Rebels

Although the rebels have many diferent banners, this is the rebels main banner which represents all of them

Rebels are non-playable factions that are present in all of the Total War Series. They can easily be identified by their gray color, but have different banners depending on culture and regions.

In earlier games, rebels start the campaign controlling many regions scattered all over the map. These rebels were just there to help players expand without going into war with major factions. In others, the entire map initially has no rebels, and the role rebels originally played were supplanted by minor factions. In all cases, however, rebels spawn when a revolt occurs in a minor region that does not spawn independent factions.

Rebels usually do not attempt to expand over other factions and players, and remain in the region they revolted in. However, they can still attack factions' armies that stray into their regions.

Rome: Total War

Settlements that enter Civil Revolt after the start of the game receive a random number of troops that depend on the amount of population in the Castle/City (e.g a Roman town enters a Civil Revolt and that town had 24.000 people living in it, this would create an enormous army and it might even add some stronger units in it).

If a faction gets eliminated from the game, its Generals and Agents will become Rebels, which will increase the Rebels influence to the other factions.

Brigands are rebel armies that make no attempt to conquer cities; instead simply attacking weaker armies or blocking roads.

1. Rebels can have Generals, but have no family trees.
2. Rebels usually do not have strong cultural troops, but can be seen with the aid of mercenaries sometimes.
3. When a settlement enters Civil Revolt, it doesn't have to be a Rebel settlement, it might come back to its previous owner.

Medieval II: Total War

Although Rebels usually only have their cultural troops, they might be seen with mercenaries by their side.

All rebels' main religion is Heresy, and if they do make it high enough, Heretics and later even Witches will spawn and convert and/or curse Generals (only Witches).

1. In Medieval 2: Total War their main religion is considered heresy, and they will attempt to spread it with Heretics. Unfortunately for them, Heretics are a good way to level up Priest Piety.
2. They do not recruit units (mostly because they're broke and aren't allowed to recruit most units).
3. If a faction is eliminated, any troops and generals it had will become rebels.

Empire: Total War

For more information, see Rebels (Empire: Total War).

In Empire: Total War, rebels spawn when a revolt occurs in most regions. If a region is the home region of a faction, however, a revolution forms instead; if the region is controlled by its native faction then the revolution, if successful, changes the government of the faction. If the region is controlled by an enemy faction and a rebellion is successful, then region becomes part of its native faction instead. 

Rebels cannot be negotiated in any way. They cannot rebel against themselves, trade, or make alliances. They cannot travel outside the borders of their own region. Their unit composition is dependent on the training facilities present in the faction that revolted. A rebel region that is defeated automatically receives a bonus of repression from military crackdown. 

Napoleon: Total War

For more information, see Rebels (Napoleon: Total War).

Total War: Shogun 2

Rebellions can be incited by Monks and Missionaries.

Rise of the Samurai

Rebellions can be incited by Sou. Rebellions are considerably less flexible than in Total War: Shogun 2, because they may only be incited in provinces owned by factions that don't have the same clan allegiance as Sou.

Fall of the Samurai

Rebellions can be incited by Ishin Shishi and Shinsengumi.

Total War: Three Kingdoms

In Total War: Three Kingdoms, rebels always spawn as Yellow Turban Rebellions, and always with one general as well as 3-5 units of undersized peasant groups. They always spawn in a small encampment, and These armies are very weak and can usually be killed off by just a general or two.

Killing off rebel armies is a great way to farm experience and money. Rebel generals also sometimes spawn with ancillaries, making capturing their generals a great way to get more of these items for free, also. Killing rebels is so beneficial that it is almost always a good idea to deliberately cause rebellions. Factions that gain their unique resource through fighting, such as Liu Bei, Dong Zhuo and Sun Jian benefit even more from rebel farming.

Trivia

• Roman rebels have the trident as a symbol of the rebel faction as a whole. Tridents were the signature weapon of gladiators; and many Roman slave revolts were led by gladiators.
• The mon of Buddhist Rebels in Shogun 2 is based on the symbol of the Nichiren Shōshū branch of Nichiren Buddhism.
• The flag of the Eastern Rebels in Rome: Total War is based on the Hamsa.