In the words of Darrell Trent, "One man's terrorist group is another man's freedom fighter." When you boil it down, the Rebel Alliance from the hit franchise "Star Wars" is a terrorist group. There are seven characteristics that the Rebel Alliance (RA) members all fit. The RA also works in a galaxy that has some of the preconditions that lead to terrorist groups.
The first characteristic that the RA has that is a terroristic trait is that they operate on a political narrative which is to bring down the Empire. This is actually two characteristics. The narrative itself is one characteristic and the political aspect makes it a second characteristic. The Empire is the ruling government of the galaxy whether you agree with it or not, even though it's so morally corrupt. The RA operates on a narrative that is nationalist-based and can appeal to the other planets in the galaxy. The RA wants to go back to having the Galactic Senate and the destruction of the totalitarian Empire.
The third, fourth, and fifth characteristics also coincide with each other in the fact that these attacks are premeditated and the targets are civilians or soft military targets. We see on screen many times that these attacks by the RA are premeditated and calculated. We watch them plan out their every move. The RA may not attack civilians but they do attack and kill soft military targets, such as the stormtroopers and Imperial Officers, which we know after the Clone Wars are actual people. Plus, blowing up the Death Star on an Empire attack base killed hundreds of innocent people who were just following the orders of their ruling government. The fifth characteristic is that these are illegal acts, now does this one really need explaining? The RA does a lot of illegal things, including stealing the plans to the Death Star, blowing up the Death Star, rebelling against the Empire, and killing Imperial officers and stormtroopers.
The sixth characteristic of a terrorist group that also fits the RA is they are trying to reach a broader audience with their message. The RA does this a lot with trying to recruit new members, recruiting some of the last Jedi to fight with them, and turning the people of the galaxy against the Empire. The constantly try to show the people how corrupt and evil the Empire really is.
The seventh and final characteristic of a terrorist group is that they are not a country or planet, they are just a sub-group. This accurately describes the RA as they try to sneak around and recruit people. The RA also has many small bases on various planets.
How did the RA become a terrorist group? Well, the galaxy fit some of the characteristics that lead to terrorism, such as an illegal or corrupt government (i.e..the Empire), a totalitarian government, and history of political violence (the slaughtering of the Jedi force).
Sure, the entire time we're watching the "Star Wars" series we root for the Rebel Alliance, but if you really look at it, we're rooting for a terrorist group. Of course, the Rebel Alliance is fighting for the right thing, but they also are the bad guys to the families of the Empire government and to the Empire. "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter."
