It's time for another "Star Wars" themed month on my sight, and as part of the celebration, let’s take a look back at one of my favorite chapters of animated “Star Wars” shows, the 2014 series … “Star Wars Rebels”. This show marked the first "Star Wars" program to air on Disney channel after Lucas Film was bought out by the studio. Set 15 years after the events of “Star Wars 3: Revenge of the Sith”, and 5 years before the events of “Star Wars 4: A New Hope”, the empire has taken control over the whole galaxy, and there’s no galactic civil war of any sort yet. However, a small band of mercenaries decide to stick it to the Empire, and aide those in need wherever they can.
Think of it as the "Star Wars" equivalent of the 2002 TV series “Firefly”, which I’m also a huge fan of. Actually, this series really ignited my nostalgia for both “Star Wars” and “Firefly” equally. As the show progresses, our small group of hero’s spark rebellion across various planets, the galactic rebel alliance is born, and their struggle with the empire has only just begun. It was a series with some big shoes to fill, as it was following-up on the animated TV event that was “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”.
Speaking personally, while I was a devoted fan of the former, I felt that “Rebels” managed to escape its shadow, and was another excellent animated series in its own right. It proved that "Star Wars" has a lot of fresh ideas, and more exciting space adventures to offer. I have to say, it was a real breath of fresh air to get a completely original cast of "Star Wars" characters that we’ve never seen before. Some classic characters occasionally make appearances throughout the shows run, but for the most part we're spending time with this colorful cast of terrific new hero’s, and new villains alike. It’s also a real treat to finally have a tighter group of characters that all live together on one single ship called “the Ghost”, much like the crew of the Millennium Falcon from the original trilogy. As the characters hang out, and go on adventures together, they start to think of themselves as a family, and it's a warm feel they convey on the audience.
HERO’s
Ezra Bridger (Voiced by Taylor Gray)
The shows main protagonist is a young boy named Ezra, who starts off as an orphaned street rat, but soon discovers that he’s in fact a child of the force, and has the potential to become a Jedi of legend. He meets an outcast named Kanan who was once a Jedi, and survived the massacre of order 66, which killed off most of the other Jedi. Together, they build on each other’s strengths and form a powerful bond of master and apprentice. While Ezra did his part as the show’s hero, he also had the misfortune of serving as the show’s comedic relief. While I never found him unbearable, it was still hard to cheer for him when he kept falling into goofy antics. Still, he has some shining moments, as well as some terrific episodes. In the season 1 episode “Path of a Jedi” we see him take his first real steps into becoming a Jedi warrior, and it got me excited to see where things would go next. So, there was absolutely a journey to take with Ezra, and I fond myself liking him just enough … although, no where near as much as his fellow comrades.
Kanan Jarrus (Voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr.)
His master Kanan, by contrast ... is one of my new favorite heroes of the entire "Star Wars" saga. Like his pupal, he has just enough character depth to balance out his high-spirited personality. While I’ve never been a fan of Freddie Prinze Jr., I have to admit that he does a really good job in his respected role. The character himself goes through many up's and downs, and he suffers one of the most unique losses of any hero character. At the end of season 2, Kanan loses his slight, which changes his character in various ways. He's still the same, but he's also more mature, and just feels more interesting. In the episode “Jedi Night”, we see him take one of the most heroic actions a Jedi could make, and it leads to one of the show’s most powerful moments. All in all, he's a terrific new character, and he’s earned a respected spot as one of the better characters from the expanded "Star Wars" universe outside of the movies.
Hera Syndulla (Voiced by Vanessa Marshall)
The titular mother of the group comes in the form on a green alien pilot named Hera, which is a fitting name, as in the Greek myths, Hera is the Goddess of family. Living up to her title, she’s the voice of reason, and it’s a real treat to finally have a Twi’lek alien as a main character. As a child, Hera had one burning desire, to break free from the shackles of war. Her freedom takes shape as a pilot fighting for a greater cause. In the episode “Hera's Heroes”, we see Hera put her life on the line just to safe guard an important family totem, which further highlights the love she has for her family legacy. As such, she’s joined the ranks of the finer female leads in the "Star Wars" legacy.
