Several new updates concerning Star Wars have hit the internet lately!
First off, Star Wars Rebels voice actor Steven Stanton hinted on Twitter about when we’ll be getting that last run of episodes from the animated series:
Tag Rebels
Movie Music
Have you ever watched a movie and then as soon as it was over, listened to the soundtrack of it?
I love listening to soundtracks. They make schoolwork, long car rides, and chores way more fun. You can imagine you’re helping Frodo take the Ring to Mordor, or are battling the Empire, instead of just doing algebra. After I watch a great movie, I love closing my eyes while listening to the music and trying to picture the scene in my head. It brings back all the feelings and memories I had while watching it. The soundtrack of a movie can have a lot more to do with how you experience it than you may think. Some people say they get too into the movie to notice the music, but I believe if it wasn’t there, we would notice right away that something important was missing. The music in a movie plays a huge part in helping us feel empathy for characters, giving scenes certain moods, and helping people understand what’s going on. Each part of a score affects certain things that the music communicates.
Tempo: The speed at which a passage of music is played.
This has a significant part in determining the intensity of a scene. Fast tempo melodies convey frantic energy, or rapid movement. Action scenes or battles are usually accompanied by it. Slow tempo conveys a relaxed pace, or lack of energy. Sad scenes, or serious moments normally have a slower tempo. And while slow tempo songs can be beautiful, I personally prefer fast-paced ones.
Volume: Quantity or power of sound. Degree of loudness.
Volume affects the feeling of a scene by creating a sort of space surrounding it. Think about it like this: If during the Revenge of the Sith battle between Vader and Obi-Wan on Mustafar, soft, quiet music had been playing, would it have felt less exciting? When everyone is saying goodbye to Frodo in The Return of the King, would it have been distracting to have a lot of noise in the music? Loud music seems to shallow characters, making the action more exciting, while soft music creates a more meaningful moment. If the volume starts out quiet, and then gradually grows, it can mirror the growing action, excitement, or conclusion of a scene.
Key: A group of notes based on a particular note and comprising scale.
There are two basic classifications of musical keys: Major and Minor. Major keys sound bright and cheerful, while Minor keys sound darker and sad. It’s easy to see how this would affect what a piece of music makes you picture. Generally, you wouldn’t write the theme for the bad guys in a major key, and you wouldn’t put minor key music in a lighthearted scene.
Instrumentation:
Different instruments can create the mood of the environment in a scene. They also help establish the setting, which is the place and time the movie is happening in. For instance, you won’t hear many drums or electric guitar riffs in the Pride and Prejudice soundtrack, since it takes place in 18th-century England. Those really don’t fit in with that movie setting. At all.
One more thing I want to talk about is called a motif, which is a repeating theme in a score. A leit motif is like a kind of musical label assigned to a character, place, idea, or emotion. Once it what it represents has been established, it can be repeated. Examples of this are the Imperial March, Rey’s theme, the Fellowship theme, and so on. As soon as you hear a few notes of it, you know what’s going on in the scene. One of my favorite times this is used is during the Rey and Kylo mind probe scene in The Force Awakens, and later on in the same movie during their lightsaber battle. You can tell who has the upper hand by listening to whose theme is playing.
Music is an un-removable part of a movie, because it’s the emotional and communication connection from the screen to the audience. While words and pictures deal with specific, concrete things, music deals with responses, values, emotions, and attitudes.
Now, I’m going to talk about some of my favorite pieces of music! By favorite I either mean the ones that bring back the most feelings and make me stare off into space whenever I hear them, or ones I like listening to because they sound exciting.
“Samwise the Brave”, from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
“Samwise the Brave” (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)
This is one of my very favorite parts of The Lord of the Rings. It proves that Frodo really did appreciate everything Sam did for him, and that they’re both heroes in this story. If loyalty, humility, and courage were music, this is what they would sound like. Even though this is a pretty bleak part in their journey, this song isn’t sad because they still carry hope that good will win. Or at least Sam does, and he passes that on to Frodo.
“Hera Soars” (Star Wars Rebels season 2 soundtrack)
I always end up smiling when I listen to this one. It makes me picture Hera’s exhilaration at getting to do what she loves best. She’s also getting to test a new fighter for the Rebellion, another thing she cares deeply about. Doing your favorite thing in the world is fun, but watching someone else do what they’re passionate about is almost as exciting. The music in this one is perfect for flying!
“Your Father Would be Proud” (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
This is one of the ones I always end up stopping whatever I’m doing to listen to. I will confess to tearing up the first few times I listened to it after Rogue One. It’s so sad sounding, yet there’s still a lightness to it. Whenever I hear it, I don’t just see Cassian and Jyn’s sacrifice, I see the whole team’s. Their bravery, teamwork, dedication, and hope are all remembered through it.
“The Battle of Endor II” (Star Wars: Return of the Jedi)
At ten minutes, this is a pretty long track. While I do like the music for the battle at the shield generator, my favorite parts of this take place in the Emperor’s throne room. Vader and Luke fighting, Luke’s choice, and finally, Vader’s redemption. Before I saw Star Wars, I knew many things. I mean, are there really any people over the age of six who don’t know Darth Vader is Luke’s father? I even knew that Vader died, but this I did not expect. I remember being so proud of both Luke and Vader after watching this scene, and the music brings all those memories back.
“The Ways of the Force” (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
I love this battle, and the music that goes with it is terrific. Switching between Kylo’s, Rey’s and the Force’s themes, the music itself seems in conflict. Rey’s theme is more powerful than what was played earlier in the movie, symbolizing her taking the next steps in her journey. This is one of my favorite parts to picture in my head, and I might have pretended to swing a lightsaber around while listening to it more than once.
“It’s Over Now” (Star Wars Rebels season 2 soundtrack)
Another name for this one could be “Attack of Feels”. Kanan’s blind, Maul’s back, Ahsoka’s gone, and Ezra has a Sith holocron in his possession. Because this ending whole montage has no words, the music plays a vital part in driving the emotion of the scene. The vocals and the drums make it feel foreboding and like there’s no going back to how things were.
“Sabine’s Catharsis” (Star Wars Rebels season 3 soundtrack*)
The word catharsis means “The process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.” You can feel that in the music as Sabine confronts her past. It builds and builds until the whole story comes out, then gets quiet at the end, as a spent and broken Sabine questions whether she can go through with this. At the very end, her friends show their confidence in her, and because of that, she finds the confidence to keep going. Sabine’s theme encompasses both the tough Mandalorian side of her, as well as the artist side that knows that the Mandalorian way is not always the best way.
“Concerning Hobbits” (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)
This is the happiest piece of music there is. It’s so beautiful, sometimes I find myself randomly humming it. It represents everything about Hobbits: Their love of everything good, like plants, food, and friends. Their ability to see the bright side of situations. And their courage to do incredible things. It also makes me picture the peaceful Shire, with its green grass, trees to read in, and cute little houses.
“Ahsoka Leaves” (Star Wars: The Clone Wars soundtrack)
I haven’t even seen all of The Clone Wars, but the first time I heard this, it made me stop completely and imagine what Anakin and Ahsoka are feeling in this scene. I’ve never heard the Force Theme sound so sad. Even though Ahsoka believes she made the right choice, that doesn’t make what she has to do any easier. I don’t think anyone who cares about her story can listen to this and not feel a little of her pain.
“Jyn Erso and Hope Suite” (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
This song has a lot of Jyn’s theme in it, as well as a some parts of “Your Father Would be Proud”. It starts off pretty and sad sounding, which is the part that has been Jyn’s theme throughout the movie. Then it has part of the track “Rebellions are Built on Hope”. At the end, it switches back to Jyn’s theme very quietly, sounding almost like it’s fading away. Basically, it will make you melt into a pool of Rogue One feels. The entire Rogue One soundtrack is amazing, so if you haven’t heard it, I highly recommend it.
“Rey’s Theme” (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
It amazes me how composers are able to create themes for people that suit them so well. Maybe they seem to fit them because our brain has associated them with the particular character ever since they first appeared. There have been so many characters to have their own themes in Star Wars: Luke, Leia, Vader, Yoda, Jyn, the Emperor, Maul, Ezra, Sabine, Ahsoka, Anakin… but I think Rey’s is my favorite because it’s pretty, but not super slow. I love how it progressively changes a little as the movie goes on, just like the character.
“Ahsoka Duels the Inquisitors” (Star Wars Rebels season 2 soundtrack)
This is one of the ones I like because it’s fun to listen to, with lots of drums and vocals. It’s the first time we get to see Ahsoka with her lightsabers in Rebels, and it’s a very dramatic fight. It also makes doing math problems feel way more urgent and exciting.
One other thing I like about soundtracks is how you can sometimes find little bits of themes for things in a scene. Like how they put a few notes of “The Imperial March” into the very end of the credits for Revenge of the Sith, or how Han and Leia’s theme plays for just a moment in “Farewell and The Trip”.
*The Star Wars Rebels season 3 soundtrack has still not be released in its entirety in digital or CD form, however this track, and many others from all four seasons of the show, are available for listening on StarWars.com
This article was written by Audrey L., Staff Blogger for The Elven Padawan, and first appeared on ElvenPadawan.com
What is your favorite movie soundtrack? Do you have a favorite song from it?
How to Survive Rebels Hiatus
*This article contains spoiler-ish things for Star Wars Rebels season four: proceed at your own risk.*
“Noooooooo!” I wanted to yell at the TV, as the end credits rolled for the Star Wars Rebels mid-season finale, “Rebel Assault”. That episode had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and then ended with several huge cliffhangers. What’s going to happen to Hera? What has Kanan come to realize? Are the Rebels ever going to be able to launch a successful strike on Lothal? And most importantly: How am I going to survive mid-season break?! If you’re asking similar questions, here are some things I came up with that will (hopefully) help the time go by faster.
