The Wolverines, Red Dawn In the classic '80s U.S.-invasion tale (and the upcoming remake), a group of high school students help spark a rebellion after the nation is invaded by hostile nations.

Browncoats, Firefly It may have just lasted one brief season and a movie, but Joss Whedon’s beloved series established a deep universe. Though they technically lost the war to the Alliance, the Browncoats were one of the most valiant rebel forces ever to grace the small screen.

The 2nd Mass., Falling Skies The remnants of humanity are greatly overmatched by the skitters and mechs, but that doesn’t stop them from trying.

The Resistance, V In both incarnations of this aliens-among-us series, some human rebels saw their true (lizard) faces and fought back.

Jericho Rangers, Jericho This series was one of the best to dig into small town America, and how it would be affected by an attack that cut them off from the rest of the nation. The people of Jericho rally with their own Rangers force, who defend the town from rogue military teams and out-of-control neighboring cities.

What’s left of humanity, Independence Day The alien invaders took out nearly all our resources and most of our people, but once we figure out how to take down their defenses, we rally whatever planes and nukes we have left and take back the planet.

The Rebel Alliance, Star Wars One of the classic sci-fi examples, the Rebel Alliance united against the evil Galactic Empire and never stopped fighting for their freedom.

Human resistance, The Matrix Robots have taken over the world, driving the few humans left underground, doing battle in real life and in the computer world of the Matrix. They held down the fort until fearless leader Neo showed up.

Free Jaffa Nation, Stargate SG-1 Kept under the thumbs of false gods since the dawn of time, the Jaffa warriors finally stood up to their oppressors once SG-1 showed them they had a chance, and the Free Jaffa Nation eventually grew into a (somewhat) ally for Earth.

New Caprica Rebellion, Battlestar Galactica The few survivors of humanity thought they’d found a safe place to hide, but the Cylons soon showed up and put the humans under strict regulations. Using sneaky tactics, ranging all the way to suicide bombers, the humans kept on fighting.

The Avengers, The Avengers When the greatest threat arises, humanity’s greatest heroes (and Thor) are called together to battle alien armies and save Manhattan for another day.

The (future) Anti-Observer movement, Fringe We only get to glimpse the anti-Observer movement of 2036 in last season’s “Letters of Transit,” but now we know we’ll see a lot more of those freedom fighters next season.

John Connor and the Resistance, Terminator One of the seminal examples of modern sci-fi, the future human resistance keeps trying to prevent their own apocalypse, sending back agents and machines to try and change the robot uprising.

The Brotherhood, 1984 The rumored movement to combat Big Brother hung over the tale, hinting at humanity’s quest for freedom.

Bajoran Resistance, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine A global resistance movement on Bajor during the Cardassian occupation. The movement was eventually successful in regaining the independence of Bajor.

A secret society founded by Albus Dumbledore, created to oppose Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. The group springs into action when trouble arises.