Zeb (Voiced by Steven Blum)
From voicing Spike Spiegel on “Cowboy Bebop”, to being my favorite voice of Wolverine … I’ve loved Steven Blum for years, and Zeb is another great character to add to his resume. He’s the muscle of the group, and has an alien design that’s based on the original concept art for Chewbacca. Strait to the point, this guy is made of awesome. He’s tough and takes charge whenever there’s a fight, but he’s also chalk full of personality, and comes off like the kind of guy I’d want to hang out with. Initially he believed himself to be the last of his kind, yet in the episode “Legends of the Lasat”, he discovers that he’s not alone, and aims to lead the last of his people to a secret planet hidden far off in the galaxy. The only down side is that he's mostly kept to the side lines and doesn't always get the right amount of attention I felt he deserved. While he does still have his own personal character journey that's explored, I just wish there was more of it.
Chopper (Voiced by series creator Dave Filoni)
Next we have a little droid named Chopper, who’s the cranky comedic relief of the group, and personally, I think he puts R2-D2 to absolute shame. Seriously, this little droid has a terrific personality that comes in the form of a cranky bedside manner, as he’s the one who always solving problems while no one is watching, and I just feel he has a little more character on display then R2-D2 did. In the episode “Idiot's Array”, we see what happens when our droid teams up with an iconic character like Lando Calrissian ... AND YES … he’s voiced again by the always charming Billy Dee Williams ... need I say more.
Captain Rex (Voiced by Dee Bradley Baker)
At the start of season 2, we got to see the return of characters previously introduced back in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” TV series ... and it’s sweet! More to the point, I can’t even describe in words how happy I was to see Captain Rex return as a main stay character in this series. No one had any idea what happened to Rex between the events of “The Clone Wars” show and “Star Wars 3: Revenge of the Sith” … but now we know, and this series does his character justice. Dee Bradley Baker still kills it in the role, and the character of Captain Rex has only gotten better in this show. He still has authority, but he’s also gotten older, wiser and has a lot of charm. I love that he wasn’t just a one-shot guest, he really joined the cast as a main reoccurring character, and it was just great to see him grow beyond the previous series. One of the best episodes titled “The Last Battle” featured Rex and our hero’s battling a group of Battle Droids that have been in hiding ever sense the end of the Clone War. It’s a fun episode, and brings some great finality to “The Clone Wars”.
Sabine Wren (Voiced by Tiya Sircar)
Saving my favorite new character for last ... its Sabine, who’s the feisty weapons technician of the group, and has a talent for turning destruction into an art form. She easily ranks as one of my top five favorite female characters in all of "Star Wars", and for me was the break out character who stole the show. She's got a lot of personality, all while her life was a journey with complicated twists and turns, which only made her all the more interesting. Sabin also has one of the best-rounded story arcs of the group, and her individual episodes highlight the series at its best. In the episode “Heroes of Mandalore”, we see how Sabin rallies an army of her home people in a revolt to liberate her planet from a violent occupation. It’s an episode that really highlights how she could have easily been the shows main lead. Naturally, she adorns Mandalorian armor, like many iconic saga characters, just with a pink makeover, and it really helps give Sabine her own identity.
Other Note-Worthy Hero’s
As the show went on, we’d see several familiar faces, and hear even more familiar voices. Frank Oz returned to supply the voice of Yoda, and Anthony Daniels naturally returns as C-3PO. Both Forest Whitaker and Genevieve O’Reilly return to their respected roles of Saw Gerrera and Senator Mon Mothma from “Rouge One: A Star Wars Story”. Obi-Wan Kenobi, R2-D2, and even Princess Leia all make select appearances through the series. A number of main voices from “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” return to their respected roles, including Jim Cummings as my favorite pirate anti-hero Hondo.