1. Fangirl/Fanboy with others
I do this nearly everyday, and it’s one of my favorite things to do! I could do it forever, but unfortunately there are very few people who enjoy carrying on a conversation about Rebels for more than two minutes. If you can find a group to talk with, whether it’s on social media, the comments section on here, or in real life, I guarantee that you will learn so much and find details you’ve never thought of. You’ll also have a place to share your ideas and thoughts. Another great thing is then you can all suffer together. 😄
2. Use your Interests
Get out your pencils, markers, paint, and make some fan art! Maybe art isn’t your thing. Write some fan fiction, or a poem. Make up a song that reminds you of one of the characters. Create a cosplay. Make some Rebels themed crafts. Act out an episode with your friends or siblings. Be creative!
3. Have a Rebels Marathon
The journey of Rebels has been amazing! We’ve come so far since the beginning; the characters, the plot, the galaxy. Sometimes I can hardly believe it’s the same show when I look back on how much has changed. It’s fun to go back and watch all 68 episodes that have been released so far. (That’s approximately 23 hours!) Since many things this season have mirrored season one, you’ll see the parallels and all the pieces that are now falling into place. It also gives you a chance to look for hints of things that may happen, such as why the Empire is on Lothal. So far, I have only made it to the episode “Out of Darkness”, but there’s still weeks of break left. I’ve been noticing details I’ve never seen, and I’m enjoying revisiting old times before the crew had this much responsibility and weight on them.
4. Theorize
I don’t know about you, but it is going to take me all of this break to really process everything that has happened so far, particularly with the Loth-Wolves. I have no idea what is going on, but maybe if I think about it enough, I’ll have a somewhat reasonable theory by the time Rebels starts up again. We should also get a mid-season trailer in a few weeks that will provide us with some new information to make predictions around. It never hurts to watch the trailer several times, pausing it to find any small details.
5. Convince Someone Else to Watch It
There are some people who have never heard of Star Wars Rebels, some who decided that they didn’t like it too early and should give it another try, and some who just don’t think it’s worth watching. They’re missing out, so to help convince them, I have made a list of ten reasons they should watch Rebels:
1. It’s the formation of the Rebel Alliance. It begins with six individuals, and as it continues you see different Rebel cells join together to form the group we see in A New Hope.
2. Space Family! Kanan, Hera, Chopper, Zeb, Sabine, and Ezra are each extremely different from each other, but work together just like actual families do. They’re always there for each other. Hera and Kanan are the authorities; Zeb, Sabine, and Ezra are the kids; and Chopper is like a mom’s favorite cat. It’s something we haven’t seen anywhere else in Star Wars and I love it!
3. It has strong lessons. Characters struggle with responsibility, trusting others, holding onto hope, choosing the right way to fight, overcoming their past, and many other things. As they learn, the stories stick with you, and you learn right along with them.
4. Amazing Character Development. Take Sabine, for example. She started off as a young teenager who was hurt by her family and didn’t always think through her actions. Now, she’s grown up, freed her family, and has led several successful missions. Agent Kallus’ journey from an Imperial Agent to Rebel Officer was not one I expected, nor thought I’d care about, but he is now one of my favorite characters. They push these characters to their limits and places you never thought they’d go.
5. Thrawn. This does not need any further explanation.
6. Returning Characters. We’ve had Lando, Leia, Obi-Wan, Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, Wedge Antilles, Hobbie, Maul, R2-D2, C-3PO, and Darth Vader all make appearances. If you’re a fan of Star Wars: The Clone Wars series, we’ve also had Hondo Ohnaka, Saw Gerrara, Clone Commander Wolffe, Gregor, Captain Rex, Bo-Katan Kryze, and of course Ahsoka Tano. If you’re one of those people who think Clone Wars is waaay better than Rebels, you should still watch it, because it finishes many plot lines Clone Wars was unable to.
7. There’s so Much at Stake. What if Sabine had never gotten Wedge and Hobbie out of Skystrike Academy? What if Hera hadn’t helped Mon Mothma escape to the meeting at Dantooine? Or if those two huge kyber crystals had reached their destinations? The decisions characters make in this show do affect the galaxy and how later things play out, and them making different choices would drastically change many things later.
8. It’s not just a “Kids Show”. Yes, Rebels doesn’t have many things shows for older people contain. You know why? Because those are things like language, over-done violence, and other not-so-great content. Those are not what make a story good. Rebels does have some intense moments. People do die, or take other hard losses. But beyond that, Rebels has the good-against-evil theme, adventure, and imperfect heroes that make it a great show.
9. It’s Funny. There’s some great humor in Rebels. Even when they’re in life threatening situations, they’re still able to keep their cool. Whether it’s Ezra doing one of his impersonations, Chopper causing trouble, or Kanan making a joke right after nearly dying, there’s always something that makes me laugh.
10. Everything is Important. There are no filler episodes in Rebels; each one has at least one thing important to the story. Take “The Wynkahthu Job” for example: It may seem like just a silly Hondo episode, but they stole proton bombs, which were more than likely used by Y-Wings in “Zero Hour”. Or the episode “Fighter Flight” from season one. This is a really goofy episode where Zeb and Ezra steal a TIE fighter while on a supply run. It seemed like a filler episode at the time, but the TIE fighter was a very important part of the season finale.
Even if you decide in the end you don’t enjoy the adventures of the Ghost crew as much as I do, at least you gave them a chance, and became knowledgeable in another part of the Star Wars galaxy.
6. Read “A New Dawn”
A New Dawn is the story of how Kanan ended up joining Hera as the first member of her crew. It has lots of action, and made me realize just how long and hard Hera has worked to help build the Rebellion. It also shows that Kanan has come a long way from when he had given up any connection to his Jedi past. If you haven’t read it, and want some Rebels back story, then this would be a good thing to do over break.
7. Watch Rebels Recon and Check out the Episode Guides
After each episode, at StarWars.com you can find a behind-the-scenes video called Rebels Recon. Each one has interviews with the cast and crew, answers to questions people have asked, Chopper antics, and a clip for the next episode at the end. (Unless it’s the one right before break. No, of course I’m not still bitter about that.) They also release an episode guide, which has a breakdown of the episode, concept art, behind-the-scenes facts, and my favorite, a piece of music from the episode.
8. Go See Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Ok, so this one is kind of obvious, but thinking about a different part of the Star Wars fandom will help get your mind off the Rebels‘ cliffhangers. Also, it will more than likely leave off with another cliffhanger that we have to wait two years to resolve, so the ending to “Rebel Assault” won’t seem as bad in comparison. I know some people may not get to see The Last Jedi for a little while, so I hope changing some of these examples will help that time go faster too. (Like having a Star Wars movie marathon or convincing someone they should watch Star Wars. Yes, some people have actually never seen Star Wars.)
9. Enjoy the Time Before the End
We only have seven episodes of Rebels left, ever, guys. It’s going to be over so fast and who knows what is going to go down in these last episodes? At least we have some time to reflect on the journey and prepare for what ever they’ve got planned. If what we’ve seen from Rebels in the past is anything to go by, the final chapter isn’t going to be without losses of some kind, but it’s also going to be exciting and finish the story for these heroes in an amazing way.
This article was written by Audrey L., Staff Blogger for The Elven Padawan, and first appeared on ElvenPadawan.com
How are you planning on surviving Rebels Hiatus? What are you looking forward to the most in the second half? Let us know in the comments!
Kanan’s Choice
Hi everyone, I’m back! That’s right, I survived my exams, and I’m rejoicing in the freedom that is holiday break!! While I’m off, I plan to get some work done around here with both this site and the podcast, including updating the news to reflect all the recent happenings in the Star Wars franchise, plus some other cool stuff you’ll be hearing about soon. But first off, I’m going to make my first blog post that I’ve done in a while.
If you’ve been following along with The Elven Padawan lately, you’ll know that I’ve been publishing reviews for each new episode of the final season of Star Wars Rebels that airs. This post is actually an extension of my review of the mid-season finale, where I deal with a really big aspect of the story that seems to have fans all over the place right now. Therefore, I’m warning you now that there will be big spoilers for “Rebel Assault” in here, so don’t read unless you’ve already seen the episode, or just don’t really care. 😉
SPOILERS!!
So on to what I really want to talk about. I have a few things to say regarding Kanan’s reaction to Hera’s crash, and his plan to rescue her. First, I already know that everyone’s going to start thinking out some rant about attachments and love and how these things will inevitably end in tragedy and that Kanan is going to fall into and trap where Hera’s the bait and that will be the end for him.
But here’s the thing: all that doesn’t have to be the case.
I’ll admit it openly and with no problems: attachment can be a problem for a Jedi. Think about it. Almost every bad decision, or choice that can be labeled as “bad” by some fans, that a Jedi or Light Side Force-wielder has made stems from an attachment somewhere. Ahsoka Tano stayed behind and supposedly died on Malachor because of the attachment she had to her former master, Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan Kenobi disobeyed the orders of the Jedi Council to go to Mandalore and try to rescue Duchess Satine Kryze, eventually resulting in her death at the hands of his mortal enemy, Maul. Even the Chosen One himself, Anakin Skywalker, committed horrible deeds including mass slaughter of students and younglings, all in the name of saving someone he loved from death.
But here’s the problem: each of those people still had a choice. Ahsoka still chose to stay behind with Vader, knowing that it meant certain doom for her. She made a conscious decision about it, knowing full-well that Kanan and Ezra would take the ship and leave. (And honestly, I think that’s another little aspect to why she did it, to help them escape.) Obi-Wan deliberately chose to help Satine, and though it ended in tragedy, it was the risk he took.
