History Main / LaResistance

Usually led by a RebelLeader and armed via VehicluarTurnabout. Not to be confused with the FirstPersonShooter series, ''VideoGame/{{Resistance}}''. Or with WWE's French-Canadian ForeignWrestlingHeel TagTeam "La Résistance".

Usually lead by a RebelLeader. Not to be confused with the FirstPersonShooter series, ''VideoGame/{{Resistance}}''. Or with WWE's French-Canadian ForeignWrestlingHeel TagTeam "La Résistance".

* Magneto's ''ComicBook/{{X-Men}}'' during the AgeOfApocalypse is this to a T.

** Another episode has the Kids Next Door go to an AlternateUniverse where the Kids from Down the Lane serve as this for the {{EvilCounterpart}}s of the KND.

* The ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'' scenario'' [[http://www.blackwyrm.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=151 The Sands of Time]]'' features an extradimensional species, the Orisha, who are [[spoiler:ruled by a theocracy set up by one of the scenario's villains]]. There is also a rebel movement of heretics, though not too surprisingly, they're a little nuts. Still, they heretics ''are'' a resistance force who can help the PCs against the evile government of their world.

* In TabletopGame/GiantGuardianGeneration, the Revolutionary United Front has taken up arms against the [[VichyEarth Outsider-led]] United Earth Federation. Curiously, although they're outnumbered, the RUF appears to have the technological edge of better [[HumongousMecha Gears]] and the AI-controlled [[CoolShip Mobile Battleship Wagner]].
* The ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'' scenario'' [[http://www.blackwyrm.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=151 The Sands of Time]]'' features an extradimensional species, the Orisha, who are [[spoiler:ruled by a theocracy set up by one of the scenario's villains]]. There is also a rebel movement of heretics, though not too surprisingly, they're a little nuts.

* In {{TabletopGame/GiantGuardianGeneration}}, the Revolutionary United Front has taken up arms against the [[VichyEarth Outsider-led]] United Earth Federation. Curiously, although they're outnumbered, the RUF appears to have the technological edge of better [[HumongousMecha Gears]] and the AI-controlled [[CoolShip Mobile Battleship Wagner]].

* The Haters, which is One Nation Earth's name for underground groups of persecuted Christians during the Tribulation in the ''Film/{{Apocalypse}}'' film series.
* The French partisans in ''{{Casablanca}}''. Their singing of "La Marseillaise" (which provides the page quote) is their CrowningMomentOfAwesome.
* ''Film/DemolitionMan'' features a resistance which is all about, amongst other things, the "choice to run naked down the street covered in lime jello."
* In ''Film/DoubleDragon'', there's a neon-overall-clad teenage resistance named the Power Corps, which is led by the ActionGirl LoveInterest in the battle against Vanilla Ice as played by T-1000.
* In the upcoming ''Franchise/GIJoe'' movie ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation'', G.I. Joe will become this after Cobra has [[PresidentEvil Zartan become the President of the United States]] and brand G.I. Joe as terrorists and that G.I. Joe must now take the world back from Cobra and drive them out of the country.
* In ''Film/{{Hero}}'' only a small group of five elite assassins is actually seen, but apparently assassins from the other conquered Kingdoms try to kill the [[TheEmpire emperor]] every other week.
* ''The HouseOfFlyingDaggers'' is actually the name of a resistance group.
* Subverted in ''ItHappenedHere'' where the protagonist regards the Resistance as worse than the German occupiers.
* ''LandOfTheBlind'' has La Resistance be popular at the beginning, then after taking power become at least as bad or worse than who they overthrew.
* "The Network" in ''Film/{{Machete}}'' parodies this trope.
* Hilariously parodied in ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'', where there's more than one resistance, they don't ''do'' anything other than discuss things around a table, and the only time they actually ''do'' something they screw it up [[WeAreStrugglingTogether by arguing with each other]]. "THE JUDEAN PEOPLE'S FRONT? Splitters!"
** Even better if you take it as a comment on the state of left-wing and palestinean movements in that time.
* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'' has the pirates of the world resisting termination at hands of the East India Trading Company. Ironically, when your cast is made of an AntiHero couple, a GentlemanThief and an AffablyEvil pirate, the only way to cheer for their resisting the law is by making the Government absurdly evil and corrupt.
* The school kids who head off into the mountains to fight the [[RedScare Evil Empire]] in the movie ''Film/RedDawn1984'' are a perfect example of this trope. Readers here may be more familiar with it being referred to as a documentary on one of the radio stations in GTA Vice City. '''''Wolverines!''''
** The same goes for ''Film/RedDawn2012'' except instead of the Soviet Union, it's now North Korea overrunning the United States.
* The alternate universe in ''[[{{Shrek}} Shrek Forever After]]'' has a secret band of ogres, led by BadassPrincess Fiona, who plan to attack and overthrow Rumpelstiltskin.
* A spontaneous rebellion forms around Shua in ''Film/SkyBlue'' after one of them is killed by Ecoban soldiers. They end up being instrumental to Dr. Noah's plan.
* The Resistance guerrillas in ''Film/SleepingDogs'' fighting an oppressive police state that has taken over UsefulNotes/NewZealand.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'' has a French-themed La Resistance (pictured) being composed of the children of South Park rebelling against their parents in the hope of rescuing Terrence and Philip from being executed. They even had their own [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08Wbh6HOWwA song]], as well as a DarkReprise.
* The [[TheAlliance Rebel Alliance]] in ''StarWars'', who struggle against the [[GoodRepublicEvilEmpire Galactic Empire]] for control of [[TheVerse the galaxy.]]
* The entirety of the ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' series has the Resistance against [[BigBad Skynet]]'s [[TheEmpire Empire]].
* The French film ''The Army of Crime'' is all about La Resistance, being set in Second World War France during the German occupation. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affiche_rouge Based on a true story]].
* ''Film/TheMatrix'' has a population of humans attempting to strengthen numbers by freeing people imprisoned in a virtual simulation created by advanced artificial intelligence using them as a fuel source.
* ''PimpernelSmith'', which is ''Film/TheScarletPimpernel'' in WW2, with a stuffy English professor running a resistance network rescuing Jewish and other persecuted prisoners and funnelling them to Britain.
* ''Film/TopSecret'' has the French Resistance in East Germany. (Why? [[RuleOfFunny Because it's funny]], of course.)
* Unusually for this trope, the movie ''Film/{{Valkyrie}}'' focuses on the ''German'' resistance during WorldWarII rather than that of the occupied countries.
* ''Film/{{Zwartboek}} (Black Book)'' deals with the Dutch resistance in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II.
* ''Film/{{Oblivion 2013}}'' : A big group of humans [[RebelLeader led by]] [[MorganFreeman Malcolm Beech]] who live underground the wasteland Earth. [[spoiler: They may or may not be ''all that's left'' of the human race.]]

* The Secret Avengers and Typeface's Gang during the ''MarvelCivilWar''.

[[caption-width-right:300:[[TropeNamers Viva!]]]]

[[caption-width-right:300:[[TropeNamer Viva!]]]]

[[VillainWorld Wherever]] TheEmpire is, you'll always find LaResistance: A RagtagBunchOfMisfits using the ThePowerOfFriendship to fight against a tyrannical rule, often to help put the GovernmentInExile back into power. Always underdogs, they fight using guerrilla warfare and by raising the rabble of the people by [[VoiceOfTheResistance revealing unpleasant truths]] about TheEmpire they've been trying to hide, causing the oppressed peoples to shake off the yokes of their tyrant rulers.

Inevitably, the hero will join LaResistance while the battle is already underway, and will grow to become a great champion in the fight against TheEmpire. Alternatively, LaResistance will be utterly incompetent and little more than an annoyance until the hero gets in there and shows them how it's done. Sometimes [[WeAREStrugglingTogether their inner dissensions render them nearly unable to get anything done.]] In an interesting twist, if the resistance is as unscrupulous as TheEmpire, then the hero will end up doing a bit of ConspiracyRedemption or [[TakeAThirdOption forming a third faction]].