The most note-worthy of all is Ashley Eckstein returning to her signature role of Anakin Skywalker’s former Jedi apprentice Ahsoka Tano. Like with Captain Rex, Ahsoka was one of my favorite characters from “The Clone Wars” series, and we never got any closure to her character's journey after the events of that show. It was beyond satisfying to see that she survived the events of "Revenge of the Sith", as well as played a role in starting the Rebellion. Her new, grown-woman design is fantastic, and she’s the very first character to have pure white light sabers with no color. That’s because she doesn’t belong to either Jedi or Sith, but she still maintains her force capabilities. Now, with the hero’s addressed, lets look at our villains …
THE VILLAINS
The Grand Inquisitor (Voiced by Jason Isaacs)
The shows first main villain came in the form of a mysterious Jedi assassin only known as The Grand Inquisitor. He was armed with his own signature double-bladed light saber, that was equipped with far more tech-capabilities then Darth Mauls ever did. The Grand Inquisitor was all around a really cool villain, and every time he confronts our hero’s, it led to some thrilling action set-pieces. He has a great design, a sinister voice, and best of all … his voice is supplied by the talented Jason Isaacs, who’s one of my favorite villain actors of all time.
He’s been the bad guy in movies like “The Patriot”, “Peter Pan” and he’s probably best known for playing Lucius Malfoy in the “Harry Potter” film series. As you’d expect, his vocal talents transcend The Grand Inquisitor from a generic one-note bad guy, into a villain with a captivating screen presence, and a very menacing overtone. I’d go so far as to call him one of my favorite “Star Wars” villains who’s never appeared in a movie. The one downside is that his rain as main villain only lasted through the first season, but he still left his mark. The Mid-season episode titled “Gathering Forces” highlights what an imposing, yet classic foe he made when left to his own devices.
Darth Vader (Voiced by James Earl Jones)
Along with creating original villains, the show also brought back classic foes from the movies and other expanded works. The absolute best returning villain by far was none other than Darth Vader, who’s voiced once again by the distinctive James Earl Jones. Not only was this a return of Vader ... this was the return of bad ass Darth Vader, the one who ruled the galaxy with an iron fist, and stole every scene with ease. The show was very smart not to over utilize Darth Vader, that way it always felt special whenever he appeared in an episode, and prior to “Rouge One”, it was just a real treat hearing James Earl Jones do the voice again. The show even added a little more dimension to his character, as he was now on the hunt for Anakin’s former apprentice Ahsoka, which easily marked the most exciting hero/villain dynamic sense Luke and Vader from the original trilogy. On a side note, there was an extended cut of the shows pilot episode titled “Spark of Rebellion”, that aired on ABC. It was already a solid premier, introducing us to the main characters, but this time it featured our first glimpse of Darth Vader, and his connection to The Grand Inquisitor ... which was nothing short of awesome.
Agent Kallus (Voiced by David Oyelowo)
The antagonist who makes the most frequent reoccurring appearances in the show is an officer named Agent Kallus, who might just have the most layered arc of any villain on the show. At first, he was just a simple agent who took it upon himself to bring our hero’s to justice. It was cool to have an officer get so involved in the action, and it’s even more cool that the character was voiced by David Oyelowo. He’s a very respectable actor, and has starred in big Oscar winning films like “Lincoln” and “Selma”. As stated above, Kallus would become the show’s most layered antagonist, would gradually become an anti-hero, and in the end make a full reformation as a member of the Rebellion. In one of the shows best episodes titled “Through Imperial Eyes”, we see a day in the Empire from Agent Kallus’s perspective, and it further highlighted both the conflicts and ingenuity of the charter, shaping him into the most human adversary on the show.
Darth Maul (Voiced by Sam Witwer)
Among the returning classic “Star Wars” villains, Darth Maul was the only main threat to directly carry over from the previous animated show “The Clone Wars”, right down to the return of voice actor Sam Witwer. Despite being another adversary with a red-blade, Maul was less of a physical threat, and more of an outside manipulator, leading the shows main hero Ezra down a dark and twisted path. It was a surprise treat to see Darth Maul back in yet another animated series, and he once again steals every scene he’s in. Maul in this show is witty, sinister, manipulative, and it made for an exciting dynamic to see him go back and forth between helping our hero’s, and betraying them. While Ezra doesn’t get converted to become Darth Mauls evil apprentice, he still leaves a sting on the group, and one that proved challenging to recover from. The season 3 episode “Twin Suns” finally brought closure to Darth Mauls journey, as he came face to face with an aged Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the two engaged in their final duel on the sands of Tatooine.