And seriously, people. Do you really believe that there wasn’t a point where, deep down inside in a place he buried beneath all the emotions he was feeling, everything Anakin did became less and less about saving Padme and instead more and more about exacting revenge on the people he felt had wronged him, and gaining power to make people serve him as a little boy called Ani once had to serve them? When Padme follows him to Mustafar, notice that he isn’t heartbroken when she begins to back away from everything he’s become in the past few days, but instead flies into a rage. Notice that, alongside his claims that he can now save her from a fate she never believed was her’s, he was also bragging about how he now ruled the entire galaxy.
No, the people who make each of these choices are never forced to do so out of their good will for fellow beings. They all chose to do the things they do, and when those things are evil, it’s not love that’s actually responsible.
Now how does this all end up leading me back to Kanan, and his choices in this episode? I’m going to really dissect this whole thing and look at Kanan’s choice to go back for Hera, and his eventual decision to turn back around.
#1: Kanan almost did make a really bad decision, and it was out of attachment. I will not deny that. Surprised, are you, that such a strong Kanera shipper and proponent for the opinion that love is OK for Jedi, will so easily admit this? Don’t be. Remember, Jedi teach balance. Kanan and Hera’s relationship is great, and gives both of them strength and power in a time when things look so dark, but that’s only when it’s dealt with carefully. Just like in the real world, if you begin to let things that aren’t bad rule your life and cause you to make bad decisions, then it’s time to start carefully thinking about things. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Kanan should now cut off any potential relationship he and Hera could have because he almost made a bad move. The relationship is still fine, it’s just how they choose to use it and how they allow it to affect them. And that brings me to…
#2: The wolf was Kanan’s warning. Now I know we don’t have all the answers to what the wolf is really up to, and I’m sure there’s a lot more to what he communicated to Kanan than just this. But the wolf sitting in the middle of the highway, blocking Kanan from thoughtlessly rushing into the middle of an Imperial-overrun area, was his warning. I don’t hold Kanan’s actions against him, they’re totally natural. Everyone begins to make bad moves in their lives, I’ve done it myself countless times. But I’ve always had my parents to let me know when something is going in a dangerous direction, and to caution me about how this might end. That was what the wolf did for Kanan. It was letting him know that his emotionally fueled decision would probably end in disaster, and it gave him a few minutes to calm down and realize this for himself. Kanan knew what he was doing was a bad idea, and it speaks volumes about his character that, although initially frustrated by the interruption of his plan, it didn’t take him long to change that attitude around. The look on his face when he removes his mask and asks, “What must I do?” reminds us that he’s really worried about Hera, but he’s also willing to wait and accept the wolf’s correction. Like I said, I’m sure we’ll be finding out a lot more about the wolves when the season starts back up, and there’s probably much deeper things that it told Kanan concerning his and Ezra’s place on Lothal. But for now, to me, the wolf was a warning sign, forcing Kanan to stop, breathe, and realize just what he was about to do.
Kanan decides to go back and try to help Hera.
Now #3: Are you ready? This is a really big one, and I’m probably gonna be ranting for a while to be able to really show you the depth of it all. Here we go…
I’ve already said, I don’t blame Kanan for his reaction. It’s totally natural. And beyond that, when you really think about it, unlike the choices made by Anakin, what’s happening with Kanan is based on a much purer intent.
Remember where this man has come from. He lost everything. His childhood, his way of life, his family, his faith, even his own name and identity. He became lost somewhere between pain, anger, and denial. The pain of trying to understand why everything happened the way it did, his anger at the Force for letting such a horrible fate befall those who lived every moment of their lives in faith to it and at the troopers who called themselves his friends only to betray him as a young teenaged boy, and his denial of the fact that he truly cared about any of it anymore. We find out in A New Dawn that Kanan worked jobs with excitement and danger to numb everything he was feeling, and to make enough money to try to drink away everything that had happened. And in the middle of all that, here comes Hera. She’s on her own mission with the infant Rebellion, and her focus is all on that. But she does have a mission. Of course, Kanan first notices her because of her physical characteristics (well, actually it was her voice first, but it didn’t take him long to notice the other). He tries to convince himself that he’s only following her around because she’s another pretty girl to flirt with. But in the end he’s dragged into her whirlwind of a mission, and by the time we first see him again in Rebels, he’s accepted her cause for his own. He’s decided that he does care about the evilness of the Empire, and that he’s willing to fight against them because he truly believes that it’s worth it, not just in the hopes that maybe Hera will pay some attention to his advances if he goes through all the motions of becoming a Rebel. But it was Hera that first showed him that there were some things worth fighting for.
Had it not been for Hera Syndulla coming to Gorse in attempt to gain information on the Empire’s surveillance practices, then giving him a chance to realize who he truly was and bringing him to understand exactly what was at stake in this war, then he would still be lost. Actually, it’s way more likely that he’d be dead by this point.
But because of Hera, he’s not lost anymore. He’s returned to his faith, he has a purpose in life, and he has a family. Now as much as I love her, I’m not trying to say that she’s perfect or that she’s the only one who has contributed to his character development. It’s also been the result of taking on Ezra as his apprentice, as well as interactions with other characters the team has encountered, such as how meeting Captain Rex and his compatriots helped him to finally release the bitterness and anger he held for the troopers that slaughtered his master, Depa Bilaba, and later hunted him down. However, this does all lead back to Hera, and her decision to give him a chance.
This really hit me way back in season two, in the episode “The Protector of Concord Dawn”. When Hera is hurt badly in an attempt to persuade the Mandalorian faction the Protectors to join the Rebel cause, Kanan chooses to go back to Concord Dawn and try again, while Sabine is bent on taking revenge on those that hurt Hera. When Sabine sneaks on board the Phantom as he’s taking off, he tells her that he’s giving the Protectors another chance. Even though they explicitly said “No thanks” the first time and almost killed the Ghost crew’s captain and team leader. He knows that these Mandos can be a huge help to the Rebellion, and that it’s what Hera would have wanted them to do. This becomes a running theme throughout the episode, as Kanan continues to staunchly believe that some people just need a second (or maybe third or even fourth) chance, like the one he was given. It struck me that this was his way of carrying on what Hera did for him: she gave him a second chance, put up with all his annoying flirting and attempts to get out of everything, and in the end he saw just how important the cause of the fight against the Empire was. And that made a huge impact on him.
Can you really blame the guy for having an attachment to her? I know I’d certainly have an attachment to any person who did all that for me, whether there was any more to it than that or not.
But for them, there is more to it.
On top of everything she’s done for him, not to mention the things he’s done for her, how long they’ve fought side-by-side in this war and always been there to have each other’s back… there’s even more to their relationship. These two have cared deeply about each other for a long time, longer than even the show has shown. From the moment they met and and got sucked into the Gorse Conflict together, they just seemed to “click”. Their personalities, their gifts and skill sets, their methods of fighting; somehow, everything fit together to make them an amazing team. It wasn’t hard to pick up on the attraction between the two, something that went deeper than just the flirty, surface here-then-gone relationships Kanan had managed to always find during his years in hiding. Though it understandably took Hera a while to let herself get close to him, once she did, she found a battle partner that would stand by her side through everything, and ultimately, a life partner as well. These two are bound together in one of the deepest ways, and their faith in each other is one of the few things that gives them a bit of joy. Even Dave Filoni has one of his famous tweets dedicated to the two and how their relationship brings them some joy in the darkness through their complete understanding of each other. We still don’t know how their story will end, and whether they’ll be able to do anything with this connection and actually end up living out their lives together as they hope, but undeniably, the wish to do so is there. Everything’s still not out in the open between them, but after over three seasons of dancing around it, their feelings for each other have become pretty evident. The possibility of a future together is one of the few things they can hold on to through everything else.
So to finally come around to point #3 in my breakdown of Kanan’s reaction: What he wanted wasn’t wrong.
What he wanted was to try to help the woman who helped him find his way, who is the reason why he’s even on Lothal in the first place, the reason why the other members of the team are around and probably why all of them are still breathing at that very moment. You can see that in his expression when he removes his mask to talk to the wolves. He just wants to try to protect her, and he doesn’t want to have to add her to the list of things he’s lost. Especially not the the reason she would be going on that list was because he turned around and left when he could’ve tried to go back for her. Can anyone truly blame him for that? Of course there was no chance he could have actually help her. He was one person, not to mention one blind person, among a ton of Imperial troops sent there specifically the take out him and his crew. Like I said way up at the top, his decision was rash and it was necessary for the wolf to stop him; but at the heart of the whole thing was a very pure and understandable desire.
#4: I can’t blame Kanan…. because he stopped.
If Kanan had blasted his way right straight into the city, only to be gunned down by stormtroopers moments after arrival, I don’t think I’d be able to blame him too much then either. I would have been disappointed in him, definitely. He’s way too smart, especially after all he’s been through and how much he’s grown over the course of this show. I would have been super annoyed at however wrote that ending for this character. I mean, seriously?? Give him all that character development and build everything up, just for him to act that dumb and die from it? And honestly, I would probably have been really mad at Kanan for a while… until I though it all out and realized everything behind it. It still would have felt like a major cop-out, though, and I’m really glad the team didn’t take it in that direction.
But the ultimately, once you dig into all these complexities behind Kanan’s choice, why he made it, what the wolf was there for, and everything else, the reason why I personally don’t blame Kanan for what he did is…
Because he stopped.
When the Loth-wolf had to get in his way and stop him to warn him of what he was about to do….
He stopped. He listened. He asked what he needed to do to make it all right again.