[[HollywoodHistory Hollywood in general]] portrays resistance fighters sympathetically because America's revolutionary history has created romantic notions about rebels. In real life, [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized most revolutions are brutal affairs]] and [[MeetTheNewBoss the new government]] [[FullCircleRevolution is often worse than the old.]] Alternatively, LaResistance may represent the last remnants of the reactionary or counter-revolutionary cronies of the old regime fighting against the Revolutionary Progressive Forces.

When LaResistance form the main ensemble of the show, or one of them, they'll frequently exhibit a mix of characters similar to TheSquad. However, they'll usually have [[SpySpeak sneakier methods]], they tend to be more morally pragmatic and ruthless than most [[TheSquad Squads]], and in series like ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}'' members becoming {{Shell Shocked Senior}}s. Expect at least one member of La Resistance to be TheMole, or a homegrown LesCollaborateurs sabotaging their efforts from the inside. LaResistance may even be defeated without the assistance of its enemy: when the only thing uniting it is opposition to TheEmpire, they may end up [[WeAreStrugglingTogether struggling together]] thanks to some point of ideology (generally portrayed stupid) or method (generally portrayed as worthwhile).

Eventually, LaResistance will either die out, or grow into TheAlliance as it gains power, allies, and sympathizers. This trope usually overlaps with TheRevolutionWillNotBeVilified. For the DarkerAndEdgier version, see TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized.

For the villainous equivalent, see TheRemnant. For the opposite of La Resistance, see LesCollaborateurs. Sometimes La Resistance may not be heroes but ''villains'', as happens in an EnemyCivilWar. When LaResistance is heroic, but nevertheless uses terrorism, see YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters. This may be deliberately ironic, perhaps inviting a "we are NotSoDifferent" moment. Or, the author might simply assume that the audience will always sympathize with rebel protagonists against TheEmpire, therefore moral justification of the rebellion is unnecessary and the rebels can get away with whatever is expedient. This could be averted if the EvilEmpire really is evil and the rebels exercise chivalry and restraint.

* ''Anime/CodeGeass'' is a prime time example of the useless-and-only-an-annoyance-kind of LaResistance until [[MagnificentBastard Lelouch]] turns them from a bunch of butthurt kids playing guerilla against the [[TheEmpire Britannian Empire]] to a fully organized and highly deadly army with victory after victory as its signature (that doesn't mean they're error-free, as we painfully find out in [[spoiler:the Euphemia Massacre Incident and the following Black Rebellion]]).

** Crossbone Vanguard, originally TheEmpire in ''[[Anime/MobileSuitGundamF91 Gundam F91]]'', turns into LaResistance in ''[[Manga/MobileSuitCrossboneGundam Crossbone Gundam]]''.

* ''LandOfTheBlind'' has LaResistance be popular at the beginning, then after taking power become at least as bad or worse than who they overthrew.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'' has a French-themed LaResistance (pictured) being composed of the children of South Park rebelling against their parents in the hope of rescuing Terrence and Philip from being executed. They even had their own [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08Wbh6HOWwA song]], as well as a DarkReprise.

* The French film ''The Army of Crime'' is all about LaResistance, being set in Second World War France during the German occupation. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affiche_rouge Based on a true story]].
* ''TheMatrix'' has a population of humans attempting to strengthen numbers by freeing people imprisoned in a virtual simulation created by advanced artificial intelligence using them as a fuel source.

** Later, on [[spoiler:post-Scratch]] Earth, [[spoiler:adult versions of]] Rose and Dave lead LaResistance against the forces of [[spoiler:Betty Crocker/the Condesce, who far in the future has taken over everything. Unfortunately, they are doomed to fail, but they go down fighting and take out some of her top puppet leaders in the process]].

* In ''Webcomic/{{Terra}}'' the Resistance want to stop the war between the humans and Azatoth because the unaligned races and civilians are getting it in the shorts, and because factions on both sides (the military-industrial complex in the UEC, and the Shadow Cabal in the Asurian Empire) have ulterior motives for continuing it.

->''"Aux armes, citoyens! Formez vos bataillons! Marchons, marchons! Qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons!"'' [[note]]''"To arms, citizens! Form your batallions! We march, we march/ [[BadassBoast 'Til the impure blood [of our enemies] waters our fields!]]"''[[/note]]

* [[Anime/LupinIIITheSecretOfTwilightGemini The Secret of Twilight Gemini]]: After more than three hundred years of civil war, the remnants of the Geltic Tribe continue to fight the oppression of the Igo Tribe, who drove them from their ancestral home. [[PluckyGirl Lara]] and her friend, Zora, lead them in the quest to unify their people and reclaim their homeland. With help from [[GentlemanThief Lupin]], of course.

In ''ComicBook/TheMovement'', the emponymous organization is against the [[DirtyCop corrupt local police department]]. Having superpowered teens and the disenfranchised on their side also helps.

