance leader impacted the time she could spend with her daughter, Lieda. [56] [57] Both The Essential Guide to Characters (1995) and The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia (2008) mention that Lieda ultimately worked alongside Mon toward peace for the Republic. [56] [58] [59]
Mon is featured in the 1995 first-person shooter video game Star Wars: Dark Forces . [60] She appears in the 2008 action-adventure video game The Force Unleashed , and its novelization. [61] In the story, Bail Organa meets with fellow senators Mon and Garm Bel Iblis on Corellia to formally organize a rebellion, only for the group to be arrested by Darth Vader.
Hasbro has produced three Mon Mothma action figures: the Star Wars: The Power of the Force II Mon Mothma with Baton in 1998; [62] [63] the Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Collection Mon Mothma in 2005; [64] and an Andor-related figure, Star Wars: The Black Series Senator Mon Mothma, in 2023. [65] [66]
Eric Diaz of Nerdist News called Mon Mothma "crucial to Star Wars". [9] Adrian Quidilla of Screen Rant wrote that "Mon Mothma's ability to inspire and organize a galaxy-wide revolution makes her arguably the most significant Rebellion figure of them all, as the outcome of the Star Wars original trilogy couldn't have happened without her unflagging hope." [16] Jeremy Smith of Slashfilm agreed that the character has been an integral figure in the Star Wars saga since her first film appearance", but noted that prior to Andor, Mon had been "completely underserved" in live-action media. [26] Corey Larson of Screen Rant called O'Reilly's performance in Andor "revelatory", noting that "George Lucas clearly recognized how Mon Mothma had the potential to be a pivotal and popular figure in Star Wars lore and that O'Reilly was the perfect candidate for the job." [4] Simon Cardy of IGN agreed that "O'Reilly is fantastic in her portrayal of a thoroughly empathetic character going up against an Empire [in Andor]". [36] Blake Hawkins of Comic Book Resources called Mon a "badass" and "master manipulator" for the character's actions in the season one finale "Rix Road". [20]
O'Reilly's portrayal of Mon Mothma has received a universally positive critical reception, [4] [36] and Blakiston's initial cameo role as the character has become an Internet meme. [21]
Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He was introduced in the original 1977 Star Wars film as the commander of the Death Star, a gigantic space station built by the Galactic Empire. Tarkin is portrayed by Peter Cushing in Star Wars. Tarkin also appears in the films Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One, and in the animated series The Clone Wars, Rebels, and The Bad Batch. He is featured in the 2014 novel Tarkin, which details his backstory and his rise to power within the Empire. In 2006, the entertainment website IGN called Tarkin "one of the most formidable villains" in Star Wars history.
The Rebel Alliance is an organization that features in the fictional world of the Star Wars franchise. The Alliance is portrayed as a stateless coalition of rebel dissidents and defectors who oppose the Galactic Empire and its authoritarian rule. Its stated goal is to restore the liberal governance of the previous Galactic Republic, which had been dissolved after its leader Palpatine seized absolute power and declared himself emperor. It is the main protagonistic faction of the original Star Wars trilogy.
Genevieve O'Reilly is an Irish-born Australian actress. She is known for her work in the Star Wars franchise as young Mon Mothma, having portrayed the character in Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One, and the Disney+ series Andor and Ahsoka. She is also known for her career in films, with credits including the 2004 film Avatar, the 2009 period drama The Young Victoria, and the 2010 romantic movie Forget Me Not. In 2016, O'Reilly appeared in the role of Tarzan's mother in The Legend of Tarzan.
Ahsoka Tano is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. She was introduced as the 14-year-old Togruta Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker in the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) before appearing in the subsequent animated television series ; the sequel series Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018); in the live-action film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) as a voiceover cameo; and in the miniseries Tales of the Jedi (2022), voiced by Ashley Eckstein. In 2020, Ahsoka made her live-action debut in the second season of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, portrayed by Rosario Dawson. Dawson reprised the role in a 2022 episode of the spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett, and the 2023 series, Ahsoka.
Saw Gerrera is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. He was introduced in a 2012 episode of the animated series The Clone Wars, in which he is voiced by Andrew Kishino. He is played by Forest Whitaker in the live-action film Rogue One (2016) and the live-action television series Andor (2022). Whitaker voices Saw in the animated series Star Wars Rebels and the video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Saw also appears in The Bad Batch, with Kishino reprising his role.
Cassian Jeron Andor, born Kassa, is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, primarily portrayed by actor Diego Luna. Introduced in the feature film Rogue One (2016) as a co-lead, he is the protagonist of the ongoing prequel television series Andor (2022–present).
General Hera Syndulla is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, voiced by Vanessa Marshall in the animated series Star Wars Rebels, The Freemaker Adventures, Forces of Destiny, and The Bad Batch, and the video game Star Wars: Squadrons, and portrayed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the live-action miniseries Ahsoka. The Twi'lek daughter of Ryloth freedom fighter Cham Syndulla, and widowed lover of Jedi knight Kanan Jarrus/Caleb Dume, with whom she has a son, Jacen Syndulla, General Syndulla is an expert pilot and central figure in the formation of the Rebel Alliance in its fight against the Galactic Empire after leading a small rebel insurgency on the planet of Lothal that gained the attention of Senator Bail Organa.
Andor, also known as Star Wars: Andor, is an American science fiction television series created by Tony Gilroy for the streaming service Disney+. It is part of the Star Wars franchise and a prequel to the film Rogue One (2016), which in turn is a prequel to the original Star Wars film (1977). The series follows thief-turned-rebel spy Cassian Andor during the five years that lead to the events of the two films, exploring how he becomes radicalized against the Galactic Empire and how the wider Rebel Alliance is formed.
Ahsoka, also known as Star Wars: Ahsoka, is an American space fantasy television series created by Dave Filoni for the streaming service Disney+. It is part of the Star Wars franchise and a spin-off from The Mandalorian, taking place in the same timeframe as that series and its other interconnected spin-offs after the events of the film Return of the Jedi (1983). Ahsoka follows former Jedi apprentice Ahsoka Tano and her allies as they fight the remnants of the Galactic Empire during the time of the fledgling New Republic.
"Aldhani" is the fourth episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Dan Gilroy and directed by Susanna White.
"The Axe Forgets" is the fifth episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Dan Gilroy and directed by Susanna White.
"Announcement" is the seventh episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Stephen Schiff and directed by Benjamin Caron.
"Narkina 5" is the eighth episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Beau Willimon and directed by Toby Haynes.
"Nobody's Listening!" is the ninth episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Beau Willimon and directed by Toby Haynes.
"One Way Out" is the tenth episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Beau Willimon and directed by Toby Haynes.
"Daughter of Ferrix" is the eleventh episode of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Tony Gilroy and directed by Benjamin Caron.
"Rix Road" is the twelfth episode and season finale of the first season of the American streaming television series Andor, based on Star Wars created by George Lucas. It was written by Tony Gilroy and directed by Benjamin Caron.