In the first installment of The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf the Grey has finally come to the horrible truth about that shiny golden circle that Bilbo Baggins owns: it is indeed the One Ring of Power, created by the Dark Lord Sauron and filled with his malice for all other living beings. Gandalf knows exactly what it means, and exactly what it could do to the unsuspecting Mr. Baggins, who found it on his adventure with the Dwarves so many years ago. He knows that he must act fact, and separate Bilbo from the Ring if the hobbit is to have any hope of escaping its grasp. But having already had the ring in his possession for over sixty years meant that it was beginning have an effect on him. Bilbo wants to leave it behind, but at the same time he doesn’t; he tells Gandalf that it’s in an envelope on the mantle as he starts out the door, only to realize it’s actually in his pocket. When Gandalf begins to urge him to leave it, Bilbo snaps and accuses Gandalf of wanting to steal it from him, getting a look in his eyes that is eerily reminiscent of another former owner of this “Precious” little gem. Gandalf seems to grow twice his size, his voice deepens, and he reprimands the hobbit harshly, breaking the Ring’s hold on Bilbo, reminding him, “I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m trying to help you.” As Bilbo’s eyes fill with tears in realization of what’s happening, he runs to Gandalf’s arms, before turning his back on the Ring once and for all, and setting off for a long vacation with the Elves in Rivendale.
From the first time I ever watched Fellowship, I never blamed Bilbo. I understood exactly what was going on with him, and sympathized with his plight. He never meant any harm by picking up the Ring, and he never had any malicious intent in using it to play disappearing jokes on people. Everything that happened with him was a result of the higher powers of Middle-earth at play.
But I never felt anything against Gandalf either, because it was his job to stop Bilbo before it was too late.
See, just like Kanan, and just like all of us people, Bilbo did ultimately have a choice about what he would do. He could defy Gandalf, give himself over to the control of the Ring, and choose to serve Sauron, whether initially or not. Kanan could stop, listen to what the wolf had to say, and decide whether or not to continue with his very bad emotional decision to try to save Hera. Bilbo gave up the Ring. Kanan turned back around.
As Kanan heads back towards the city, he is stopped by the mysterious white Loth-wolf, who has a message for him.
Finally, #5: I hope it all ends OK. Now obviously I hope that the show overall ends OK. I need to see the crew of the Ghost survive, even if they decide to go their separate ways until the war is over. I really don’t want to see Kanan and Hera’s relationship end in tragedy, either, though I’m not naive to the fact that many fans do believe he will die, possibly in sacrifice for his “family”, before the show is over. What ever happens, however, I don’t want to see his and Hera’s relationship get blamed. I don’t want Kanan to make a rash decision and run into a trap because of his feelings for her.
There’s a theory out there right now that the wolf showed Kanan a vision of Hera’s future, of all the things she’ll accomplish with the Rebellion, and this will lead to him laying down his own life to rescue her. If it’s an absolute necessity for Kanan to die, then I want it to be something like this. I want him to go into it with his eyes open, and I want it to be done in a way that won’t cause fans to blame their relationship for causing him to make a decision out of emotion and therefore lose his life. I don’t want to see yet another Star Wars character get punished for loving, when the entire core theme of the story is the power of Light, a.k.a. love, vs. Darkness, a.k.a. hate.
Alrighty, that was a lot longer than I intended. (Can anyone else tell how much I NEED this show to start back, SOON??) But this is something that’s been going through my mind since watching the episode, and I’m thinking that a lot of fans might take it the wrong way, and just wanted to share my analysis of it all.
Until next time,
May the Wind under your Wings carry you to where the Sun Sails and the Moon Walks, and the Force be with you, always!
This article was written by Shay S., Creator, Chief Editor, and Podcast Host for The Elven Padawan, and first appeared on ElvenPadawan.com
What did you think of this breakdown of Kanan’s decisions? What did you think of “Rebel Assault” in general? Are you just as excited as I am about the rest of the season?! Let me know in the comments below!! 🙂
Star Wars Rebels: “Rebel Assault”: episode review
Welcome to this final Star Wars Rebels review of the year from The Elven Padawan!
That’s right, this Monday’s episode, “Rebel Assault”, led us right into the mid-season hiatus screaming and yelling. Well, maybe not literally, but it definitely was a major cliffhanger to end on! Shay and Audrey once again give you their big thoughts on this episode, which aired in the U.S. on Disney XD on November 13, 2017.
This episode gave finally gave us that long-awaited attack on Lothal by the Rebels, but things didn’t go as anyone was hoping. Instead, it quickly morphed into a battle for survival in the Imperial-occupied streets of Lothal, as Hera tried to make her way to safety after her attack goes horribly wrong. As usual, this review is full of SPOILERS! so continue forward at your own risk!
I hope you enjoy this review from The Elven Padawan, and be looking for more when Star Wars Rebels resumes its fourth and final season in early 2018.
Shay: So starting off, this was definitely a very Hera-based episode. She really got her moments to shine in here, and it was actually a lot different from the episodes focused on her that we’ve gotten in the past. I enjoyed it myself, and we’ll talk about that in a minute, but I’ve seen some people who are a little annoyed with it. Because they really advertised that, after the first several episodes, this season would really focus mainly on Ezra and tying up his story, while some people feel that it’s actually been focusing more on Kanan and Hera.
What did you think about the flip here to centering in on her?
Audrey: We haven’t really seen a ton of Hera this season. I felt like before, Ezra and Sabine were getting a little too much screen time, so I was excited that we got some Hera action in this one. I think all the others’ stories are going to end up influencing Ezra’s, so in a way it’s still about him and his desire to help Lothal.
Shay: That’s been pretty much my thoughts as well. I mean, yes, they are putting a lot of focus on Kanan right now, and on his and Hera’s relationship. But in my opinion, that is all going to go back to Ezra. Whatever happens to those guys really determines where Ezra goes from here, from whether or not each of them survives, to what they choose to do with their lives from here on out if they do… honestly, whatever happens between Kanan and Hera is going to really affect him as well, because it will lead them to make certain choices about their lives, and the way all these characters are tied together as a family means that no one’s choices only have consequences for that individual, they affect all of them, together.
Right now, I’m really liking how it’s being balanced between all the characters. I’m glad it’s coming back to focus on the Ghost crew family unit and their interactions with each other, instead of each of them off on their individual adventures. We get a couple episodes of Sabine-focused story, then on Ezra and Sabine, then one with Ezra and Kanan, then one with Hera, but ultimately they’re done in a way that ties whatever happens to one or two of the crew to everyone else, and they’re balanced out so no one individual, or duo, gets too much screen time while the others just kinda tag along.
Audrey: Every time someone called Hera “General” in this episode, I wanted to go “Yes! General Syndulla!”
Shay: Oh yeah!!
So, I think everyone probably has already picked up on how much I love Hera, so for me personally, it was so amazing to see her get this focus, which was literally an entire episode showing us why she ends up as such a legend in the Rebellion. Not only is she crazy good at flying, but this was the first time we got to see her doing a lot of ground fighting, unless you count some parts in A New Dawn. It was really cool to see her doing all that sneaking around, trying to stay away from Ruhk and help Mart, and eventually going hand-to-hand with Thrawn’s assassin.
We’d never seen her fight like that, and it reminded me of a few things: first off, she was born for this war. It’s like Thrawn said back in season 3, he studies it, but she was forged by it. And also, it reminded me that she is not invincible. It’s sometimes really easy to see Hera as being this perfect, invincible pillar of strength all the time, but sometimes there are places where she’s really in trouble. I’m not trying to say she’s weak or can’t take care of herself or anything like that, but when she was fighting Ruhk hand-to-hand, it reminded me of how easily something actually could happen to her. Especially when he picked her up and threw her back down. He actually *lifted her completely off the ground and threw her across the street*. We’ve known for a little while now that she has to survive at least to Rogue One, and now we know she gets at least as far as Return of the Jedi, but I was really starting to get worried for her!! She’s not totally “unbreakable”.
Audrey: The first time she faced Rukh, when she got away, (go Chopper!), I thought that was it, that Rukh wasn’t going to take her. I wasn’t really expecting her to actually get taken. It was painful to watch Hera get thrown around like that; I especially hated the end when Pryce stunned her and took her away. Other than the very beginning, this episode didn’t have any victories for the Rebels, they lost a lot in it. Which is why it bugs me that I saw somewhere that someone said something along the lines of, “… but no real losses, nope, not on Rebels.” They lost nearly an entire squadron, they failed to destroy the factory, and two pilots were taken prisoner! Those are real losses, a “real loss” doesn’t mean a main character has to die.
Shay: Ug, I just wanted to punch Pryce then!! She’s been even more annoying that usual lately, but when she caught Hera and then says, “Such a small victory,” then stuns her right out, it made me so mad!! She just had such disdain in her voice; even Tarkin and the Grand Inquisitor knew that catching Kanan in season one was really helpful to taking out that Rebel cell. I was like, “Do you know who this woman is?! Do you know that she’s literally the main reason you’ve been chasing these people across the galaxy for this long, and why Thrawn is getting fed up with you right now???” I mean, I didn’t want to see Hera captured at all, but it made me like Pryce even less than I already did when she didn’t even have respect for how hard to catch Hera has been. When Thrawn got her in season three he knew right off exactly who she was and what was up with her, and you can tell he’s pretty impressed with how well she’s thwarted all his plans so far, or has at least escaped and kept her family safe.
And I know what you mean there, too. I’m seeing people who seem to be getting bored with it already because “nothing big has happened”. I don’t know how they can say that, honestly. Yes, we haven’t seen any main characters die yet. Yes, there are a lot of mysteries that we still don’t have a lot of clues to. But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been big already! Just the fact that they’re finally dealing with the Kanera is huge, since they’ve been teasing their relationship since A New Dawn and the first Rebels character shorts.