[[folder:Literature]]
* Subverted with the Brotherhood in ''[[Literature/NineteenEightyFour 1984]]'', in that it is implied to [[spoiler: be a trap set by the Party to capture dissidents]].
* The titular characters of ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' are this, most obviously when the Yeerks [[spoiler:find out about their true identities]].
* The ''[[Literature/TheBible Bible]]'' features many stories in the Old Testament of Hebrew resistance fighters throwing off conquering invaders. It's pretty much what the entire book of Judges is about, making this trope OlderThanFeudalism.
** In the book of Revelation, Satan mounts a resistance force against "the beloved city" at the end of the Millennium, which ends up [[CurbStompBattle being smoked by God]].
* In TimothyZahn's largely-unknown ''Literature/{{Blackcollar}}'' series, humanity has been [[CurbStompBattle curbstomped]] by the Ryqril, a very aggressive race whose idea of a war is to ''bomb entire worlds'' if that's what's needed to subjugate their enemies. Even the elite of the elite, the genetically-enhanced [[{{Ninja}} Blackcollar warriors]], couldn't stop the massacre. But when defeat is officially signed the Blackcollars don't take it very well, declare themselves LaResistance and embark in a long guerilla-like battle against their conquerors. They are ultimately forced to face the futility of their actions on the grand scale of things, and they more or less surrender and turn to a pathetic, sad life of drunkenly remembering the good old days. [[spoiler:This is, of course, merely a ruse to throw their enemies off their tracks; when the opportunity presents itself they go back to their former selves, and epic asskicking results]].
* In the ''Literature/{{Bolo}}'' novel ''The Road to Damascus'', a resistance against a corrupt planetary government is put up against a Bolo, faring better against it than one would expect, due in part to the wife of the Bolo's former commander advising them on how to conduct guerilla warfare against a [[TankGoodness supertank]] that nominally requires ''another'' supertank to stop.
* Exists in David Wingrove's ''ChungKuo''.
* The protagonists of Jennifer Fallon's ''DemonChild'' series are blackmailed into joining LaResistance.
* The revolutionary cell "The Red Army" in Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Discworld/InterestingTimes'' is far too polite to do anything other than put up slightly incendiary posters. Rincewind, the erstwhile hero, subverts the "Hero becomes its champion" aspect: not only does he make it clear he wants ''nothing'' to do with them, he points out how they're far more likely to get themselves killed than they are to change anything and that a coup isn't going to affect the life of the average peasant, anyways. It probably counts as a subversion, since [[spoiler:it is [[RunningBothSides organized by the main villain]]. He discovers this is harder than it sounds]].
** ''Discworld/NightWatch'' contains a very interesting take on LaResistance - initially it's pretty standard, with a small portion of the city taking up arms and building barricades against the corrupt government. But as the barricades expand, a character brings up the interesting point of what would happen should the barricades and the ranks of LaResistance expand until they contained a larger portion of the city than the entrenched government. It never quite happens, but it's still an intriguing thought.
* Steven Brust's ''Teckla'' and ''Phoenix'' from the ''{{Dragaera}}: Vlad Taltos'' series have Cawti involved in [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything a resistance movement of the lower classes]]. In fact, Dragaeran society, which goes through a pre-determined cycle of leadership, is designed to have a period of time in which the peasant Tecklas rise up and convert the Empire into a Republic. Vlad is upset because this particular resistance movement isn't occuring during the correct time in the cycle, and thus he believes it is doomed to fail.
* ''{{Dragonlance}}''. In ''Dragons of the Hourglass Mage'' [[spoiler:Raistlin works with a secretive group within Neraka working to bring down the Dark Queen Takhisis, called the Hidden Light]].
* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', we have the Order of the Phoenix, LaResistance group against Voldemort, and Dumbledore's Army, the student group created [[TyrantTakesTheHelm against]] [[Characters/HarryPotter Umbridge]] originally to study Defence Against the Dark Arts, which later becomes a true resistance group against [[spoiler:the Death Eaters that control Hogwarts]].
* Subverted and deconstructed to hell and back in ''Literature/HonorHarrington''. The Havenite Revolutions, Civil Wars, Resistance Movements (please note that is ''plural'' on purpose) are based on the French Revolution, and if you have even the tiniest bit of knowledge about that era of European history you should be able to guess that things get very ugly and very bloody very quickly.
* In Andy Hoare's WhiteScars novel ''Hunt for Voldorius'', on Quintus.
* The Varden in ''[[Literature/InheritanceCycle Eragon]]''. Then again, the entire story is Star Wars re-recycled in a fantasy setting, so that wasn't much of a surprise.
* In ''ItCantHappenHere'', Trowbridge leads a resistance movement against the Windrip regime after fleeing to Canada. Lorinda, Doremus, and several members of the Jessop household disseminate forbidden news that they receive from Canada. [[spoiler: At the end of the novel, a full-blown rebellion against the now-Haik regime has erupted across the country]].
* The Tribulation Force in the ''LeftBehind'' book series becomes this as they oppose Nicolae Carpathia and his Global Community during the Tribulation, earning the perjorative "Judah-ite" once the converted rabbi Tsion Ben-Judah becomes the main mouthpiece of the resistance.
** In ''Kingdom Come'' it is the Other Light, who basically see GodIsEvil because He won't let "naturals" in the Millennial Kingdom [[DeathsHourglass live past 100 years of age]] as unbelievers, and end up passing their teachings to the next generation of converts so that the generations that does [[FinalBattle get to confront God and Jesus at the end of the Millennium]] will be "assured victory" when [[SealedEvilInACan Satan is released]]. [[CurbStompBattle Unfortunately for them,]] [[YouCantFightFate it didn't go as they hoped.]]
*** One of the Other Light members [[AttemptedRape tried to rape a female "glorified"]] in the hope of siring a child that may be able to live past 100 years of age without becoming a believer. God foiled the attempt by having the would-be rapist die in her arms and then incinerated. Given that [[ImmortalProcreationClause "glorifieds" are not able to sire or have children]], this would have proved to be pointless.
* In the ''Literature/LegacyOfTheForce'' series, the galactic government that replaced TheEmpire[[note]]Well, the SpiritualSuccessor of the government that replaced TheEmpire, but let's not quibble. Much.[[/note]] has become another TheEmpire, complete with another Vader. The inevitable result is a fresh La Resistance, with plenty of reference made to the circularity. (Especially because the new La Resistance has many of the same central people as the original.)
* In the ''[[{{Dune}} Legends of Dune]]'' trilogy, the League of Nobles and, later, the Butlerian Jihad act as LaResistance to the [[HumongousMecha Titans]] and the [[RobotWar Thinking Machines]].
* In ''Literature/LesMiserables'', Les Amis de l'ABC (whose name has "the friends of the downtrodden" as a second meaning).
* Some of the characters in Rutherfurd's ''London'' get involved in this trope in the years following the Norman Conquest, trying to foment unrest that will leave it open to another Danish invasion and put a second King Canute on the British throne. True to history, they fail miserably.
* In ''[[Literature/{{Matched}} Crossed}}]]'', the Rising is a resistance against The Society that runs the country.
