Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (2024)

Although she only appeared for barely more than a minute in Return of the Jedi, briefing the Rebel Fleet about the attack on Endor, the character of Mon Mothma is crucial in Star Wars. Not only did she get to deliver that iconic line about how “many Bothans died to bring us this information” she gave a face and voice to Rebel Alliance leadership. Since then, Mon Mothma has appeared in a prominent way in many Star Wars stories. And now, Mon Mothma is one of the main characters in the Andor series. Additionally, Mon Mothma has also appeared on Star Wars: Ahsoka, as the leader of the New Republic. But her history stretches back to almost the very start of the Skywalker Saga.

Jump to: Who Is Mon Mothma // Mon Mothma Star Wars Appearances // Mon Mothma in Andor // Mon Mothma’s Husband // Mon Mothma’s Daughter, Leida // Mon Mothma’s Evolution into a Leader // Mon Mothma in Ahsoka

Who Is Star Wars’ Rebel Leader, Mon Mothma?

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (1)

Mon Mothma was a member of the Galactic Senate in the dying days of the Republic. She represented her home system of Chandrilla. Along with Padme Amidala, she was one of the youngest persons ever elected to the Senate. Mon Mothma, along with Padme and Bail Organa, were a part of the Loyalist Committee, a group of senators dedicated to preserving the ideals of the Republic. Despite their opposition to the Separatist movement, they fiercely opposed the ongoing conflict, hoping to end it through diplomacy.

Mon Mothma During The Republic’s Last Days

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (2)

Seen mainly in the background, Mon Mothma appeared in a speaking role only in deleted scenes for Revenge of the Sith. She appeared in one crucial deleted Sith scene in particular, where she and several other senators met in secret. Among them were Bail Organa and Padme. They discussed the growing authoritarian movement within the Republic, which a mere few days later would grow into the Empire. We saw the planting of the seed of what would become the Rebellion in that one scene. For many years, Mothma remained as a part of the new Imperial Senate, secretly working against them from within.

Mon Mothma Forms Star Wars‘ Rebel Alliance

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (3)

For years, Mon Mothma tried to fight the system in a peaceful way. However, war was inevitable. Over a decade later, Mon Mothma publically left the Imperial Senate and formed the Rebel Alliance. Despite misgivings from some of her generals, Senator Mothma was behind Star Wars’ Operation Fracture. This was a secret operation to extract Imperial scientistGalen Ersoso that he could confirm to the galaxy the existence of theDeath Star.

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (4)

However, despite being swayed by Galen’s daughter Jyn Erso’s pleas to take the battle to the Empire, Mon Mothma felt the odds were against them. (Luckily, Erso and Cassian Andor go anyway). After the Battle of Scarif, where the Rebels won a victory at great cost, the Galactic Civil War was officially in full swing. And Mon Mothma became not just Chancellor of the Rebel Alliance, but also their Commander-in-Chief. She led the Alliance all the way to ultimate victory on Endor.

Mon Mothma After the Battle of Endor

In the era after the defeat of Emperor Palpatine, Mom Mothma was elected as the first Chancellor of the New Republic. Instead of housing the seat of government on Coruscant, as it had been for thousands of years, the first home of the New Republic was now on Mothma’s homeworld of Chandrilla. She later advocated moving it to Hosnian Prime. Mon Mothma invoked the rule of having a rotating seat of government for the New Republic, keeping it away from Coruscant. Mostly as a way of disassociating from the Empire of old.

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (5)

Mon Mothma: Chancellor of the New Republic

During the rebuilding of the Republic, Mon Mothma made some key mistakes which cost the Star Wars universe. Mistakes that lead to a new wave of tyranny across the galaxy. Because the militarization of the former Republic allowed for the Empire to happen, Mon Mothma advocated for decreasing the New Republic fleet by 90%. This allowed member systems to have their own defense forces. A good idea in theory, but one which proved to be unwise.

This led to the breaking of two factions within the Senate. The Populists, who believed each world should have more autonomy, of which Mothma was a vocal proponent, and the Centrists, who argued that a stronger central government was needed. One with a stronger military. Elements of those Centrists would ultimately back what became the Neo-Imperialist First Order. They covered most of this in canon novels, like Bloodline, and various comics as well.

How Did Mon Mothma Die in Star Wars Lore?