And here’s something I’m thinking people aren’t picking up on: how is their failure here going to contribute to other things that may happen soon?
Yes, Rebel pilots do die frequently on here. So maybe people are a bit desensitized to what it means for Hera to have lost almost her entire squadron. But keep in mind that the Alliance didn’t want to let her have this mission in the first place. In their eyes, there are much bigger things to worry about right now than just a TIE Defender factory on a little Outer Rim planet. They’re starting to hear rumors of a superweapon, they’ve just found out about Protocol 13, and Saw is really starting to get out of hand. They’re already lost a lot to Thrawn, and they don’t want to continue trying to do things that will just cause them to loose even more resources.
While they did say “yes” to Hera in the end, it was because she begged them, and they finally became convinced that she could do the job. But now they’ve lost a ton of ships, and we know from earlier storylines like “Steps into Shadow” just how hard it is to get more. We know they’ve lost a bunch of good pilots, which is not only saddening because those were individual people and the Rebellion values the lives of everyone, but also because fresh pilots are hard to find and train. We know that from “The Antilles Extraction”. And we also know what a great leader and fighter Hera is, and how they’re finally starting to realize that, and now they’ve lost her, too.
It’s really starting to make a lot of sense how the Rebellion doesn’t want to send people out to Scarif in Rogue One, but beyond just that, I’m a bit worried about how they might respond to any other future tragedies that Hera may ask for help on once she’s able to escape.
Honestly, I’m almost starting to think the reason that she wasn’t there at the meeting with Jyn and Bodhi was because they’re making her have some “cool off time” because of all the trouble she’s been causing lately.
Audrey: And it’s not her fault that they failed either! She got them through the blockaid, and got rid of Skerris, although she did have a bit of help from the Imperials shooting towards their own disobedient pilot. I try not to cheer when characters die, but I was so ready for that guy to be gone.
Shay: Yes, finally! He was such a pain. Why can’t anyone in the Empire just listen to Thrawn when he tells them stuff? I mean really, his track record should show that every. single. stinking. time. this happens, who ever is not listening dies, and he goes on the win the day anyway!
Of course I wouldn’t have to Empire to actually win, but really, if they would actually just work with each other, and especially with Thrawn, they would have crushed the Rebellion within about 5 years.
I hope you enjoyed this review of “Rebel Assault”! Did you have a favorite shot or line from this episode? (Some of those views from the space battle were just plan epic!) Are there any parts of the episode you’d like to discuss with me? Let me know in the comments, I always love chatting with you guys!
Star Wars Rebels: “Kindred” and “Crawler Commanders”: episode review
Welcome back to another Star Wars: Rebels review from The Elven Padawan!
Shay and Audrey return once again to give you their thoughts and reactions from the two most recent episodes of this final season of the hit show: “Kindred” and “Crawler Commanders”, both of which aired in the U.S. on Disney XD on November 6, 2017.
These episodes saw the Ghost crew continue their efforts alongside the Lothal rebels as they encountered new enemies and began to discover more about the larger forces at play behind the battle for this seemingly-insignificant world. Things are beginning to move forward for the Rebels as they face new revelations and mysteries, triumphs and challenges, both in the battle and on a personal level. This episode review is full of MAJOR SPOILERS, so read on at your own risk!!
I hope you enjoy what we have to say, and be looking forward for The Elven Padawan’s final review for this half of season 4 after the mid-season finale, “Rebel Assault”, airs next week on Monday, October 13, 2017.
Even more questions begin to rise about the connections between the mysterious creatures on Lothal, the Force, and the Jedi of the Ghost crew. Source: StarWars.com
Shay: So starting right out, what was your big initial reaction to this set of new episodes? Favorite moment, line, scene, ya know?
And I already have a feeling a lot of ours are gonna be very similar…
Audrey: They were both really good! I loved seeing more wolves, Hera trying to convince the Rebels to launch an attack, and that Kanera part! My favorite line was probably Ezra’s entire impersonation attempt.
And Hera’s speech. Those parts are tied.
And Hera’s speech. Those parts are tied.
Shay: That speech was definitely amazing!! We had already heard a lot of it through the trailers for this season, but her determination to show the Rebel Alliance that this chance was worth taking was so great. I love how they’re not simply accepting that Hera’s a flat, “Rebel-leader-plus-mom-figure” at this point. I think she’s still got a lot of struggles to work through, even though they won’t be as front-and-center as those of some of the other members of the crew. She’s having to realize that the Alliance isn’t perfect, and many times she’s going to disagree with them and will probably even have to take things into her own hands when it gets in the way of what she believes is right. It’s a lot like the the Battle of Scarif. We still don’t know exactly how that went down, but we know that Admiral Raddus and all the others who went there, including Hera probably, weren’t technically supposed to, but they did it anyway. We saw some of her struggle in that way through these episodes, where she was told to leave the conversation and later worried that they didn’t trust her judgement.
Hera is upset when the Alliance doesn’t seem to be taking her warnings on the danger of the TIE Defender, and the need to help Lothal, seriously enough. Source: StarWars.com
Shay: On the other side, I laughed so many times throughout both of these episodes, and that actually surprised me a lot! Not that I was expecting them to be super dark or heavy or anything, but just because it catches you off-guard so much. Here they are in really a very dire situation, and we’ve got a lot of jokes about Ezra going through the vents, Seevor horrified at what he sounds like, and then Ezra cracking a joke when the poor guy got incinerated!!
What did you think of the humor in these episodes? In some places, even though it was very funny and I loved it, I kinda felt a little bad for laughing because of what was actually going on, like Zeb repeatedly beating Seevor up to keep him quiet, and like I said before, when he actually met his end.
Audrey: I’m glad they put some humor in to balance out all the fighting and other things going on. The whole scene when Seevor falls backwards was framed really oddly to me though, and kind of worries me, but other than that, the other funny moments were well thought out.
Desperate to get a transmission through to Hera and the Rebellion on Yavin 4, the crew hijacks a Mining Guild crawler and meets its very interesting captain, Seevor. Source: StarWars.com
Shay: These episodes were actually a lot more “hopeful” than I thought they would be… I don’t want to say “light-hearted”, but that’s actually the closest word I can think of to what I was feeling from them…
The last several episodes before these weren’t too terribly heavy, but they were much more so than these, what with seeing just how bad Lothal has gotten, and the ones before that, with Saw and then with what was going on with Mandalore.
When these episodes finished up, it really felt like things could be looking up for the Rebels, and I found myself wanting to believe it could all go OK. But I’m afraid they’re just setting us up with false security, and then the second half of this season is gonna come rushing in with everything going downhill really fast.
I wonder if they’re setting it for for the characters to feel that way, too, though. Especially with that very last scene in “Crawler Commanders”, where Hera calls in to tell them they’re bringing the attack force to try to help Lothal; everyone is smiling, and especially for Ezra, things are finally starting to look up. I wonder if they’re going to be in for a very hard truth on just how desperate the situation is next episode?
Audrey: Can they even pull off destroying the TIE factory? I don’t know if that would count as a major victory or not, since they can’t have one until Rogue One. From what we’ve seen in the trailers, it’s not going to go very well. But even if it fails, I did love seeing them so hopeful and happy for a moment, especially Ezra. He’s had to wait so long for this!
Shay: Ah, I know! And after last season, too, when everything seemed so dark and it looked like it was all falling apart so fast. In just a few episodes it’s like everything has turned around, and it both warms and break my heart to see them all like this. Ezra’s so excited that his home will finally get some help from the Rebellion, Kanan and Hera seem to have a promising future to their relationship, Sabine’s family problems and the occupation on Mandalore have all been resolved, and Zeb’s just happy to be there and support everyone. I honestly have no clue what Chopper is feeling, but he seems pretty positive right now too, so that’s pretty major.
But then I remember that part from the opening crawl of A New Hope, and I start to worry.
I personally think being able to do that much damage to the Empire, especially on a planet like Lothal, which seems to be really instrumental to their plan for some reason, would be a pretty big victory…
The Rebels look forward to the future in hope, as Hera tells them the the Rebel Alliance is planning an attack on the Empire stationed on Lothal. Source: StarWars.com
Shay: Ok, so now lets talk some specifics on these episodes.
“Kindred” was the first appearance of a new character pulled from Legends, Ruhk! This guy was Thrawn’s personal assassin in the Old EU, and he’s carried that same occupation over into his role in New Canon and in Rebels specifically. He’s also a Noghri, which is a race we’ve never seen on-screen before. And of course we can’t forget that he’s voiced by Warwick Davis, which a lot of Star Wars fans should know as Wicket!
What did you think about Ruhk and the way he was portrayed here? Do you think he’s a legitimate threat to the Rebels, and they should be really aware of him? Or will he turn out to be more like the Fifth Brother was, and look and seem creepy, but not end up actually doing any damage?
Audrey: He is pretty creepy looking. And his voice is creepy sounding too. I definitely think he’s a threat for the Rebels, they’ve never had an experienced assassin hunting them before. Ezra was losing that short brawl before he Force-pushed him away. He’s got a lot of cool gadgets and weapons. I think he may have been part of the group that went to wipe out all the Lasat, because seemed to single Zeb out a lot and has a Bo-rifle.
Shay: That’s a really interesting point, and something I hadn’t thought of before! Obviously he did seem to have something going on about Zeb in particular, so I wonder if it could be a personal thing between himself and that race, like with Kallus, or maybe something where those two groups have never gotten along, kinda like the Elves and Dwarves in Middle-Earth?
Audrey: I feel like I’ve heard something about Noghri and Lasat before, but I can’t remember where.