* ''Literature/{{Metro 2033}}'' has [[OverlyLongName "The First International Red Fighting Brigade of the Moscow Metropolitan in the name of Ernesto Che Guevara"]], who oppose and generally {{Troll}} the Fourth Reich. They also [[spoiler:save Artyom [[ComeWithmeIfYouWantToLive from being hanged]]]].
* The peasant revolution in Brandon Sanderson's ''{{Mistborn}}'' is so inept that their greatest victory in decades is taking out one enemy garrison before being wiped out.
* Creator/RobertEHoward's ConanTheBarbarian story ''Literature/RoguesInTheHouse'', "Petreus and his ardent young nationalists "
** In ''Literature/TheHourOfTheDragon'', resistance continues after Conan is driven from the throne; his survival lends it new strength, and when he recovers the Heart of Ahriman, it overwhelms his enemies.
** In "Literature/AWitchShallBeBorn," Taramis' subjects are baffled by the [[FakeKing Fake Queen]], but struggle, and when one of them penetrates the secret, they are immediately out to rescue her.
* The Wizards in ''Literature/SeptimusHeap'' secretely plot the overthrow of the Supreme Custodian and the return of Princess Jenna Heap. It doesn't all go according to plan.
* Matteo, Ruth, Asher, Otto, Eliza, and Panga in ''Literature/SomeoneElsesWar'' make up the core group trying to dismantle the LRA and send all the captive ChildSoldiers home.
* In MichaelFlynn's ''Literature/SpiralArm The January Dancer'', the Loyalists.
* Many of the colonies in HarryHarrison's ''Starworld'' decide they've had enough of Earth's tyrannical rule. They band together, along with a number of fleet officers. In fact, the admirals commanding both fleets in the key space battle used to be good friends. It ends up being a CurbStompBattle, in which the rebels obliterate Earth's fleet using a new weapon ([[spoiler:mass drivers]]). Then they attack Earth's orbital defenses, while Israeli forces storm the Mojave spaceport in a well-coordinated attack.
* The very originally named Resistance in ''TheBartimaeusTrilogy''. A slight subversion, as it turns out that, despite being an annoyance to the government, there are only a dozen of them and they're defeated rather easily when confronting a real danger. Not to mention that while one of the viewpoint characters is a member, another is a government magician hunting them down.
* In ''The Ganymede Takeover'' by PhilipKDick and Ray Nelson, the last-remaining resistance to the alien occupiers consists of a Black Muslim guerilla movement in the hills of Tennessee, and a secret organisation operating under the auspices of the World Psychiatric Association.
* Mayday in ''TheHandmaidsTale''.
* Katniss Everdeen and a group of teens in ''Literature/TheHungerGames'' turn into this by the end of ''Catching Fire'' and most of ''Mockingjay'' along with [[spoiler:District 13]], with Katniss ending up the mouthpiece of the rebellion.
* The Zealots in ''Literature/TheKingdomAndTheCrown'' against TheRomanEmpire.
* Played straight as an arrow by Creator/RobertAHeinlein in ''Literature/TheMoonIsAHarshMistress''. The protagonist joins an ragtag resistance movement big on talk and small on action. He helps reorganize it along rational lines. A revolution is then planned, plotted, fought and won, all without any significant internal splintering, and Luna gains independence from the evil Earthling overlords. The End. (It does help that the [[InstantAIJustAddWater sentient central computer]] that controls Luna's entire infrastructure sides with La Resistance).
* Played with in ''Literature/ThePoisonwoodBible'': [[spoiler: Anatole]], now the husband of [[spoiler: Leah]], becomes a part of the anti-Mobutu resistance, and is portrayed as heroic for it. It's made clear, however, that not everyone in LaResistance is so heroic; for example, a more violent faction of it kills [[spoiler: Pascal]].
* The commoners during the French Revolution were essentially a massive version of this... and in this way, they're the bad guys in ''Literature/TheScarletPimpernel''.
* The main protagonists of ''Literature/TheTripods'' are this, there's a group in the White Mountains of Switzerland and one mentioned as being in the Rockies in the US.
* The undertreated members in ''ThisPerfectDay'' quickly discard the notion of actually trying to overthrow the oppressive supercomputer that runs their society, and content themselves with smoking and having illicit sex in empty museums in the middle of the night. The islanders occasionally send terrorist strike teams to attack UNICOMP, but these all fail thanks to an extensive system of [[TheMole shepherds]] who join all such strike teams and ensure they get caught. Our hero, Chip, eventually gets suborned into the secret ruling circle, and forms a one-man La Resistance inside their circle of power, finally managing to destroy the computer and free mankind.
* In Creator/DanAbnett's ''Literature/GauntsGhosts'' novel ''Traitor General'', Gaunt and his team join with the Gereon resistance to carry out their mission and, because of their sacrifices, stay to help reorganize and strengthen them after it is done. They are briefly reunited in ''The Armor of Contempt'', but the Inquisition comes down hard on the resistance, and they vanish. Gaunt declares he will not help them find them again.
* In LoisMcMasterBujold's short ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'' story "The Borders of Infinity", Miles has been dropped into a Cetagandan [=POW=] camp in order to find the man who, in his boss's words, is just the right person to give LaResistance of the Cetaganda-occupied Marilac "a shot in the arm." Unfortunately, he finds the man just in time for him to die. So he breaks out the entire prison camp ''en masse''. Ten thousand new recruits with plenty of reason to hate the oppressors? That'll do. We learn in a later book that Cetaganda pulled out of Marilac entirely.
** As part of Miles' backstory, his grandfather was a leader of LaResistance against the Cetagandan occupation of Barrayar.
* In GrahamMcNeill's TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Literature/{{Ultramarines}} novel ''The Killing Ground'', the Sons of Salinas. The Imperial forces had invaded their planet as if it had been Chaos-tainted, and they are fighting back.
* Creator/EricFrankRussell's novel ''Literature/{{Wasp}}'' involves a man named James Mowri being sent to a hostile alien world in order to cause dissent and chaos and prepare it for an imminent invasion by [[PlanetTerra Terran]] forces. The planet is part of the large Sirian Empire, whose fascist-like government rules with an iron fist and its StateSec Kaitempi is feared by all. Mowri's primary task is to make it appear as if LaResistance exists in the form of ''Dirac Angestun Gesept'' (the Sirian Freedom Party). This involves sending threats signed by D.A.G., lists of people killed (most names are made up), and stickers with anti-government slogans. He then starts hiring local contract killers to take out government and Kaitempi officials and placing fake wire taps on government buildings to build up paranoia. By this point, the Kaitempi is convinced LaResistance is real and a major threat to Imperial stability. The final phase of the plan (which Mowri is forced to speed up due to the imminent invasion) involves diverting the attention of the government and Kaitempi away from space by sabotaging naval ships. After the successful invasion, Mowri finds out that many others like him have been sent to other Sirian worlds. In fact, he is being immeately reassigned to a world where the "wasp" sent there has gone silent.
* In the DaleBrown novel ''Wings of Fire'', the Night Stalkers receive help from the Sanusi Brotherhood, led by usurped Libyan king Sayyid Muhammad ibn al-Hasan as-Sanusi and fighting against the current Libyan dictator.
* The ''Daughter of the Lioness'' books in the [[Literature/TortallUniverse Tortall Universe]] focus on the native resistance group in the Copper Isles, who are also waiting for favorable conditions from TheProphecy and their patron god to overthrow the oppressive luarin government.