Mon Mothma’s death, at least in canon, has yet to be recorded in Star Wars. In older, now non-canon Legends material, she died after serving as the New Republic’s Chief of State for many years. In the new canon, she served as Chancellor of the New Republic after the Battle of Endor, similarly to Legends. After many years, she stepped down from her post because of an ongoing illness. But we never found out if she died from it or not.

Mon Mothma’s Star Wars Appearances

Which Star Wars Movies Is Mon Mothma in?

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (6)

Two different actresses have portrayed Mon Mothma in Star Wars movies. First, British actress Caroline Blakiston played Mon Mothma in Return of the Jedi. Then, over twenty years later, Genevieve O’Reilly took on the role of a younger Mon Mothma in Revenge of the Sith. When Rogue One: A Star Wars Story came around a decade later, O’Reilly returned to the role. Thus far, the character has appeared in three different Star Wars films but has been played by two actresses.

Which Star Wars Animated TV Series Is Mon Mothma in?

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (7)

Mon Mothma appears in over a dozen episodes of The Clone Wars, all of which showcased her efforts in the Senate between the events of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Here, she was voiced by Kath Soucie. We next saw Mon Mothma on TV in Star Wars Rebels, voiced by Genevieve O’Reilly. She appeared in an important role in the season three episode “Secret Cargo,” which took place about two years before the events of Rouge One/A New Hope.

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (8)

In that episode, the now Imperial Senator Mothma publicly spoke out against the genocidal campaigns of the Emperor. Knowing this one act finished her days in the Senate, she formally left the Empire. Onboard the bridge of the Ghost, she sent out a message on the Holonet, one where she asked all rebel cells to unite under one banner to topple the Empire. At this moment, the Rebel Alliance was born. Mothma appears in several more episodes in a leadership role in season four of Rebels.

Mon Mothma in Disney+’s Rogue One Spinoff Series, Andor

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (9)

O’Reilly returned to the role she played in Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One, and Rebels for the live-action series Andor. The series begins five years before Rogue One, and Mon Mothma is a sort of co-lead in Andor. From her perspective, we’ll see the rise of the Rebellion from the side of those within the Empire. In an interview with Slashfilm, O’Reilly said the following:

She is still that very dignified senator, but we get to see the woman behind the robe. We get to see a private face of Mon Mothma. We get to flesh out not just the senator, not just the would-be leader of the Rebel Alliance, but also the woman.

O’Reilly added that “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.” Season two of Andor will overlap with the events of Rebels, so we may see Mon Mothma’s formation of the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars live-action.

Married Life on Coruscant: Mon Mothma’s Husband, Perrin Fertha

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (10)

Something we learned in Andor about the future Rebel leader is that Star Wars’ Mon Mothma is married. In episode four of the series, we meet her husband, Perrin Fertha (Alastair Mackenzie). Unlike his wife, he seems more interested in a life of luxury on Coruscant than in fomenting rebellions. Given that when we Mon Mothma in Rebels, she seems very single, we’re guessing this marriage may not last on the show. We just hope Perrin doesn’t betray Mon Mothma and her Rebellion efforts.

Additionally, O’Reilly noted to Entertainment Weekly:

We see her talking to senators, and then we meet her at home with her husband,” O’Reilly teases. “We see the public and the private. We see her literally and figuratively take off her cloak and reveal herself as a woman in a way we’ve never seen before.

Mon Mothma’s Daughter, Leida Mothma

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (11)

Another new character, introduced in episode five of Andor, is Mon Mothma’s teenage daughter, Leida Mothma, played by Bronte Carmichael. She seems as dismissive of her mother as her father is, and frankly, a bit of a brat. The character originally appeared in Legends canon, in a 1993 Dark Empire sourcebook, and she was still a part of her mother’s life after the events of the original trilogy.

Of course, as we well know, current Star Wars canon may draw inspiration from Legends, but they often take it in their own direction. Perhaps Leida sides against her mother in the upcoming conflict? That seems to be the direction her father is headed towards. We certainly don’t see either Mon Mothma’s husband or child with her in Rebels or Rogue One. That alone doesn’t bode well. Leida also has a brother in canon, but it remains to be seen if he’ll appear as well.

From “Mild Irritation” to Rebel Leader in Andor

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (12)

After the Aldhani incident in episode 7 of Andor, Mon Mothma visited her ally Luthen (Stellan Skarsgard), wondering if he was behind it all. He pretty much confirmed it for her, and she then became terrified of the Imperial crackdown that she knows is coming soon. But she also realized it was time to step it up when it comes to the Rebellion. Ahldani was a point of no return.

