Abstract

The properties of luminous evolved stars in nearby resolved galaxies are briefly reviewed with emphasis on recent results for the low-metallicity dwarf irregulars. Highlights and recent discoveries of some of the more extreme examples with high rates of mass loss such as the yellow and red hypergiants, LBVs, and giant eruptions are summarized. Some of the most interesting new results are the evidence for high-luminosity stars at high redshift and at very low metallicities with mass loss. The presence of an empirical upper luminosity limit at very low metallicities similar to what we observe in the Milky Way and Local Group galaxies is presented. Its implications for the first stars in the early Universe and mass loss mechanisms at very low metallicity are discussed.

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