Grand Admiral Thrawn (Voiced by Lars Mikkelsen)
At last, rounding up the show’s main set of villains, as well as taking the spot as the shows central lead threat is Grand Admiral Thrawn. Of course, this marked one of the shows biggest highlights, as well as a welcome adaption of a classic character from the original expanded novels. Speaking personally, this was my introduction to Thrawn, even though he’s actually one of the most beloved characters from the expanded “Star Wars” universe.
Thrawn was the main subject of several popular "Star Wars" books, video games, and having him take the rains as the shows main antagonist was a big deal. He certainly lived up to the hype, and quickly became one of my new favorite villains in all of “Star Wars”. Unlike the other popular foes of this universe, Thrawn has a certain respect for both his adversaries and peers. He loves art, he isn’t driven by his ego, and while he’s ruthless, his actions are very unique, yet still devastating. This isn’t a villain who lashes out and attacks in full force, as he’s more calculated, strategic, and his greatest weapon is his intelligence. I also like that following season 3, he’s consistently present, and the show dose a good job building up to how devastating he can be. It’s admittedly a slow burn, but the payoff is more than satisfying.
Plus, voice actor Lars Mikkelsen delivers a top-tear performance, and gives Thrawn this imence presence that carries over the show. In the episode “An Inside Man”, we see the delicate balance between Thrawn’s brilliance and his wrath, as he singles out a turn coat in his ranks. While his appearance in the show isn’t quiet as impactful as his original novelization, this was still a respectful adaption of the character, and as eluted to, voice actor Lars Mikkelsen as Thrawn is my favorite performance of any character in the show.
Other Note-Worthy Villains
The first classic villain from the original trilogy to appear in the show was Governor Tarkin. Originally, he was played by the late Peter Cushing in the classic movies, while in this show he’s voiced by Stephen Stanton.
He previously did the voice of Tarkin on “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”, and he is outstanding in the role. In many respects, it feels like Peter Cushing himself has come back from the dead to play the character once again. Season 2 featured several new Inquisitors, who are on a mission from Darth Vader to hunt down our hero’s. They made for okay villains, they look cool, and can put up a fight, but they just couldn’t fill the void left by the Grand Inquisitor from season 1. The final season introduced Admiral Thrawns personal assassin Rukh, who’s yet another expanded novel character making his first transition to the screen. He’s like a savage, ninja beast, and voiced by "Star Wars" veteran Warwick Davis. Following Agent Kallus’s reformation came a new imperial officer called Governor Pryce, who filled the role of evil officer in uniform.
The only memorable thing about her is that she looks just like the Russian villain from “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”. At last, the most significant villain to make a guest appearance in the series is Emperor Palpatine, who’s voiced once again by Ian McDiarmid from the movies. While the Emperor didn’t appear on screen until the final three episodes of the show, it was still great to have the original talent back, and his encounters with our heroes were exciting highlights.
#10 Visions and Voices (Season 3)
Following after the events of Season 2’s finale, Darth Maul became a regular villain throughout the shows third run, and had his sights on making the shows main hero Ezra his wicked apprentice. My favorite of Darth Mauls appearances comes during season three's Mid-Season outing. Our young hero Ezra is plagued by frightening visions of Darth Maul, which get so intense he even begins attacking fellow soldiers, confusing them for his enemy. Frustrated, he leaves his allies to find Maul and venture with him to his home world of Dathomir to undo their mysterious connection. Maul however has a much darker plan, to extract knowledge from Ezra, and leave the bodies of his friends open as vessels for the ghostly spirits of his descendants, the night sisters of Dathomir. This is one of the shows darkest episodes, with possessions, demonic spirits and one of the franchises greatest villains acting at his deadliest. This episode has great call backs to its predecessor series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”, and sets things in motion for future episodes. This is easily my favorite mid-season venture of the series, and the one that got me most excited for things to come.