Shay: They seem to have a similar sort of culture, based on just the little bit we know of the New Canon version of the Noghri…
Ezra battles Thrawn’s assassin, Ruhk, as he and Jai Kell try to escape from the Imperial forces. Source: StarWars.com
Shay: We also saw Pryce again in these episodes! I feel like that woman is standing on a very slippery slope right now, in a balance between being able to hang on to everything she’s fought her way to having and losing it all to Thrawn’s plans… She always thought she was the one in charge and had brought Thrawn in to help her, but now it’s beginning to appear that he’s the one calling the shots. Especially in the way it looked like she was being sent out into the field to greet Ruhk and start tracking the Rebels, while Thrawn got to just sit in his office.
Audrey: She and Rukh did not get along well. The first time they’re working together, and they’re already arguing and snapping at each other about who let who get away.
Shay: I just had a thought: I wonder if Thrawn is doing all this on purpose?? Perhaps he’s bringing in his own guys, knowing full-well how Pryce will respond, in order to show how she’s not really running things in the most productive way for the Empire, and to kinda get her out of the way so he can do what he really wants to? Knowing what we do of the way Thrawn thinks and plans all this stuff out, it definitely seems like he would already know how the two would get along and have a plan for it.
Audrey: That is such a Thrawn thing to do. I know he definitely can’t be working for the Empire at the end of this season, but I wonder if Price isn’t so prominent that she would have to go just because we don’t see her later.
Governer Pryce is beginning to have things slip out of her control, and she does not like it. Source: StarWars.com
Shay: Next thing up: #Kanera!
Ok, so I know we’ve already discussed this a little together, but there has been a lot of stuff between Kanan and Hera going on lately, and there still is, but “Kindred” finally got us some stuff we’d been waiting for a very long time on.
What do you think of where their relationship is headed, and how it looks like it’s finally getting some resolution?
Audrey: I do not have a very good feeling about where it’s going to lead. One of the reasons Mr. Dave decided to finally get around to addressing it was probably because he knew he could make fans feel more if Kanan doesn’t have a place to stay through the Original Trilogy.
But even though it will probably make things that might happen later harder, I am very happy we are at least getting some happy moments.
Shay: I’m both very happy and very worried about it… You’re right, it only makes sense that they’re finally getting around to it now just to make it hit us all the harder when it doesn’t end well for Kanan, but I’m drawing a little bit of hope from the fact that Han and Leia got their happy ending (well, for about 30 years, anyway…)
And finally including some moments between those two actually served to lighten these episodes up quite a bit. Especially with their scene right before Hera leaves. I had thought that if they resolved anything between them, it would be when things were already pretty bad, much like Han and Leia’s scene at the end of TESB, when he’s about to be carbon-frozen. And while I think we might still get something like that between them, it was really sweet to do it the way they did, and remind everyone that even with as dark as things are looking, there’s still some moments of light in there. The way the rest of the crew, and even Ryder, started smiling when they saw what was going on just really made me grin.
Audrey: I’ve forgiven Ryder for ruining it the first time, he even tried to be polite and said “s’cuse me”.
Shay: Yeah, I think I have to forgive him too…. And I have to forgive Zeb, because his grin over that was really cute…
I feel like Ryder and everyone else have been kinda watching them this whole time, knowing something was coming, but just waiting for it to actually happen. The way he said “Excuse me” made it sound like he’d been standing there for a bit.
Kanan and Hera share a moment together as Hera prepares to leave for Yavin 4. Source: StarWars.com
Shay: And finally…. the Loth-wolves!!
We’ve all been begging for more of those guys, but every time we get them back we just end up with more questions!! Like why is that one calling on Kanan? And why does it keep referring to him by his real name?? And how in the galaxy did they travel halfway across the planet like that??? So many questions!!
We knew it was going to start getting “weird”, and I know a lot of people, including myself, kinda worried about that, but right now I’m just intrigued. I really want to know what’s going on here, and I’m really excited to find out more!
Audrey: All the wall designs are really mysterious too. I found Yoda in one of them, but I have no idea what any of it means.
Shay: I know, right?! I wonder if this is connected to how Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are able to “become One with the Force at will”, as well know they are able to “teleport” as Force Ghosts. Though that actually is pretty different, as they’re more or less just a presence within the Force, whereas these wolves seem to actually be living beings.
The wall designs to indeed seem to be telling a story, and I’ve seen people already speculating on who the different individuals they portray could be. I guess it’s also possible that they’re just random people and Jedi (or Force-users).
Something that really interested me about all this was the fact that not only the Jedi, but also Zeb, Sabine, and Ryder were able to be transported, and they didn’t have to be knocked out, like when Sabine and Ezra rode on the wolf in “Flight of the Defender”. I wonder how that works? I definitely can not wait till we get to find out more!
The mysteries of the Loth-wolves deepen as they take the Rebels deep into the caves of Lothal, and seeming to walk across space, transport them halfway across the planet. Source: StarWars.com
What did you think of these episodes? Do you have any thoughts, theories, or speculations on what’s up with the Loth-wolves? What do you think of Thrawn’s recent moves against the Rebellion? Let me know in the comments!
“In the Name of the Rebellion”: episode review
Welcome to The Elven Padawan’s review of “In the Name of the Rebellion”, episodes 3 and 4 of the finale season of Star Wars Rebels. This episode featured the return of Saw Gererra, a character first appearing in the pevious Star Wars animated series, The Clone Wars, and who also played a key part in last year’s entry to the Star Wars anthologies, Rogue One. This episode also featured the first appearance of the Massassi Rebel base seen in both Rogue One and A New Hope, as well as many clues about the ongoing construction of the Death Star and the current state of the Rebel Alliance.
Just like last week, I reviewed this episode with my friend Audrey via email. There are some petty major spoilers here, so read at your own risk!
I hope you enjoy this review, and be looking forward to The Elven Padawan’s coverage of the next episodes of Star Wars Rebels, “The Occupation” and “Flight of the Defender”, which will be airing this coming Monday.
Several members of the Ghost crew finally arrive at the Rebel Alliance base on Yavin 4. Source: StarWars.com
Shay: This episode starts with Kanan, Ezra, Sabine, and Chopper heading to the Rebel Alliance base on Yavin 4 after the events of “Heroes of Mandalore”.
What was very interesting to me about all this is that it seems like those guys hadn’t even been to Yavin 4 yet, and they hadn’t even really met the rest of Rogue Squadron. They really seemed kinda clueless. Which is odd if we’re assuming that about 6 months has passed between the end of the beginning of this season and the end of last, which is how it usually goes.
Audrey: I guess they left right after “Zero Hour” with Sabine and Tristan, though it doesn’t make sense why Hera would have to convince Mon Mothma to let them go if they hadn’t even met up yet.
Shay: That’s what I was thinking as well. I’m guessing that, after everything went down on Attolon, Mon expected all the remnants of the Rebellion to go straight to Yavin 4 and continue their work there.
Maybe she didn’t want any members of the official “Rebel Alliance” involved in the war on Mandalore, which would makes sense considering her talk with Ezra in this episode. Perhaps that is what Hera had to convince her of.
But the odd thing was, at the very end of last season, it seemed they were all heading straight back to Yavin, except for maybe Sabine.
And that also means that if about 6 months has passed between seasons, those guys haven’t seen Hera and Zeb for that long. That’s kinda crazy, if you think about how close they’ve always been throughout the rest of this series. It also explains how excited Hera was to see them all back again.
Audrey: Especially Hera and Chopper! I bet they haven’t been parted for more than a few days since she found him. They returned at the perfect time, right after Hera was devastated because of the attack on her squadron. That reunion was so neat!
Shay: Ahh, I loved it so much too! Space family forever!
But I also think this might help explain some things from the last episode, as well, especially about Kanan and Hera’s conversation. Remember how we said it was kind of odd, because he hasn’t acted that way in a long time and it seemed to throw her a bit? We were wondering what had changed between seasons for them to be back in their old back-and-forth thing like that. And also, we know that in this season both of them are really giving a lot of thought into what’s gong on between them and their future, especially Kanan. To me, it makes a lot of sense that, if they had been apart for that long, he would have really started thinking about that, and it also makes sense that she’s a little more open to the idea now that she’s realized just how easy it would be to loose her family (“Zero Hour” showed her that), and she’s realizing just how much she’ll miss them if they’re gone.
Mon Mothma, General Dodonna, and Senator Bail Organa fill Hera Syndulla and her crew in on the most recent happenings in the Rebellion. Source: StarWars.com
Shay: So after the family gets back together, they all head to see Mon Mothma and talk about their next mission.
And can we just please talk about Kallus for a moment.
Audrey: Yes!! Rebel Kallus! I never expected him to be such an important character or to really have any development. They’ve done a great job making you care what happens to him. He’s used to be one of those characters I’d think “Oh great, it’s him.” whenever he appeared, but now I want to see more of him and what his place will be in the Rebellion.. They never called him Alexsandr though. That disappointed me a little.
Shay: They definitely need to get that in sometime before this season is over.
Or maybe he should just get his own comic book series!
I’m really happy with all the development we’ve seen from him, it’s amazing how he’s become such a big fan-favorite when originally he was just a petty “meh” villain.
Shay: Mon Mothma and Ezra had a very interesting discussion in this season, about the whole idea of “how we choose to fight”. This seems like it’s going to be a reoccurring theme throughout this season, and it’s really been something the crew has been dealing with every since the beginning.
What did you think of what Ezra was saying, and Mon’s explanation to him?
Audrey: I can understand Ezra completely. His home and his people are suffering under the oppression of the Empire, and he wants to do something about it. I’d feel that way too. But Mon Mothma points out that there are many, many more plants and people going through the same things, that they can’t just focus on one planet. Also, she says how they still aren’t ready for open war. She has to think about the safety the people involved in the Alliance and the bigger picture over all.