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* Somewhat obvious in Season 7 of ''[[Series/TwentyFour 24]]''. The rogue CTU consisting of Chloe, Tony, and Bill have all had their looks changed to fits this trope and make them look tougher. Chloe has had her hair died dark, but the most noticeable change is former Bureaucrat Bill Buchanan wearing black head to toe with a two day stubble. He's one beret short of a parody. Tony's transformation is more convincing.
* The French Resistance (two of them, reflecting the political divisions in the group) in ''Series/AlloAllo''. They're virtually all female and the Communist leader wants to sleep with Rene.
* Parodied in ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'' when Harper makes contact with a resistance group on Earth, fighting the oppressive tyrants, led by his cousin. He almost leaves in disgust when he finds out it's just small band of misfits instead of a planetwide network.
** Of course, his cousin's message at the end of the episode ([[spoiler:even though he himself is killed]]) results in multiple uprisings on Nietzschean-held worlds.
* ''Series/BabylonFive'': When [=EarthGov=] starts becoming more and more corrupt under President Clark, the crew of the titular station declares itself independent from the Earth Alliance until such time as Clark is removed from power. They also start broadcasting their own news program called "Voice of the Resistance" informing people of the true state of their government, while the government-controlled ISN does the opposite. Eventually, with the help of other races, they are able to remove Clark's military strength, allowing politicians to try to remove him from power. He ends up blowing his brains out but not before setting Earth's {{Kill Sat}}s to fire ''down''. Luckily, the satellites are destroyed before that happens.
* ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}'' had two examples of this trope: the resistance on Caprica which consisted of [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeVilified handsome, well-scrubbed athletes fighting in beautiful irradiated pine forests]], and the resistance on New Caprica which consisted of [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized unshaven tent-dwellers fighting a dirty war of suicide bombers and no razor blades]]. Although the Caprica resistance were quite willing to blow up civilians in bars, in a way that was only relatively less morally ambiguous than the second example.
** Funnily enough at least one of the leaders of the first was a leader in the second.
*** Even funnier that the main leaders of the New Caprican Resistance, including the one who led the old Caprican Resistance were not only [[spoiler: what they were waging war against, they were the one who are ''responsible'' for the damn things!]]. No wonder [[spoiler: Tigh]] was so upset.
* ''Series/BlakesSeven'' revolves around the adventures of a resistance force composed of such characters as [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized a cowardly thief, a computer hacker who only wants to get rich, a smuggler, a murderer, and so on]].
* ''{{Bootleg}}'' has the main characters manufacturing chocolate in defiance of a viciously enforced ban on it by the [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Good For You Party]], and eventually joining up with the [[RebelAlliance Chocolate and Freedom Party]], and it's beautiful.
* Subverted in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' two-parter "Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel", where the BadAss leader of LaResistance against the MadScientist John Lumic is London's most wanted... for parking tickets. "I was fighting the system! Park anywhere!" he says. No wonder they accepted Mickey as a replacement so easily.
** Played straight in season 3 with The Year That Never Was, although it was only mentioned briefly by Martha as she [[CrowningMomentofAwesome faces the Master]].
** In ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS15E6TheInvasionOfTime The Invasion Of Time]]'', Andred tries to organize one -- and assasinate the doctor as part of it.
* In ''{{Dollhouse}}'' the LA branch seems to have become this against the other Dollhouses, and Rossum in general. Especially in the Epitaph episodes.
* LaResistance is formed in the pilot of ''EarthFinalConflict'', whose main purpose is to find out the Taelons' purpose on Earth. In later seasons, several world governments, under pressure from the Taelons, declare martial law and start hunting down the resistance members. Both Boone (season 1) and Kincaid (seasons 2-4) are protectors of a Taelon called Da'an, although both are also secretly members of LaResistance. Initially, the resistance is well-funded, as it was founded by a wealthy tycoon. Their numbers are also high. Later on, though, the numbers and the funds dwindle. By the end, there are very few members left. In the final season, there are less than a dozen members left, as they fight to prevent the Atavus takeover.
** It also doesn't help that one of their own gives up many names and locations under duress, resulting in multiple cells being eliminated. Once the world governments start cracking down on suspected Resistance sites in order to please their Taelon Companions, the numbers start going down.
* This is the entire premise of ''FallingSkies''. And it's not only the humans-some of the Skitters are resisting as well.
* ''{{Firefly}}'': The crew of Serenity turn into this during the movie.
* ''FirstWave'' starts with only one person resisting the secret alien takeover, joined by another person shortly after. However, they constantly publish about their exploits on an online journal, which, as they find out, a good number of people start reading. A biker gang finds out about the existence of aliens and starts hunting them down indiscriminantly, which forces Cade to take them down instead. Later on, an alien reveals that not all of them agree that an invasion of Earth is a good idea and is willing to subvert his people's efforts. The last few seasons reveal the existence of Raven Nation, an organization that goes more in line with this trope.
* The protagonists are part of this in the final season of ''Series/{{Fringe}}'', against The Observers. They're actually called The Resistance.
* In Volume Four of ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', Micah organizes a resistance against the government roundup efforts under the name "Rebel". It isn't quite LaResistance yet, but it's getting there. He currently has Claire, Hiro, and Ando working for him.
* In the show Series/{{Merlin}}, this applies, surprisingly well, to the main villains of the series.
* The pilot episode of ''Series/MrLucky'' involves the title character losing his casino, his savings and very nearly his life because his partner is discovered to be a member of the local resistance movement.
* ''Series/{{Revolution}}'': Ken 'Hutch' Hutchinson is a member of one group...in fact the only one left of that group by the time he appears.
* Nine out of ten episodes of ''{{Sliders}}'' had the gang sliding into a world that had serious societal problems, running afoul of the authorities that benefit from them, and joining the local resistance to set things right. Sometimes they would be the ones to ''start'' the resistance.
* The Maquis in ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' and ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' mostly fights the Cardassians, but isn't averse to some precision strikes against the Federation, largely because they blame Federation peace treaties for letting the Cardassians run roughshod over any number of planets...plus, the Federation considers them terrorists. They occasionally get decent characterization:
-->'''[[spoiler:Michael Eddington]]''': Why is the Federation so obsessed with the Maquis? We've never harmed you. And yet we're constantly arrested and charged with terrorism. Starships chase us through the Badlands and our supporters are harassed and ridiculed. Why? Because we've left the Federation, and that's the one thing you can't accept. Nobody leaves paradise. Everyone should want to be in the Federation. Hell, you even want the Cardassians to join. You're only sending them replicators because one day they can take their "rightful place" on the Federation Council. You know, in some ways you're even worse than the Borg. At least they tell you about their plans for assimilation. You're more insidious. You assimilate people and they don't even know it.
** In one ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Voyager]]'' two-parter, most of the crew becomes part of the actual French Resistance via the holodeck.
** The Bajoran Resistance. While the Bajorans are shown as sympathetic, and the Cardassians as almost pure evil, the Resistance itself is definitely shown as TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilised, and ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'' shows many former Resistance members having trouble adapting to the fact that the Occupation is over, and they don't need to fight anymore. Plus, some just see TheFederation as the new oppressors.
** Cardassia initially has the Dissident Movement which has been working underground for years against the Central Command. Occasionally, [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]] finds itself dragged into this particular political issue whenever Dissident fugitives end up on Deep Space Nine fleeing from Cardassia. Later on, when the Cardassians are under the control of the Dominion, a full blown resistence movement starts. Since the Federation desperately needs the movement to succeed (since the Federation/Dominion war isn't going well for the Federation), it sends in a Bajoran resistence veteran to teach the Cardassians how to do it. The irony of this situation is not lost on either Bajorans or the Cardassians... or even the Federation, for that matter.
* From ''Series/StargateSG1'' - Several thousand years ago, a group of Go'auld decided to put down the VillainBall and reject the LargeHam, BodySnatching ways of their race and its leader Ra and actually, *gasp* co-exist peacefully with voluntary hosts. They formed a resistance known as the Tok'Ra, literally meaning, "Against Ra". They join up with two other resistance movments, a network of Jaffa slaves secretly working to overthrow the Go'auld, and Stargate Command, which can be considered the primary Tau'ri resistance. These then form an Alliance, which defeats the Go'auld once and for all (with help from allies like the Asgard; of course, it's [[BigDamnVillains the Replicators]] who actually end up killing the last Goa'uld off).
* ''{{V}}: The Miniseries''- Alien fascists invade and humanity fights back... those who don't collaborate or do nothing, anyway.