At one of her husband’s parties, she reunited with a childhood friend from her homeworld of Chandrila, Tay Kolma. He’s a banker and not exactly a big fan of the Empire. She confides in him that she needs his help in pulling funds from her family’s fortune. Funds that she all but confirms will go to the burgeoning Rebellion. He becomes the first person she allows into her life as a double agent.

Mon Mothma tells Tay that the Empire may see her as just “an irritation,” but she plans on being much more than that to them. Andor reveals to us how Mon Mothma is distracting the Empire with harmless antics of seeming good will, but really she is taking large strides for the Rebellion and crucially maintaining a source of money for them. By the end of the season, she’s willing to marry off her daughter to the son of a criminal because it will be lucrative for her cause.

Mon Mothma in Star Wars: Ahsoka

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (13)

In episode three of Star Wars: Ahsoka, Mon Mothma appeared, albeit in hologram form. This marks the first post-Return of the Jedi appearance of Mon Mothma, and the first time O’Reilly has played her in an era after the Battle of Endor. Mon Mothma’s appearance in Ahsoka takes place over a decade since the events of Andor. Mon Mothma is now Chancellor of the New Republic, although not Supreme Chancellor, as Palpatine tainted that title forever. With several high-ranking senators at her side, Mon Mothma hears the request for aide from General Hera Syndulla, who asks for Republic military help in the search for Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Although Mon Mothma is sympathetic to Hera’s cause in Ahsoka, having witnessed the dangers of Thrawn herself in the time of Star Wars: Rebels, she ultimately has to give in to the wants and needs of the worlds in New Republic jurisdiction. Worlds who do not want to get involved in another long, bloody conflict. We see Mon Mothma again in Ahsoka episode five, and she continues to question Hera’s decision and desire to pursue Morgan Elsbeth and Thrawn. Her scene concludes by telling Hera that she may lose her command.

Mon Mothma in Ahsoka Episode Seven

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (14)

In Ahsoka episode seven, Mon Mothma returns alongside the rest of the New Republic council. This time she presides over the tribunal as they determine whether Hera was wrong to ignore their initial decision about pursuing Morgan Elsbeth at Seatos and whether she should thusly lose her command. Mon Mothma again is sympathetic to Hera’s desires to stop General Thrawn’s potential return but is rendered inert by the senators around her, especially Senator Xiono.

Thankfully, C-3PO intervenes in a surprise Star Wars cameo. He is sent bySenator Leia Organa and relays that Leia would like to assure the rest of the senators that she approved Hera’s mission as the ultimate leader of the Defense Council. Mon Mothma takes the opportunity to clear Hera Syndulla of any wrongdoing. Afterward, she approaches Hera and tries to ascertain how real the threat of Thrawn is. It’s unclear whether Mon Mothma fully believes that he can return at the end of Ahsoka‘s penultimate episode.

Mon Mothma Future Star Wars Appearances

It remains to be seen if Mon Mothma will return further in Ahsoka or any other Mandalorian-era Star Wars series. But as leader of the galactic government, it’s almost guaranteed that she has to factor in somehow. It’s really a matter of when, not if.

We fully expect Andor to flesh out the character of Mon Mothma more than any Star Wars media before it when it returns for season two, and Ahsoka will only add to her characterization. We can’t wait to see how this character will continue to evolve.

Jump to: Who Is Mon Mothma // Mon Mothma Star Wars Appearances // Mon Mothma in Andor // Mon Mothma’s Husband // Mon Mothma’s Daughter, Leida // Mon Mothma’s Evolution into a Leader // Mon Mothma in Ahsoka

Originally published on August 30, 2022.

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained (2024)

FAQs

Who Is ANDOR and AHSOKA'S Mon Mothma: The STAR WARS Rebellion Leader, Explained? ›

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.

How is Mon Mothma in Andor and Ahsoka? ›

Mon Mothma's appearance in Ahsoka takes place over a decade since the events of Andor. Mon Mothma is now Chancellor of the New Republic, although not Supreme Chancellor, as Palpatine tainted that title forever.

Who is the rebel leader Mon Mothma? ›

Mothma went into hiding, serving as the political leader of the Rebel Alliance. But after waging a five-year Civil War to restore the democratic ideals, the Imperials were defeated and Mothma was elected Chancellor of the New Republic.

