Wedge Antilles

Wedge Antilles is a popular character who appeared briefly in all three original trilogy Star Wars films as a rebel starfighter pilot, and a cameo appearance in The Rise of Skywalker), as the gunner of the Millennium Falcon.
As one of the few characters outside the main cast to appear in all three films of the original trilogy, and the only non-main character to be involved in the destruction of both Death Stars, Wedge was frequently featured as a supporting character in the Legends-era spin-offs; in particular, he was one of the central characters of the Star Wars: X-Wing novels, comics, and games.
A popular fan-given nickname for Wedge is "Weginald". The long-running Nicholasname is canonically acknowledged in "The Buy-In", a Norra Wexley short story by Suzanne Walker in FACPOV: ROTJ.
Common slash pairings for Wedge include Wedge/Luke Skywalker and Wedge/Tycho Celchu (Legends). In canon, he marries Norra Wexley, the mother of Black Squadron member Temmin "Snap" Wexley, becoming Snap's stepfather after the Battle of Jakku. This makes it especially heartbreaking that Wedge and the rest of the backup force, organized by Lando Calrissian, arrive only moments after Snap's death during the Battle of Exogol in TRoS. 
Wedge also canonically taught at the New Republic Flight Academy on Hosnian Prime, which was destroyed by General Armitage Hux, Kylo Ren, and the First Order in The Force Awakens.
==Fan Reactions==
===1984===
The "undeniable splendour" that is Wedge: 	
===2010===
Wedge's actions during the Battle of Yavin are not without controversy. 
==Common Tropes and Fanon==
Fanfiction written post-TFA and pre-TRoS often speculated that Wedge either had died during the genocide of the Hosnian System, giving Snap and other pilots more motivation to continue fighting. Alternatively other works speculated that Wedge was in hiding with Luke Skywalker, depending on the needs of the fic's main ship. And other post-TFA fanworks, depicted Luke and Wedge reconnecting as Luke returned to the Resistance. 
Post-canon fics following the sequel trilogy focus on Wedge's grief and/or survivor's guilt for being one of the few characters from previous films to survive The Rise of Skywalker. 
==Fanworks==
===Fanfic===
* Shadows of Blood by Lindsey McBride ("This is without a doubt one of the best stories I have ever read. Lindsay, you have done a fantastic job! I was in tears by the end. Wedge was perfect. Heck, all the characters were right on target! I shall never forget the image of Wedge sitting on the floor holding Luke's head in his lap, telling him not to even consider dying on him. And the way Wedge had to be led away when they finally landed. Oh God! Terrific! Wonderful! Outstanding! I know who I'm voting for in the 'Star Awards'!") from a letter of comment in I Have a Bad Feeling About This #1 (1994) (1996)
* What is a Legacy? by yunmin ("After the Battle of Crait and the death of Luke Skywalker, Rey struggles to work out what to do next. There's so much about the Jedi she still doesn't know. She knows she has to rebuild, fix the Lightsaber and burn the First Order to the ground, but where does she start? The answer, it turns out, is on a quiet mid-rim planet, with a man named Wedge Antilles.") (2020)
*Raise a Glass by hinerdsitscat ("While the Resistance celebrates the end of the First Order, four unlikely survivors (Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and Wedge Antilles) gather to remember the ones that they lost.") (2020)
===Fanart===
 
 Image:ormand1front.jpg|thumb|from The Ormand Factor #1, artist is Gerald Crotty
File:Ormand1-3.jpg|from The Ormand Factor #1, artist is Gerald Crotty
File:Imperium5-3.jpg|from Imperium #5, artist is Melea Fisher (1995)
==Meta/Further Reading==
* "Resident certified Wedge Antilles lunatic Jim Fisher explains the psychology of fans whose hero had, what, like five lines in the whole trilogy?" (1998)
==Fannish Resources==
*Wookieepedia entry
*fanworks tagged Wedge Antilles at Archive of Our Own
*Wedge A. at Fanfiction.net
*Rogue Podron, a podcast and associated online fan community centered on the X-Wing novels
==References==
Category:Star Wars Characters‎
Category:Star Wars: Original Trilogy
Category:Star Wars: Disney Era
Category:Star Wars: Expanded Universe
Category:Star Wars Legends