I used to think Rebel pilots had a color system, like how stormtroopers all wear white. Then I watched Rogue One and saw Blue Squadron in blue, and suddenly, nothing made sense.
Was there a hidden code? Did colors mean rank? Or was it just another one of those Star Wars things with no real answer? Turns out, there is a reason behind it all, and it’s actually pretty interesting!
Table of Contents
1. No Uniform Standards – Because the Rebellion Wasn’t That Organized
The Rebel Alliance wasn’t a structured military like the Empire. It was a bunch of independent resistance groups that came together to fight a common enemy. That means no single set of rules for uniforms, weapons, or even ships.
Pilots wore what was available. Some had their own suits from previous factions, while others got hand-me-downs from whatever stash the Rebels could secure. Corran Horn, for example, rocked a green Corellian Security Force uniform when he joined Rogue Squadron.
That’s why Rebel pilots didn’t all match. They weren’t about looking neat – they were about surviving with whatever they had.
2. Different Colors for Different Squadrons (Sometimes)
Even though there wasn’t a strict rule, some squadrons did have their own colors:
- Orange was the most common and seen on X-Wing and Snowspeeder pilots (Luke, Wedge, and the rest in the original trilogy).
- Green showed up on A-Wing and B-Wing pilots (Return of the Jedi).
- Blue was for Blue Squadron in Rogue One.
- Grey and Green Leaders in Return of the Jedi actually wore matching suits.
But it wasn’t perfect. Gold Squadron in A New Hope? Still wore orange. So, while some units had colors, it wasn’t a hard rule across the board.
3. Function Over Fashion – Flight Suits Had to Work & Rebels Took What They Could Get
Pilots weren’t picking flight suits for style – they needed them to work with their ships. Some starfighters had different cockpit setups and life support hookups. That could mean different materials, oxygen systems, and, yes, different colors.
And since the Rebels weren’t mass-producing flight suits, they took whatever they could get. If a shipment of blue suits came in from a defunct planetary defense force, then congratulations – those pilots were wearing blue now.
The Rebellion didn’t have factories pumping out standardized gear. They relied on donations, stolen supplies, and whatever surplus they could scavenge. That meant flight suits weren’t always new or matching. In one X-Wing novel, it’s straight-up said:
“The unit’s pilots had always worn orange flightsuits in the past, or, as supplies became harder and harder to find, whatever had been handy. Corran’s flightsuit had been green, black and grey since he’d brought it with him from the Corellian Security Force.”
This is also why Rebels had such a mix of blasters, helmets, and ships. Everything was either borrowed, stolen, or patched together.
4. Real-World Influence on the Look
The different colors weren’t just an in-universe thing. The Star Wars costume designers took inspiration from real-life military gear:
- The orange flight suits? Based on U.S. Navy “international orange” suits (1957–1969).
- The helmets? Modeled after an experimental U.S. military helmet.
- Pistol flares and knee straps? Inspired by World War II Luftwaffe gear.
- Webbing and straps? Taken from parachute rigs.
They wanted the Rebels to look like real pilots but also make them feel like scrappy underdogs compared to the uniformed, polished Imperial forces.
Bonus: The Whole “Gold Squadron” Thing Makes No Sense
One of the funny things? Gold Squadron in A New Hope didn’t wear gold. They still wore orange, just like Red Squadron. Meanwhile, later movies actually did match squadron names to suit colors (Green Leader in green, Grey Leader in grey). So if you’re confused, don’t worry – so is everyone else.