Shay: I loved how she explained everything out to him, and even revealed that her world is in a very similar situation to Lothal.
I find Ezra to be extremely relateable in a lot of the things he does and says, so like you, I did understand what he meant. But at the same time, I did understand what Mon was trying to get across to him.
Of course, this is the point where Saw pops up and he and Mon have an argument about the way the Rebellion is being run. It’s been amazing getting to see how Saw has progressed as a character over the years, from where he started out in The Clone Wars, to showing up again in Rebels, and eventually where we find him in Rogue One.
Rebel extremest Saw Gererra argues with Mon Mothma about how the Rebellion should be doing things. Source: StarWars.com
Shay: What did you think of the way Mon handled Saw at this point? We’ve always seen her so calm and collected, no matter what happens, so it was definitely mixing things up to see her get very upset like she did here.
Audrey: For the most part, I didn’t agree with what he was saying. If the Rebels are trying to fight terror of the Empire, they can’t fight it by causing more terror. But when Mon Mothma says they’re still trying to find a peaceful way in the Senate, I kinda laughed because the Senate won’t be around much longer, and even if it was, what’s the Emperor going to do? Say, “Oh I didn’t realize I was causing so much trouble. I’ll stop being so evil now”?
I’m glad she tries to reason with him, instead of just shutting him off right away. She makes her points without being mean, but when it’s clear he’s not going to listen, she walks away.
They also listened to each other without interrupting, which doesn’t happen in many disagreements.
Shay: I thought the same thing when I first saw it! She basically said that the Senate no longer had any hope when she resigned and began the Alliance last season, so it made me scratch my head when she went right back to that argument again here.
I understand that she wants to hold out hope that the Senate will be able to work things out, but at the same time, it’s beginning to make her look a little naive. Don’t get me wrong, I love Mon Mothma, and I respect how strong she’s been about making sure everything the Rebellion does is held up to a strict moral code. But sometimes I think she tries so hard to keep hoping something will happen peacefully that she misses what’s going on in the rest of the galaxy. It reminds me of Satine’s quote from The Clone Wars: “Hope will only go so far.”
I do really like how, like you said, they handled the whole thing very civilly and gave a good example of how to deal with conflicts like that.
Shay: And then the family heads off on another adventure! Man, it was just so good to see them all back together and doing missions as a group like old times. Even though a lot of things are different now, and there’s a bit of tension between everyone because of everything (Hera trying to be devoted to the Rebellion, Ezra wanting to help his people and also trying to figure out his own destiny, Kanan trying to figure out his path), but it still just made me so happy.
Plus all the times they kept referring to Ezra and Sabine as “the kids”.
Audrey: I loved seeing them all together again too! (Even though I think Ezra and Sabine have been getting a bit too much screen time lately.) At first I thought Kanan wasn’t even going to be part of this mission, so I’m glad he tagged along.
Everyone was using their gifts in this one, Kanan’s force-sight, Hera’s flying, Zeb’s TIE defender shooting, Sabine’s explosives and technology knowledge, Ezra’s… impersonating and blaster fire cover, and Chopper’s droid abilities. They make such a great team!
Shay: It’s because they’re a family!
And poor little Ezra…. I loved how exasperated Sabine kept getting with him. Especially over the whole “Brom Titus” thing, and his wave when they were there on the dish. That was so Ezra!
And I have to bring up Kanan and Hera’s flying together, too. I loved how trusting they were of each other, and how they are pretty much unstoppable when they’re doing that.
Audrey: “Boy, I must trust you a lot.” “I know you do.”
I loved that part…
Shay: Ahh, it was so good!!
Kanan’s “Force sight” has really developed a lot since he first started using it, way back in the beginning of season 2 when they were in that sandstorm with Rex and his buddies. It’s really interesting to see yet another example of how each Jedi has their own gifts, and how their circumstances help bring that out and cultivate it.
Hera flies the Ghost as Kanan uses the Force to help guide her through the mist. Source: StarWars.com
Shay: And then in comes Saw to save the day!
I wonder if those bombs he threw down onto the dish were proton bombs, like what the Rebel kept trying to find last season, or if they were rhydonium, like what they used against the fyrnocks in season 1? Because the explosion had all the colors like a rhydonium explosion would…
Audrey: They looked like the proton bombs from “The Wynkathu Job”, but that was a beautiful explosion.
Audrey: And no more Commander Brom Titus.
Shay: Honestly, I can’t say I’m gonna miss him very much… Of course, now Ezra can’t impersonate him, either, and it was always funny when he did that.
I also loved it when Saw called in to Hera and said, “Don’t worry, your kids will be safe with me.”
Saw’s basically just this guy who goes around the galaxy stealing other people’s kids and bringing them over to his way of thinking, then deserting them and making them go to the other way of thinking.
Saw’s basically just this guy who goes around the galaxy stealing other people’s kids and bringing them over to his way of thinking, then deserting them and making them go to the other way of thinking.
Audrey: Basically. XD
Shay: Now Saw, Two Tubes, Ezra, Sabine, and Chopper are all headed to a mission at Faos Station, where Saw has some intel about a top-secret Imperial shipment there.
We know Saw has been chasing this mysterious “Imperial superweapon” around since “Ghosts of Geonosis”, and really even before that he was obsessed with finding out what the Empire wanted with kyber crystals. I have to wonder exactly how much he knew about it all at this time. Because, and correct me if I’m wrong,but they didn’t really even know about the Death Star until Rogue One, right?
We know Saw has been chasing this mysterious “Imperial superweapon” around since “Ghosts of Geonosis”, and really even before that he was obsessed with finding out what the Empire wanted with kyber crystals. I have to wonder exactly how much he knew about it all at this time. Because, and correct me if I’m wrong,but they didn’t really even know about the Death Star until Rogue One, right?
Audrey: Yes, they didn’t know what its purpose was, or the name of it until then. I’m really curious about where exactly they’re hiding it at this point.
Shay: Me too. We know from the trailer that it looks like the Rebels will end up coming across some of the construction modules, so I’m guessing they’re moving it around from place to place as the Rebellion keeps finding out more.
What did you think of “In the Name of the Rebellion”? What are you expecting from next week’s episodes? Did you have a favorite moment from these episodes, or something you wish would have been in there? Let me know in the comments below!
“Heroes of Mandalore” parts 1 & 2: episode review
Welcome to The Elven Padawan’s review of the season 4 opener of Star Wars Rebels, “Heroes of Mandalore”. This episode marks the beginning of the end for Rebels, as season 4 will be the final season. This was an amazing episode, featuring Mandalorian Rebel Sabine Wren’s return to her homeworld to rescue her father from Imperial captivity.
To review this episode for you, I got together with my good friend and fellow Rebels fan, Audrey, and we talked through our thoughts on the highlights of this episode.
I hope you enjoy our review, and be looking forward to The Elven Padawan’s coverage of the next episode, “In the Name of the Rebellion”, after it airs next week.
Shay: So the episode starts out with Sabine, Ezra, Kanan, Fenn Rau, and a group of fighters from clan Wren in a trench, heading to an Imperial facility on Mandalore where they think Sabine’s dad is being kept. But since this is Rebels, nothing goes exactly the way it’s supposed to.
We haven’t seen Mandalore since the The Clone Wars arc there with Maul and Obi-Wan, and it’s the first time it’s ever appeared in Rebels. What were your thoughts on how it looked in this style?
Audrey: It was very dry looking. The only pictures I had seen before were of cities, so this was different than the image that would have popped into my head if someone told me to imagine Mandalore.
One of Mandalore’s highly civilized cities from The Clone Wars (top), vs. the barren wasteland of outside from Star Wars Rebels (bottom). Source: StarWars.com
Audrey: It also didn’t start out as I imagined. I thought they’d be at Yavin IV, and Sabine would be convincing them to come help. But we started right in the middle of the action!!
Shay: Exactly! In fact, when we first started the episode, my sister was trying to figure out how exactly they had gotten to that point where it picks up. Really the only thing we know is that Hera was able to convince Mon Mothma to let the Ghost crew go to help out the effort to free Sabine’s father, but beyond that it’s just a pretty big blank.
Once the Rebels make their way to the facility, they fight their way inside, only to discover that Alric Wren is not there. Bo-Katan and other members of clan Kryze greet them at this point, and let them know that everything was a trap.
One thing that really made me laugh at this point was Dave Filoni as a Stormtrooper. There’s this one point where he’s actually threatening Sabine’s life, he’s got a blaster pointed at her, and I was just thinking how in-character that seemed for him…
Audrey: Wait that was Mr. Dave? Now I’m going to have to watch it a third time just to hear that!
Even though that’s supposed to be a serious scene, they put several goofy things in it. Ezra trying to figure out his jet pack cracks me up.
Shay: It sounded just like him to me…
Also, you could tell one of the other troopers was Freddy Prinze Jr., who plays Kanan. His voice was pitched a little different, but it just cracked me up to think that Kanan and Mr. Dave somehow got recruited by the Empire.
And Ezra’s jetpack! I loved all that! Poor guy just really doesn’t have a chance when it comes to the Mandos.
Audrey: Ezra seems much less angry in this premier. He actually deactivated his lightsaber at that part without trying to put up more of a fight.
Shay: That’s true. And it made me so happy to see everyone finally getting back to their true personalities!
We know this season is supposed to get pretty dark, and very “adult”, and you can tell just from the trailer that the Rebels are gonna go through some really hard times. But I love those little bits when everyone’s just being themselves, and it doesn’t seem so heavy anymore. I think they did a really good job balancing those two things out in this episode.