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* The Dragon Lady becomes a resistance leader, fighting the Japanese invaders in ''TerryAndThePirates''. Terry and Pat are frequently dragged into her plots. Other resistance leader, such as the Blue Tiger, also feature prominently.

[[folder:Music]]
* The Resistance is a reoccuring faction in KaizersOrchestra's song universe, especially in ''Ompa Til Du Dør'', which is set during WW2.
* The 1970 sci-fi concept album ''Music/BlowsAgainstTheEmpire'' by Paul Kantner & Music/JeffersonStarship has hippies in the 1990s operating as La Résistance against an increasingly oppressive US government.

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''
** ''TabletopGame/DarkSun'' has the Veiled Alliance which provides most support in areas of non-defiling magic and helping slaves to escape.
** ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' got Randal Morn and his supporters conducting guerilla war against Zhentarim occupation of Daggerdale for about 16 years (1353-1369) before Zhents were finally kicked out and he became the official ruler. Calimshan has Janessar, the group with strongholds in Marching Mountains that works to support common folk and free slaves.
* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' has the Mirran resistance struggling against the forces of New Phyrexia. They know the odds are against them and that they are vastly outnumbered, which is reflected in the greater number of Phyrexian cards in the "New Phyrexia" block, but they refuse to lay down and give up.
** In ''Return to Ravnica'' story, the population who are not part of the ten guilds are starting to take up arms against those guilds. Considering that the ten guilds include TheMafia who'll bleed people (of their money or life) dry, MadScientist guild who should be maintaining the city's infrastructure but aren't, sneaky spy guild, an entire clan of barbarians and so on, it is understandable why the populace are angry.

[[folder:Theatre]]
* In ''Theatre/LesMiserables'', Les Amis de l'ABC (whose name has "the friends of the downtrodden" as a second meaning).