Who is the leader of the rebellion in Andor? ›

In Andor, Luthen Rael takes the role of Rebellion co-founder alongside Mon Mothma. But in Legends, the three main founders of the Rebellion are Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and a Corellian politician named Garm Bel Iblis.

Who does Mon Mothma represent? ›

Mon Mothma represented the planet Chandrila in the Galactic Senate during the Clone Wars. Joining the senate at a critical time, the Separatist Crisis grew to being on the verge of all out war.

Does Mon Mothma become chancellor? ›

The position was used by the Alliance to Restore the Republic, where former senator Mon Mothma was given the rank of chancellor while serving as the Alliance's civilian leader.

Is Mon Mothma good or bad? ›

Since then, her backstory has been significantly developed in the Star Wars canon, and Mon Mothma has come to be recognized as a fearless, selfless leader who stood up against the Empire and led the rebellion to victory.

Is Mon Mothma in the prequels? ›

' I smile and say, 'Yes, but only for twenty-six and a half seconds. '" Star Wars creator George Lucas cast Genevieve O'Reilly as Mon in the 2005 prequel film Revenge of the Sith, but most of her scenes were ultimately cut from the theatrical release of the film.

Was Mon Mothma killed? ›

Mothma played an important role in the ensuing Galactic Civil War, and after the decisive Rebel victory at the Battle of Endor, she became the first Chief of State of the newly founded New Republic. She also had a daughter, Lieda, and a son, Jobin. Mothma passed away peacefully in 24 ABY.

Who is Mon Mothma's daughter? ›

Leida Mothma was the daughter of Perrin Fertha and Senator Mon Mothma. The daughter of Perrin Fertha and Senator Mon Mothma, Leida Mothma was born around 18 BBY, on her homeworld of Chandrila.

Who betrayed Andor? ›

Andor's Skeen becomes even easier to hate when taking into consideration two previous moments in the Star Wars series. After coming across as a capable member of Vel Sartha's Rebel group, Ebon Moss-Bachrach's Arvel Skeen emerged as a traitor in Andor episode 6's ending.

Who is the main villain in Andor? ›

Lieutenant Supervisor Dedra Meero is the main antagonist of Season 1 of the 2022 Disney+ Star Wars streaming series Andor. She is a zealous and ambitious officer of the Imperial Security Bureau, the Galactic Empire's primary law enforcement agency, who serves with the rank of lieutenant and the position of supervisor.

Who does Andor become? ›

Becoming a veteran spy of the Rebellion who took on many missions that could be deemed morally questionable, Andor maintained a network of contacts throughout the galaxy who kept him informed about the Empire's activities.

Why is Mon Mothma in Ahsoka? ›

The reason Mothma is in Ahsoka is that she is the Chancellor of the New Republic. Not long after the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance helped establish the New Republic, and Mothma was elected as chancellor.

What rank is Mon Mothma? ›

The uppermost ranks of the Rebel Alliance are known as High Command, and include both military officers and a cabinet of senators who serve as ministers. As Alliance chief of state, Mon Mothma sits at the pinnacle of High Command, but encourages open discussion and even debate among her military and civilian advisors.

Who is Mon Mothma's husband? ›

Mon Mothma had a husband, Perrin Fertha; a daughter, Leida Mothma; and a cousin, Vel Sartha.

Is Senator Mon Mothma in Andor? ›

In Andor, Mon is an embattled senator from Chandrila, fighting against the increased overreach of the Imperial regime.

How are Mon Mothma and Vel related? ›

Vel Sartha was a female human from Chandrila. She grew up as an heiress to a fortune and was a cousin to Mon Mothma, who would become a Senator in the Imperial Senate. She later began working with Luthen Rael and his network. At some point, she began a romantic relationship with the rebel Cinta Kaz.

Who is the chancellor in Ahsoka from Andor? ›

Actress Genevieve O'Reilly reprises her role as Star Wars politician Mon Mothma in the Disney+ series Andor and Ahsoka. One of the most prominent politicians in Star Wars history, Mon Mothma is now a recognisable character to many Star Wars fans.

Does Ahsoka appear in Andor? ›

We last saw her in Andor in the Fall of 2022. How much time has passed since the events of Andor Season 1? A lot more than you might think! Andor Season 1 actually takes place 9 years before Return of the Jedi, which means that 14 years have passed between Andor Season 1 and Ahsoka.

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