I feel like a lot of people are probably gonna hate on all that goofiness in these episodes, but that’s what Ezra’s always been. He’s one of those kids who always manages to be silly, even when he’s not trying to be, and even with as dark as he got in some of the places last season, it’s in his personality to see the good and light moments in everything. I think that’s why we’ve loved him so much, because he’s not a dark, foreboding hero like Anakin, and he’s different from Luke in a lot of ways as well.
Ezra’s taking a while to figure out these jetpacks. Source: StarWars.com
Audrey: I loved seeing Sabine take charge throughout this episode. In Trials of the Darksaber, she was questioning why anyone would follow her, and now she’s coming up with all sorts of plans and leading her clan on this mission.
Shay: Yes, I totally agree! Over the course of this entire series we’ve seen her change a lot, from being really closed off to everyone, then beginning to really find her place in the Ghost crew “family” in season 2, then in season 3 she had a whole host of new issues to deal with, like her guilt over what happened with the weapon, and having to believe in herself enough to take up the Darksaber and go back home.
I don’t want this to be taken wrong, but I’m starting to think that her arc in this series is beginning to draw to a close, or at least this part of it is. I’m sure she’ll go through a lot more, and I don’t want to see her story stop with Rebels, I think they could do so much with this character heading into the New Republic era. But the whole thing with her having to find her place, and coming out of her shell and us discovering her past… that’s all drawing to a close.
Sabine leads the charge across Mandalore’s wasteland with the Darksaber as her battle standard. Source: StarWars.com
Shay: We’re also seeing that in Kanan. It made me so happy to see him have a little of his attitude back in this episode, like when he’s jumping all over the place and taking down those troopers. He’s so much more confident in everything by now, it was kinda easy to forget he’s actually blind!
Audrey: He even smiles a few times in this episode! Even with all the other tough things happening in this episode, it makes me really happy to see him back to his old self a bit.
Shay: Yess!! And his interaction with Hera in the beginning! It made me so happy to finally see them back at ease with each other, and starting to fall back into their old back-and-forth. What did you think about their conversation there, and the fact that she wasn’t even part of this mission?
Audrey: At first I was like, “Um Kanan, What are you doing?” Because last season, if Hera had told him to come back, I don’t think he would have replied with “Oh, are you having trouble toppling the Empire without me?” I wonder what changed in between S3 and S4? Hera seems a little confused. They joke around like that all the time, (or used to) so I think it might take a few tries before she decides he’s being serious.
It was a little sad that she wasn’t in the episode at all. I guess she has other Rebellion Captain jobs to do.
And then Bo-Karan comes in! Since I’ve never seen The Clone Wars, this was my first time seeing her in an episode. I liked her a lot, but she is so different from her sister. I know in TCW they were on opposite sides of how Mandalore should be ruled, but she still seems very proud of her sister in this episode.
Lady Bo-Katan Kryze, sister to the fallen Duchess Satine Kryze, as she appears in both the Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Source: StarWars.com
Shay: Yeah, I kinda felt bad for Hera, because it made me think about how apart they were in season 3, compared to how close they were in season 2. (Well, it made me think about it again. It’s not like I’ve never thought about it before.)
But I always loved their interaction and bantering together, and they really seemed to be pulling apart in season 3, so it made me really happy to see him going for it again.
And also, I think this might be answer to what we’ve talked about before, concerning that clip from Fan Expo Canada (where she says “We’ve talked about this before”, and we were wondering if that would actually be on-screen or not).
I was a little miffed that she didn’t have much of a part in this episode, but I did understand that she’s still a big part in the Rebellion, so it made sense that she wouldn’t be there. Plus we know that Vanessa Marshall has been saying that she has a big part in this season, so I’m sure we’ll get a lot of her soon.
I thought the change in Bo’s attitude was really interesting. She seemed much milder and and more worried about her followers than she was in The Clone Wars. There she was very sardonic and harsh, and like you said, on the complete opposite side of her sister. Of course, you could see that she was heartbroken when Satine actually got killed, as she had never signed up for that.
I wonder what happened in-between where TCW got cut off and where this picked up what changed her so much?
Audrey: Especially when she said she had her chance to lead and failed. When was that?
Shay: I’m assuming that was when the Jedi made her the Regent over Mandalore, but then then the Empire took over.
Here’s even more reasons why need need a whole anthology movie on the Siege of Mandalore! With a live-action Ahsoka!!
Audrey: YES!
Shay: I’m curious about your thoughts on that scene with Ezra and Sabine, where they’re standing on the balcony of the Imperial outpost. I know you like their relationship, but don’t actually ship them, and I feel like a lot of fans are gonna try to take that scene to support the MandoBerry argument.
Audrey: That part was really nice and I think whether you ship them or not, you can see they have a strong friendship. They both encourage each other and carry each other’s burdens.
Shay: They did have a lot of really good interaction in this episode, the writing for all the characters, but especially between them, I think, was very good.
I think you can take a lot of the stuff between them either way. I see a lot of connections in their relationship to my sis and me, but I also kinda get why people like to ship them…
Ezra and Sabine teasing before heading back into battle. Source: StarWars.com
Shay: I also loved how Sabine tagged the transport that Alrich was in, and he immediately knew it was her.
What did you think of his character, and the little we saw of his relationship with Sabine? And Ursa, too; it’s really interesting that they chose to have the mother be the hardened warrior, and the father the one who’s more artistic and maybe emotionally supportive.
Audrey: I really liked Alrich, he’s not your typical Mando at all, very different from Sabine and Ursa, but in lots of ways the same. I was glad to have someone else comment on Sabine’s art who wasn’t Thrawn! He didn’t have any problem walking right up to Sabine even with everything she did, while with Ursa and Tristan it took time for them to really stop being cold to her. Both parents have shaped Sabine into who she is, Ursa helping her to become a warrior, and Alrich encouraging her art.
Sabine is finally reunited with her father, Alrich. Source: StarWars.com
Shay: Besides Thrawn showing up for a few moments when they’re showing him footage of The Duchess in action, we really didn’t see much of him in this episode. Instead we had a new villain, a Mandalorian named Tiber Saxon. And man, that guy was brutal! Thrawn asks him what his brother (Gar Saxon, who met his end when Sabine first returned to Krownest) would have thought about using The Duchess against fellow Mandos, and he bluntly answers, “He doesn’t feel anything now.” Yeesh!
When I first saw Tiber, though, it really scared me, because I was afraid he was actually Korkie Kryze, Satine’s nephew that we saw in TCW.
Do you have any thoughts on Tiber?
Lord Tyber Saxon tortures Rebel Mandalorians Sabine and Bo-Katan, as well as Captain Hark, one of his own men. Source: StarWars.com
Audrey: That guy cares about people about as much as Tarkin. He didn’t flinch slightly at injuring his own people and was very confident that the Empire wouldn’t use the weapon on them. He seemed to think he had a lot more power than he actually did; definitely another person corrupted into a lust for position by the Empire. I was happy to see Captain Hark question his methods a bit, he ran out at the end. Maybe there’s still hope for him.
Shay: That’s a good thought, I had almost forgotten about Hark!
Captain Hark, played by Andrew Kishino (who also voiced young Saw Gerrera from The Clone Wars.) Source: StarWars.com
Shay: So in closing, did you have a favorite moment or quote from the premier?
Mine were when Bo was talking to Sabine about destroying the weapon instead of using it, and at the end, when she excepted the Darksaber. “I take this sword for my sister, for my clan, and for all of Mandalore!”
Bo-Katan Kryze accepts the Darksaber and her position as leader of the Mandalorians. Source: StarWars.com
Audrey: It’s so hard to pick one part! But I think my favorite would have to be after everyone is trying to protect her from some of the clan Kryze members and she says “No. I am prepared to take responsibility for my actions.” Most people’s first reaction would be to blame the Empire and say they were deceived or come up with some other excuse, but she takes responsibility and holds herself accountable for her choices.
Sabine explains to an infuriated Bo-Katan why she created the Duchess, a horrible weapon that turns a Mandalorian’s greatest pride into a horrible downfall. Source: StarWars.com
What did you think of “Heroes of Mandalore”? Did you have a favorite line, or scene, or an interesting observation about this episode that you would like to share? Are you excited for the rest of this last season of Star Wars Rebels? Let me know in the comments below!
Description for Star Wars: Rebels mid-season finale | Seasons 1-3 recap | “Heroes of Mandalore” preview
The episode description for “Rebel Assault”, the mid-season finale for the finale season of Star Wars: Rebels, has been released.
Rebel AssaultHera leads a courageous attack against Grand Admiral Thrawn’s forces, but when things go awry, her battle to win must become a daring escape if she is to survive.
Source: zap2it.com
The finale season of Star Wars: Rebels begins airing at 12:30 a.m. ET Monday, October 16 on Disney XD. New episodes will release at the same time every Monday for the next several weeks until the episode “Rebel Assault”, which will air at 12:30 a.m. ET Monday, November 13. After this episode Rebels will take a mid-season break during the holiday season, then resume airing to finish out the season sometime in early 2018.
We also recently got a recap of the entire show so far, featuring key points from season 1, 2, and 3, as well as shots teasing the upcoming season 4.
And finally, we’ve been given a special clip from the season 4 premier episode, “Heroes of Mandalor”, which will begin airing on Disney XD within 24 hours of this post.
The new clip features Sabine and her fellow Rebel friends, including Jedi-in-training Ezra Bridger and Mandalorian Protector Fen Rau, arriving on the planet of Mandalore and being greeted by Bo-Katan Kryze. Bo has become a fan favorite for her appearences in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, and this will be her first appearance in Rebels, though her addition to this show has long been speculated on and expected by fans.
This article was written by Shay S., Creator, Chief Editor, and Podcast Host for The Elven Padawan, and first appeared on ElvenPadawan.com
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