#9 "The Lost Commanders" & "Relics of the Old Republic" (Season 2)
Speaking of following up on things from the previous “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” TV series ... as our hero’s look for aid against their battle with the Empire, their path leads them to Captain Rex, and the last surviving Clone Troopers. Oh ... the joy of seeing him return was a delight I couldn’t contain. While Ezra is whiling to trust him, Kanan however has a deep seeded anger for clones, as they murdered his master years ago. This lead into a compelling arc where Kanan learns to trust his fellow soldiers once again. It’s all around really cool to see how Rex interacts differently with the new characters.
Everything builds to a thrilling battle in which our hero’s ride their old Republic tank into a sand storm to battle the new imperial walkers. It’s great stuff, and one of my favorite action sequences of the show. Then finally, a stand out moment for me is at the very end of the episode when Captain Rex reunited with Ahsoka, who were both my favorite characters from “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”. This reunion really got me in the "feels", as it was like seeing the old family come back together after so many years.
#8 Shroud of Darkness (Season 2)
Leading up to the events of Season two’s finale is a stand out episode titled "Shroud of Darkness". Ahsoka and our two Jedi hero’s Ezra and Kannan seek guidance to deal with Darth Vader and his faithful servants. Their quest leads them back to an abandoned Jedi temple previously discovered back in season one. The three go their separate ways and have individual force quests. Ezra consults with Yoda in a vision and debate the morals of fighting and how they choose to fight. Kannan battles the force ghost of his late enemy The Grand Inquisitor and finds the courage to make a decisive sacrifice which will determine the next level of his Jedi status.
Finally, in the most emotional journey of all, Ahsoka must come to terms with the horrible truth that her former master Anakin Skywalker is now their greatest enemy Darth Vader. This episode further dives into the mythos of the Jedi, developed our hero’s further and set the stage for the exciting action finale to come. It also features some of my favorite guest appearance all in one episode. We have the only on-screen appearance of Yoda in the series, Darth Vader is always an exciting presence, it was great to see the Grand Inquisitor one last time, and best of all was how this episode brought back Anakin Skywalker and effectively continued his story with Ahsoka.
#7 Fire Across the Galaxy (Season1)
The first season of “Rebels” was perfectly serviceable at best, but then it won me over with a powerhouse closing arc. The last episode titled “Fire Across the Galaxy” left me breathless and closed season one with one hell of a high note. When Kanan is captured by the Grand Inquisitor, our hero’s mount a daring rescue, which leads into thrilling battles in space, powerful character moments and some of the best duel's of the series. No joke, the final light saber duel between The Grand Inquisitor and Kanan is nothing short of epic. The music, the fighting choreography, the high stakes, it’s just a thrilling fight, and personally one of my favorite light saber duel's in all of "Star Wars" history. It also took me by surprise that The Grand Inquisitor perished at the end, but his death was earned, and final lines were quiet chilling. The episode then closes with the triumphant return of Ahsoka, who I feared I’d never see again after the cancellation of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”. Then things only get more exciting when Darth Vader walks on the scene, effectively teasing that he’ll be the main threat in season 2.
#6 Family Reunion – and Farewell (Season 4)
From one season finale to another, it’s the closing chapter of season four, and subsequently the final episode of the whole series. While “Zero Hour” was admittedly more epic in scale and war fare, this was a more emotional send-off for our hero’s, and a fitting swan song for a show that I loved watching. In this series finale episode, Ezra leads the team, along with all his allies on one final mission to liberate his planet and banish the Empire from the system for good. It’s a very exciting final battle, with high stake action, some really good twists that I didn’t see coming, and it features appearances from almost every character established in the show. Even the Emperor makes a note worth appearance, and the face-off between he and our young hero is riveting. In the end, both Ezra and Admiral Thrawn engage in one final confrontation, and it’s an engaging internal battle of military intelligence versus one’s faith in spirituality, or more specifically his connection with his faith in the force. Ezra wins the day by making a similar sacrifice move inspired by his late master, and he’s launched into the farthest reaches of unknown space along with Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Both their fates are unknown, but it opens the door for further things to explore in other "Star Wars" media. The series then comes to a close with a spectacular and very emotional epilogue set after the events of “Return of the Jedi”. We discover that both Hera and Captain Rex fought in the final battle of Endor, Zeb went back to his home world with his former nemeses turned best friend Agent Kallus, and Sabine teams up with Ahsoka on a mission to find Ezra, where ever he may be. In short, this was a perfect way to close the series. It left the door open for further animated "Star Wars" shows, but it’s a perfect cap to the “Rebels” era.