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In all of Paradoxes grand strategy games you face the problem of revolution and rebellion, most notably by taking someone elses land and enforcing your rule on them but revolts can happen in your own country if you push the people to far.
* ''AceCombat'' games often have a resistance movement on the ground aiding your efforts in the air.
* ''VideoGame/AgentUSA'' has a subtle example. Whenever fuzzbodies enter a city the (normally randomly wandering) citizens start dropping crystals to try to fend off the fuzz menace. That's about as useful as they get, though, but being from a game from the early 80's it's more help than one would usually get from games at the time.
* The IRIS Network from ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil''.
* The Vox Populi in ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'' look to be a deconstruction of this trope. While they originally grew out of opposition to the Founder's isolationist and white supremacist policies, they have been fighting for so long that their original beliefs have become a dogma of [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized blind hatred against the Founders]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'' has the 'Crimson Raiders' - the last remnants of a defunct corporation's mercenary militia, combined with the planet's locals, trying to overthrow the [[EvilInc Hyperion Corporation]] and their [[SmugSnake semi-charismatic leader]], [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Handsome Jack]].
* On [[MirrorUniverse Praetorian Earth]] in ''CityOfHeroes'', The Resistance are a high-tech ragtag group who seem to be the [[EvilCounterpart Good Counterpart]] of the anarchist CyberPunk gang the Freakshow on regular Earth.
* One level in ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRenegade'' has you fighting through a '''''nod'''''-occupied city with the help of resistance fighters.
* The Free Drudge in ''{{Conduit 2}}'' is a group who helps the player against the BigBad's BugWar.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Crusader}}'', LaResistance is actually called the Resistance, by both sides--they claim to have no need for a flashy, "formal" name. At most, they are referred to as the Global Resistance, which actually undersells it because there are cells offworld, too.
* In the world of ''VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry'', the world is run by demons who infect every facet of life with propaganda and attempts to control the populous. The resistance is "The Order", an organization led by a mysterious masked man who launches smear campaigns and attempts to subvert the demon's stranglehold on society.
* ''VideoGame/DeusEx''. There's the NSF, who're LaResistance to the US government and Majestic 12. Then there's the Luminous Path, who're LaResistance to Majestic 12 and Silouette, who're LaResistance to the "Vichy" French Government and Majestic 12. Finally, the Luminous Path are also LaResistance to The Illuminati, who're already on your side.
** The novel ''Deus Ex: The Icarus Effect'' (taking place 27 years earlier) has the Juggernaut Collective, a cyberterrorist cell dedicated to fighting the influence of the Illuminati. One of their main financial supporters is Juan Ivanovich Lebedev, a wealthy industrialist. He is also the founder of NSF.
* ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 4| A Promise Unforgotten}}'' revolves around [[AlmightyJanitor Prinny Instructor]] Valvatorez forming a resistance party to overthrow [[TheGovernment The Corrupternment]] because their most recent policy [[DisproportionateRetribution makes it hard for him to give the Prinnies that bonus he promised them]].
* In ''VideoGame/{{Einhander}}'', Selene [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope really isn't this]]. The [[WhamEpisode final stage]] reveals that they are actually TheEmpire the whole time and they try to pull a YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness to the player. But little did they know that [[OneManArmy they were messing with the wrong person...]]]]
* Played straight in ''EscapeVelocity'' and not so straight in ''EV Nova''.
** In the backstory, anyhow. The Rebellion of ''EscapeVelocity'' has gotten entrenched since its establishment, and the war is now more of an open conflict, starship-against-starship style, than an actual ''revolution''. In other words, the game starts with LaResistance already having grown into TheAlliance... [[StatusQuoIsGod and stays there]].
* Every single ''FinalFantasy'' game that had an evil [[TheEmpire Empire]] has a LaResistance. Examples: ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII'' with the Wild Rose Rebellion against the Palamecian Empire, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' with the [[strike:Insurgence]] Resistance against the Archadian Empire, The Returners in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', AVALANCHE in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', The Forest Owls in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', N.O.R.A (No Obligation, Rules, or Authority) from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'', [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the name pretty much speaks for itself]].
** Subverted in ''VideoGame/BahamutLagoon'' (a Squaresoft RPG, much like ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' that while not called "Final Fantasy", certainly shares many similarities). The player characters are part of a resistance group, but as the game progresses, it seems that the Empire may not be all that evil, and a larger plot emerges. It is specifically mocked when another resistance group called "The Freedom Revolutionaries" is introduced, whose avowed purpose is to be cool and meet girls.
* ''FireEmblem: Radiant Dawn'' has the Dawn Brigade led by Micaiah, though it quickly comes to resemble Joan of Arc pushing the enemies out the country, with the heroine being known from everyone, including the enemy, and hailed as a miraculous figure head, and joining and then leading the prince's army.
** ''FireEmblem: Path of Radiance'' also has it, though it happens offscreen and is only mentioned when members of the Resistance join up the Liberation army.
* The Freedom Phantom in ''VideoGame/FreedomFighters''.
* The Lost Souls' Alliance in ''VideoGame/GrimFandango''. "Viva La Revolución!"
* ''GuildWars'' has a couple of these groups. Prophecies has the Shining blade; Nightfall has various groups in Kourna joining together in one of these; Eye of the north has the ebon vanguard. Players join these groups at different times in the storylines.
* Humans Fighting the Combine in ''VideoGame/{{Half-Life 2}}''. One might not think much of a resistance that puts a theoretical physicist at the head of their battle... but then, he ''is'' [[BadassBookworm Gordon]] [[OneManArmy Freeman]].
* ''VideoGame/HardCorpsUprising'' has the Union Forces, which is led by Bahamut against the [[TheEmpire Commonwealth]].
* The last Free Radical Design game, ''HAZE'' (PS3 exclusive), revolves around this very trope. You start out as a sergeant in Mantel Global Industries' PMC (Private Military Corporation) with the purpose to fight against a rebel group, La Mano de la Promesa (or Promise Hand), that has taken over the fictional South-American region of Boa, and has been wreaking havok by ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and the like. In the end, it turns out that Mantel are the bad guys and you, the hero, end up joining La Resistance. (This has not been hidden as a spoiler because this, the main plot-twist in the game, is given away in all advertisements/reviews/'''''the back of the frickin' box'''''.)
* ''{{Homefront}}'' has you being "recruited" into the titular resistance (or the ''home front'') in the first level, right before the fighting starts. Not that you had a choice anyway, since the North Koreans weren't too keen on giving those.
* The Tenkaku from ''VideoGame/{{Ikaruga}}''. They are defeated by the [[TheEmpire Horai]] before the main events of the game occurs.
* ''Injustice'' has Batman and a team of heroes and villains going against Superman's regime, which uses fear to scare people into submission. The Justice League is divided between those who side with Bats, and those who side with Supes.
* The ''IronGrip'' games have you playing as various guerillas and resistance groups fighting [[TheEmpire militaristic empires]]. BadAss LastStand included...
* In ''[[JakAndDaxter Jak II:]] [[DarkerAndEdgier Renegade]]'', the Underground is a darker version of this, without actually falling victim to TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized. While they're willing to employ pretty much anyone who can help, deal with crime lords, and generally behave like terrorists, their leaders are still fundamentally nice guys who are doing the best they can; Torn left the [[XtremeKoolLetterz Krimzon Guard]] rather than support Baron Praxis's continued [[MoralEventHorizon canine-raping]], and seems genuinely concerned for the people in the Slums who risk death when Praxis cuts off the water supply.
* In the original ''MakingHistory'' Gold edition, resistance fighters will spring up and retake undefended regions in occupied territory. In the sequel, they'll rise up and try to fight a government that is doing poorly, or that they feel should not control their ethnic, national, or religious group.
* The collective Reploid protagonists of ''MegaManZero'', aptly (and simply) called the Resistance, fighting against the government that wants to [[DeadlyEuphemism retire]] them.
** ''VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission'' had a "Resistance" to...the rebel army opposing the government. So it was pretty much The Resistance to The Resistance. Yeah.
*** Granted, both resistance movements were good at their core - the Resistance, which X aligns himself with over the course of the game, seeks to protect the people of Giga City from the Rebellion, which has WellIntentionedExtremist faculty and simply wished for a Reploid-only domain independent of Federation politics. The latter are only seen as evil due to the fact that a few amongst the Federation unjustly branded them as Mavericks, forcing them to develop weapons in order to be heard and acknowledged. Not like the Mavericks Hunters haven't dealt with internal corruption before, though...
* One major twist ([[GambitPileup among several others]]) at the end of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4'' is that [[spoiler:neither Ocelot nor Big Boss]] are the series [[spoiler:BigBad]], but have been LaResistance ''all along!'' [[spoiler: [[WretchedHive Outer Heaven]] had never been about creating a world of eternal conflict, but to bring down the secret rule of [[TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness the Patriots]]]].
* ''OperationFlashpoint'': The rag-tag bunch of people fighting the Soviets in the aptly named Resistance fits the bill perfectly.
* Subverted in the ''VideoGame/PanzerDragoon'' series. Although they're the straight villains in the first and second games, the third and fourth games reveal that TheEmpire is corrupt, but ultimately the only thing protecting humanity from dangerous biological weapons -- and members of the various LaResistance groups that have cropped up are shown to take a toll on the lives of innocent bystanders.
* In ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers of Time/Darkness'', the future is [[BadFuture grim]] and [[DarkWorld eerily]] [[GhostCity still]], and a small band of resistance fighters led by Celebi is fighting the rule of Primal Dialga. [[spoiler:Grovyle and the player]] were both members of LaResistance who were sent back in time to try to prevent Dialga from going Primal in the first place.
* In ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryII'', there's supposedly an underground group opposing the totalitarian regime in Raseir, whose offscreen help you receive at the climax.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Rage}}'', LaResistance is featured as the generic "Resistance" opposed to the similarly generic and undeveloped EvilEmpire by the name of "The Authority".
* The entire premise of the ''RedFaction'' series.
* ''RuneScape'' is home to Morytania, land of the dead. This is a horrific and dark place, ruled by [[PhantasySpelling vampyres]] who oppress the living inhabitants of the land and require them to pay 'blood tithes'. However, there is a resistance force known as the Myreque. Unfortunately, the odds are not in their favour, at least when the player first meets them.
* ''{{Starcraft}}'''s Jim Raynor (and the [[PlayerCharacter Magistrate]]) are first rebelling against the Terran Confederacy, and, after its fall, against their former partner turned Emperor of the Terran Dominion.
** In the novel ''[=StarCraft=]: Ghost: Nova'', the titular characters wealthy parents are murdered by another resistance group, opposed to the Confederacy. Her first task as a Ghost operative under the Mengsk regime is to eliminate the cell that ordered her parents' murders. Apparently, after ascending to the throne, Mengsk becomes even more ruthless to various resistance groups than the people he overthrew.
* In ''{{Strife}}'' you have the Front, fighting the EvilEmpire ReligionOfEvil, the Order.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' has The Renegades, a group of half-elven [[DefectorFromDecadence Defectors From Decadence]] who oppose the Desians that enslave and torture humans [[spoiler:and the Cruxis, who control both the Desians and the [[PathOfInspiration Church Of Martel]].]]
* While mostly backup for the Hero, the cunningly-titled Group from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' fall under this category. Starring MasterSwordsman Rusl, ActionGirl Ashei, CoolOldGuy Auru, BadassBookworm Shad, TheBartender Telma, and Bartender Telma's [[RightHandCat cat]], Louise, they're essential to the game. Also, [[Awesome/TheLegendOfZelda Hyrulean bazooka]].
* ''TheSaboteur'' has you play an Irish ex-mechanic/driver who joined the French Resistance about three months after the Nazis occupied France. You'll find the bulk of the resistance, the Foreign Legionnaires most especially, to be {{badass}}es.
* The Lukano Liberation Army from ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis 3''.
* Subverted in ''{{Trapt}}''. Heavy taxation, starvation, and general mismanagement of the kingdom has caused the populace to rise up against the old royalty. Unfortunately for them, the player is one of them -- Princess Allura, the heir apparent. And since the game begins with you inheriting the terrible, demonic powers of The Fiend (aka {{Satan}}), these particular rebels ''do'', indeed, get stabbed, burned, skinned, tortured, and worse...
** Subverted precisely once, hidden away in Sidestory B, where a former knight can be reasoned with. He [[HeroicSacrifice dies two missions later]]. (Not sure what happens if you kill him...)
* ''YggdraUnion'' deconstructs this trope; Cruz plays it straight.
* Lucy Flathead in ''ZorkGrandInquisitor'' claims to be part of the magic resistance. However, the cutscene just shows her using spraypaint on an Inquisition poster.
--->'''Lucy Flathead''': I was part of the resistance. You know, the magic underground. There's a whole movement in the streets!''
--->'''Dalboz''': Ugh. Well somebody better clean it up. You can get a pretty stiff fine for that sort of thing.''