#5 The Siege of Lothal (Season 2)
One thing the show often struggled with was kicking the seasons off with a bang, as I found the majority of the primer episodes to be average good. That is with the one exception of the premier episode of season 2, which was both sensational, and a perfect hook for what eventually became my favorite season of the show. In this premier titled “Siege of Lothal”, our hero’s secretly land on the planet called Lothal in hopes to rescue an imperial minister that’s defecting.
Unfortunately, Darth Vader and Agent Kallus kill her before she can reveal any secrets, and worse yet, our heroes are framed for her death. Now with the planet turned against them, and Darth Vader hot on their tails, the Ghost crew have to work together to find a way off the planet, and warn their allies of a dangerous new threat. It's just a thrilling cat and mouse game with excellent action scenes, and it highlights Darth Vader in arguably his greatest appearance sense “The Empire Strikes Back”. After his tease at the end of season one, I was beyond hyped to see him in action, and this two-parter delivered. It featured the very first light-saber duel between Darth Vader and our new hero's, which was intense and riveting. This episode also makes great use of other "Star Wars" alumni like Lando and The Emperor in minor but significant roles. At the end, both Darth Vader and the Emperor learn that Ahsoka survived the clone wars, and it really builds on the anticipation for when the master and apprentice inevitably re-unite.
#4 Zero Hour (Season 3)
Season three was a turning point, in which our heroes grew, new villains took the stage, and after a slow-build, we finally got to see Grand Admiral Thrawn unleashed. In the season 3 finale titled “Zero Hour”, Thrawn launches a massive invasion on our hero’s Rebel base, leading into the largest-scale battle of the whole series. This was like the “Helms Deep” of “Rebels” and further illustrated what kind of nuclear sized scale threat Thrawn represents. Not only was the action great, but every character arc of the season came into play during this final battle. We see Agent Kallus leave the Empire for good and join the Rebels. We have Sabine rally her fellow soldiers of Mandalore, which was a colorful way of showing her old family with her new family. Finally, we see the mysterious Bendu creature unleash his mighty power, and proves to be an even stronger Force sensitive beast then we realized. It was a power house finale, and it really highlighted Thrawn as the devastating foe he was built up to be.
#3 "Trials of the Darksaber" & "Legacy of Mandalore" (Season 3)
While the Jedi Kanan and Ezra were the shows two main characters, it was clear from the start that the crew’s feisty weapons technician Sabine would be the break out character that stole the show. She was a warrior who adorned Mandalorian armor, had a checkered past, and in my opinion had the most well-rounded journey of any of the Rebels characters. Her stand out arc comes in season 3 with this pairing of episodes. At this point in the show, Sabine tries to win back her family honor, and prevent a civil war from igniting between her people. Her first challenge in “Trials of the Darksaber” is learning to wield a mighty Dark-Saber, while subsequently facing her faults, regrets and personal demons.
In the companion episode “Legacy of Mandalore”, we see our young heroine really step up and reunites with the corrupt family she left behind years ago. It all builds to a powerhouse climax, and for the first time ever we see two non-force wielders in a light-saber duel. It’s hard to explain but there’s something very mature about these two episodes. They feel less like formulaic "Star Wars" and more like classic Samurai films. Nothing feels like it’s being aimed at its target audience, and the writers are clearly putting more focus on the human emotion rather than spectacle. I love the pacing of these episodes, as it’s slow but allowing for a lot of atmosphere, and emotional highlights to shine through.
#2 "Wolves and a Door" & "A World Between Worlds" (Season 4)
After our heroes have some time to grieve the loss of their fallen friend, things take a shocking turn as the Emperor himself arrives on the scene, reveals a secret plan to excavate an abandoned Jedi temple, and unearth a hidden secret that will give him the power to firmly secure his control of the galaxy. Ezra goes in to investigate and discovers a portal leading him to a mysterious world between worlds, where time has no meaning, and the user of this realm can alter or change any event in the Star Wars time line.
It may sound a little too extreme to have time travel in Star Wars, but it’s actually handled very well, and the setting of this world between worlds is one of the most fascinating that the saga has ever explored. The design is cool, and audio clips from just about every movie can be herd echoing throughout this dimension, which gives it both a unique atmosphere and makes it a fascinating expansion on "Star Wars" lore. We also get some much-needed answers as to what happened to Ahsoka, and how she escaped Darth Vader from back at the end of season 2. In short, these two episodes highlight what this show can do when it steps out of the familiar and explores uncharted territory in the "Star Wars" universe.
There’s obviously more episodes I love in this show, so before I reveal my favorite, her are some Honorable Mentions …
Jedi Night (Season 4)
Twin Suns (Season 3)
The Last Battle (Season 3)
Path of the Jedi (Season 1)
The Future of the Force (Season 2)
#1 Twilight of the Apprentice (Season 2)
At last, the season 2 finale titled “Twilight of the Apprentice” is sensational, and to call it my favorite episode of the series is an understatement. Honestly, this episode alone is my second favorite thing under the “Star Wars” name behind “Return of the Jedi”. Holly cow, what an awesome ending, and what a great set up for the next season. In this epic conclusion of the second season, Ezra, Kanan and Ahsoka arrive at a Sith temple looking for knowledge on how to fight against Darth Vader and his Empire. However, Ezra is separated from the group and is encountered by a shadowy figure, who’s taking advantage of our young hero, and is building on his connection to the dark side. Soon, this shadowy villain is revealed to be none other than Darth Maul, and then ... everything goes wrong for our hero's. In short, Kanan loses his sight, and the dark side dose build up within Ezra.
At the end of this finale, Ahsoka comes face to face with her old master Darth Vader, and an epic confrontation ensues between them. This was haunting, dramatic and honestly quite powerful to experience. Without a doubt, this battle between Vader and Ahsoka is my single favorite moment from any animated Star Wars production. There’s this incredible moment when Ahsoka destroys half of Vader’s helmet, revealing a part of Anakin's face underneath it, and things tie together so perfectly from where their relation left-off back in "The Clone Wars". In the end, our heroes are changed by the experience, all the other Inquisitors meet their demise, the fate of Ahsoka is unknown, both Darth Vader and Darth Maul are at large, and I was pumped for the Seasons to come.
For all its up’s and downs, highs and lows, I loved “Star Wars Rebels”, and found it a worthy entry in the ever-expanding "Star Wars" saga. If you’re a general "Star Wars" fan with no real interest in the animated programs, I still highly recommend checking out some episodes, and maybe my list will give you a good place to start. Truthfully, “Star Wars Rebels” surpassed my expectations, and while I was sad to see it go, it had a great deal more closure then its animated predecessor did. I'll admit that it wasn't as consistently strong as “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”, and featured some very mediocre filler episodes, but it was still a worthy follow up series.
It had a great cast of likable characters, it looked great, and was very fun to watch. Even when the show was at its weakest, I still enjoyed being with this particular group of characters, as they made the experience worthwhile every time. It's a show that managed to make me feel like a young kid again, while treating me like an adult, and that’s no small accomplishment. Most importantly, I feel like this show expanded on the "Star Wars" universe in a way that I've never experienced before, and it's really been one heck of an adventure. I'm not sure what kind of animated projects we can expect from "Star Wars" next, but if they're anything like "Rebels", then you can count on me to tune in for another adventure in our favorite far-off galaxy.
Thanks for reading my review of the animated TV series “Star Wars Rebels” … a continue to enjoy the shows you love!
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