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In ''{{Homestuck}}'', The Warweary Villein [[HopeSpot unites the pawns of Prospit and Derse and leads a rebellion against the Black King to end the war on Skaia]]. [[spoiler:[[MoodWhiplash Then Jack Noir starts his bloody rampage, starting with the combined armies...]]]]
** Later, on [[spoiler:post-Scratch]] Earth, [[spoiler:adult versions of]] Rose and Dave lead LaResistance against the forces of [[spoiler:Betty Crocker/the Condesce, who far in the future has taken over everything. Unfortunately, they are doomed to fail, but they go down fighting and take out some of her top puppet leaders in the process]].
* In ''NipandTuck'', the ShowWithinTheShow ''Rebel Cry'' shows the revolt against the Empire -- [[RealityEnsues which gets crushed]].
* ''Webcomic/{{Remus}}'' is centered around one of these in a {{Dystopia}}n future United States. [[GreyAndGrayMorality Whether they're any better than the people their fighting]] is a major source of tension.
* In ''{{Sinfest}}'',
** [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=4246 Tomey sneaks off into the night to foment revolution]].
** [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2896 Slick finds death coming after him for it.]]
** [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=1674 And it's the one bright side of living in]] TheEmpire.
* In ''SluggyFreelance'', when demons invade the Dimension of Lame, the humans put together a resistance movement. Unfortunately, since it's a very lame dimension, "resistance" consists mainly of hitting the demons with pies. And most people in the dimension even think ''that'' [[HeWhoFightsMonsters makes them no better]] than the demons who kill them for fun and eat their souls. It's a very, ''very'' lame dimension.
* In ''SquidRow'', [[http://squidrowcomics.com/?p=2890 one of the elderly they go carolling for belonged to the French Resistance]].
* In ''TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob,'' Galatea joins Riboflavin thinking he represents some romanticized version of this. He's actually a megalomaniac.
* [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0511.html The Resistance]] in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' is composed of two of the main characters and a bunch of Azurites whose main goal is to fight Xykon's troops who are [[spoiler:currently occupying Azure City after having won a huge battle and taken over the city]]. Eventually, [[spoiler:Haley and Belkar]] leave the group, leaving the paladin Thanh in charge of the Resistance.
** [[WeAREStrugglingTogether There are also two other factions]], one claims The Order corrupted Lord Hinjo, and the other thinks Hinjo was responsible for the death of lord Shojo, and the Order were cohorts. The three groups don't get along at all, [[spoiler:until united due to a makeshift prophecy]].
*** As of strips 825-827, [[spoiler: Redcloak has successfully killed every member of the resistance except for Niu, and destroyed their base]].
* In ''TheSpecialists'', the French Resistance plays an important role -- such as [[http://thespecialistscomic.com/page-25/ here]] and [[http://thespecialistscomic.com/page-37/ here]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* The ''Literature/ChaosTimeline'' has various. Spaniards against Republican France, Germans against Russians and Italians, (again) various against the Socialists.
* In ''DecadesOfDarkness'', there are several ones fighting the expansionist, slaveholding *USA, like the Velvet Underground in Pennsylvania, Mexican generals like Juarez, and Eunuco Mitchell (it's a pseudonym). Unfortunately, none have prevailed.
* In ''Shadowhunter Peril'', the main characters are forced to become the Resistance because it's either fight back or die. They actually end up doing a pretty good job, even amassing a giant army of '''''phoenixes''''' and raining a fiery storm down upon the Big Bad's capital city. Currently they're in the middle of the final battle, so there's no way of knowing who's going to win, especially with Lilith and Valentine still alive.
* Taking from its source material, the Rebellion in ''TheGunganCouncil'' have been revived several times to restore democracy after the Galactic Empire came back.
* In ''[[http://wanderers-library.wikidot.com/victoria Victoria]]'', a story from TheWanderersLibrary, the Earth has been taken over by… something. What exactly is never made clear, but they're opposed by the Human Resistance Group, who uses superior numbers and technology to fight back. Whether it eventually succeeds or fails is never elaborated upon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* By the third season of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', Aang and his TrueCompanions are basically this. See also: [[spoiler: Order of the White Lotus]] in the last couple episodes.
** The invasion force from the Day of Black Sun, made up of the Gaang's allies from the two remaining nations opposing the war.
** The Freedom Fighters (no, not [[NamesTheSame the Sonic ones]]) fit this, even if they are a bunch of {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s.
** There are active resistances of Eath Kingdom citizens against the Fire Nation occupying forces throughout the series. We see one of them in "Return to Omashu."
* The Maximals in ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines''.
* Lampshaded in the JusticeLeague by Green Lantern in "Hearts and Minds." "There's always a resistance, isn't there?"
* The Resisty from ''InvaderZim'' were a resistance movement against the Irken Empire. To their credit, they very nearly destroyed the Massive, but only because Zim had seized control of it and had removed its defenses. Also in ''Invader Zim'' is the Swollen Eyeball Network, a group of genre-savvy conspiracy theorists who have foiled alien invasions. Naturally, Dib is a proud member, codenamed Agent Mothman.
* The Burners in ''{{WesternAnimation/Motorcity}}'', against Abraham Kane of Detroit Deluxe.
* The backstory of one chef in ''{{Ratatouille}}'' involved running guns for one of these. "Which one?" "He won't say - apparently they didn't win."
* The Great Rebellion in ''WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower''.
* The rebel pirates in ''{{Skyland}}''.
* The Freedom Fighters in the ''SonicTheHedgehog'' [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehog comic book series]] and [[WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM original Saturday morning cartoon.]]
* On ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' the Orange County Liberation Front is a resistance movement trying to take down the Brisby "empire", an obvious Disney parody.
** The second season of ''The Venture Bros'' also features a lame but zealous resistance to Baron Ünderbheit's iron fisted (and jawed) rule in Ünderland. One of their proudest achievements is sneaking a cat hair into his drink.
* The first season of ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'' features the rebellion against the BigBad Phobos, with BadassNormal Caleb as the young rebel leader. After Phobos is defeated and imprisoned, the situation is inverted during season two, with a small band of Phobos' remaining loyal troops attempting to overthrow the benevolent queen Elyon.
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[[folder:Real Life]]
* Mahatma Gandhi led a nonviolent resistance against British rule of India which actually succeeded.
* The American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
* The Irish Republican Army and it's successors, the Provisional IRA and the Real IRA.
* The partisan movements in Nazi-controlled areas during WorldWar2 were instrumental in winning the war.
** The French Resistance is the TropeNamer.
** In Germany itself, the White Rose (a nonviolent resistance group led by students) opposed Nazi rule after the disaster of Stalingrad.
*** Two of them, Hans and Sophie Scholl, students aged 25 and 23 at the time, were sentenced to death for spreading dissenting flyers.
** The Werewolves, pro-Nazi partisans (mostly ex-Hitler Youths) who operated in occupied Germany.
** The largest partisan movements were in Soviet Union and Yugoslavia.
** The Polish Home Army was not just a RagtagBunchOfMisfits, but a full-blown government operating in conspiracy. They had their own judicial system, educational system (extending from primary schools to universities), hospitals, arms factories and intelligence service operating in other countries. Its political activities ranged from assassinations of German officials to taking care of families of deceased soldiers to providing Jews with false documents. Downplayed in that the Home Army was technically an extension of the GovernmentInExile and operated under its orders. The two politically distinct groups, the National Armed Forces (nationalist) and People's Army (communist), play this trope straight.
** The Greek National Liberation Front was also heavily organized, with its own goverment, polls, and a popular army of thousands essentially controlling almost all the rural areas of Greece by the end of the war, and had already set up infrastacture like schools and health care for the places they freed BEFORE the war was over, and did heavy fighting with the Germans holding essential reinforcements from the East Lines.
** Italy had the biggest partisan movement of any Axis power. That was because Fascism got its supporters from the upper-middle class, who considered it a way to control the lower class. Needless to say, Fascism wasn't seen in a positive light by the farmers and workers who made up the majority of the population.
** Due to the Chinese Civil War, this was the main conflict with the Japanese during the invasion of China. It was also a MeleeATrois as the Nationalists and Communists generally fought each other as much as they fought the Japanese.
* There's also [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_independence_movement Dok-rib-goons(Independence Armies) and other underground resistances of Korea]], who fought against the Japanese rule during 36 years of Japanese colonization. When Japanese invaded China, Korean armies fought with Chinese armies and Allied forces(One of the leaders, Kim Gu, tried to send a troop of commandos into occupied Han peninsula(with the help from the USA). Unfortunately the War ended in August, before the operation date of October). One of the most prominent Dokribgun leaders was a charismatic youth named Kim Il-sung... [[FaceHeelTurn who later became the dictator of]] NorthKorea and caused TheKoreanWar.
* ''Some'' libertarians (especially in the US) consider themselves this. One very good example of the above would be [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_Wolfe Claire Wolfe]].
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Gladio Stay-behind units]] organised in case of a Soviet invasion of Europe. During WorldWarII the Home Guard Auxilary Units in Britain carried out a similar function.
** Being in a Home Guard Auxilary Unit was a heavy burden, because if your unit was actually activated (which would occur automatically if your town was occupied) the first job was to ensure security by killing the only other man who knew who the members were: The local police constable, who was invariably a close friend of all the members and trusted them enough to kill him if needed.
* Several resistances against undemocratic governments in Latin America and South America qualify, markedly in Brazil the MR-8.
** The MIR/Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front in Chile and the Montoneros/People's Revolutionary Army in Argentina might qualify as well.
* During many wars local civilians were [[BerserkButton provoked]] by the [[TheBully incredible presumption]] of passing soldiers into becoming this. As if they failed, they would be subject to worse RapePillageAndBurn then before, if they succeeded they would end up becoming [[HeWhoFightsMonsters like their persecutors]] and if they did nothing they would simply be ground down underfoot, it was a tough choice. Effectively it was LaResistance against both sides for pure self-preservation, but the chief target would be the nearest army.
* The Spanish Civil War serves as both an example and a subversion. The Nationalists thought of themselves as LaResistance to the leftist government, but were much better organized and prepared for war than the leftists (Loyalists). This makes sense considering that the Nationalists controlled most of the army, and had the direct backing of Hitler and Mussolini. As a result, the Loyalist government itself was reduced to a RagTagBunchOfMisfits who frequently fought amongst themselves (in some cases, particularly for the Stalinists, the faction fighting was actually ''more'' important than fighting the Nationalists--many Loyalist offensives never got off the ground because important officers were detained and sometimes executed by the Stalinists in the name of ideological purity).
** The anarcho-syndicalist uprisings in Catalonia was this on the leftist side, though (and certainly not "Loyalists", as they fought for the complete dismantlement of the state apparatus and had strained relationships with the rest of the Republican side). Under the guidance of the FAI-CNT the citizen rose up against the Nationalists and fired off the shots for an anarchist insurrection, allying only with the Loyalist government as a sort of "the enemy of my enemy" deal. Boy did that bite them in the ass later with the Stalinists.
* The Arab Spring. Protests and revolutions have occurred in Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Yemen, Libya, Morocco, Bahrain, Syria, and Iraq and Iran.
* Haiti is an ''entire nation'' formed out of the success of a slave rebellion--a rare (indeed, unique) feat.
** And of course, the vast majority of other [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericas American]] nations were formed after a group of patriots (referred as such for both the [[TheAmericanRevolution U.S. American]], [[LatinAmericanWarsOfIndependence Hispanic American]] and Brazilian Insurrections) managed to organize this and overthrow the representatioves of their respective Metropoli (The UK for the USA, Frace for Haiti, [[CaptainObvious Spain for the Hispanic American nations]] and Portugal for Brazil).
* The passengers on United 93, whose HeroicSacrifice prevented another national landmark from being hit on 9/11.
* Finnish Civil War 1918 - ''both'' sides. The Whites considered themselves as the representants of the legitimate government resisting the Communist Imperialism, while the Reds considered themselves as the sole defendant of the small guy against Capitalist oppressors. Needless to say, the Finnish Civil War was ''extremely'' bloody.
* The Vendée Rebellion 1793-1796 in France. The Vendéens, who had initially welcomed the French Revolution, saw it quickly escalating off the hands and after the Civil Constitution of the Clergy and the execution of the King, decided they had had enough of this revolution stuff. They repulsed the Revolutionary armies, declared themselves as the defendants of the legitimate government and managed to evict the Revolutionary regime completely off the Vendée department. The mutiny was quashed in 1796 and ended in torrents of blood, but guerilla war continued until the end of the Napoleon's regime and restoration of King.
* Anarchist movements in general. See especially Free Territory (Makhnovischina), the aforementioned Anarchist Catalonia (FAI-CNT) and the contemporary Zapatista rebellion. Many libertarian socialists today see themselves as following in those footsteps, on multiple fronts.
* Hamas in Palestine, Hezbullah in Lebanon, Taliban in Afghanistan, and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. They alternate between being LaResistance and a de-facto government. In case of the Muslim Brotherhood, they are de-jure government too.
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** The French Resistance. TropeNamer.