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Adapted from Star Wars Rebels, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for audio. This HearLore entry is also licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

— Ch. 1 · Spectres On Lothal —

Star Wars Rebels.

~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
Fourteen years after the fall of both the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order, a motley group of rebels called the Spectres unite aboard a light freighter named the Ghost. They begin to conduct covert operations against Imperial forces on and around the planet Lothal. The Empire hunts down the last of the Jedi while a fledgling rebellion emerges from the shadows. Ezra Bridger is a teenage street kid who is taken in by Kanan Jarrus to be trained as a Jedi. He lives among the streets of Lothal before joining the crew. Hera Syndulla serves as a Twi'lek pilot turned Rebel Commander. She is the daughter of Ryloth freedom fighter Cham Syndulla. Kanan Jarrus was formerly known as Jedi Padawan Caleb Dume. He survived the events of Order 66 and becomes Ezra's mentor. Sabine Wren is a young Mandalorian warrior fixated on art. Garazeb Orrelios is a former Lasat honor guard member who wants the Empire to pay for massacring his people.

Filoni And Kinberg Launch

The series was announced in May 2013 with a one-hour special set to debut in fall 2014. This announcement came two months after the cancellation of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Simon Kinberg, Dave Filoni, and Greg Weisman were announced as executive producers. Concept art from the series including a first look at the Ghost was shown at the Star Wars Celebration that July. In September 2013 The Hollywood Reporter reported that Freddie Prinze Jr., Vanessa Marshall, Taylor Gray, and David Oyelowo were being cast as the series leads. At the 2013 New York Comic Con it was revealed that the series would take place 14 years after Revenge of the Sith and 5 years before A New Hope. An image of the Inquisitor the main villain of the series was shown at the convention. Lucasfilm explained that Star Wars Rebels would be part of the new Star Wars canon and would incorporate elements introduced in Legends such as the Inquisitor, the Imperial Security Bureau, and Sienar Fleet Systems. The series premiered as a one-hour television film Spark of Rebellion on the 3rd of October 2014, on Disney Channel prior to the premiere of the series on October 13 on Disney XD.

Ezra Becomes Padawan

Taylor Gray voices Ezra Bridger who is a teenage street kid taken in by Kanan to be trained as a Jedi. He evolves from a thief into a Padawan under the mentorship of Kanan Jarrus and Ahsoka Tano. Kanan Jarrus was formerly known as Jedi Padawan Caleb Dume who survived the events of Order 66. He serves as Ezra's mentor and leader of the Ghost crew. Ahsoka Tano appears as the former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker who aids the rebellion with pivotal assets. She guides Ezra through his training while facing threats from the Empire. The relationship between Ezra and Kanan develops over time as they face danger together. Ezra learns to control his powers while navigating the complexities of being a rebel fighter. His journey transforms him from an orphaned street kid into a key figure in the fight against tyranny.

Critics Praise Depth

Rebels has been generally well-received with several award wins and nominations. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes the first season received a 92% positive score based on 13 reviews with an average rating of 8.20 out of 10. Seasons 2 and 3 have received a 100% score based on 6 reviews for each season. Season 4 has received a 100% score based on 10 reviews with an average rating of 9.20 out of 10. IGN and Variety had strong praise for the pilot film Spark of Rebellion. SyFy Wire calls the series Pure fun further stating that it captures the awe and joy of A New Hope. Graeme Virtue of The Guardian wrote that the series was inspired by the television Space Western Firefly. The show was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Animated Series and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program. Rebels became the first recipient of the Saturn Award for Best Animated Series on Television winning for its final two seasons.

Novels And Comics Expand Lore

A number of tie-in media have been released to expand upon the series lore such as the comic book series Kanan, the novel A New Dawn, and the novel series Thrawn. On the 2nd of September 2014 Del Rey Books published Star Wars: A New Dawn a prequel novel by John Jackson Miller telling the story of how Kanan and Hera met set about six years before the series. In 2017 a new novel entitled Thrawn was released marking the entrance of Grand Admiral Thrawn into the current canon. It was written by the character's original creator Timothy Zahn. From the 1st of April 2015 through the 16th of March 2016 Marvel Comics published a 12-issue comic series titled Kanan. Written by former executive producer Greg Weisman it is centered on Kanan having flashbacks to his days as a Padawan in the Jedi Temple and the Clone Wars. A sequel to Thrawn titled Thrawn: Alliances was released on the 24th of July 2018 exploring Thrawn's partnerships with Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker. Another Thrawn novel Thrawn: Treason was released on the 23rd of July 2019 taking place during the events of Star Wars Rebels fourth season.

Live Action Transitions

Characters and storylines introduced in the series would also appear in subsequent Star Wars media. The Ghost appears in the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story where Hera's surname is called on a loudspeaker at the Rebel base on Yavin IV. Chopper can briefly be seen in the film while the Ghost takes part in the climactic battle over Scarif. The Grand Inquisitor and Fifth Brother appear in Obi-Wan Kenobi portrayed by Rupert Friend and Sung Kang respectively. Sabine Wren Ezra Bridger and Hera Syndulla made their live-action debut in the series Ahsoka portrayed by Natasha Liu Bordizzo Eman Esfandi and Mary Elizabeth Winstead respectively. Dave Filoni and Lars Mikkelsen reprise their roles as Chopper and Grand Admiral Thrawn. Clancy Brown reprises his role as Ryder Azadi the governor of Lothal. Zeb makes his live action debut in season three episode Chapter 21: The Pirate voiced again by Steven Blum. Evan Whitten appears as Jacen Syndulla Hera and Kanan Jarrus's son. Temuera Morrison appears as Rex in the fifth episode in flashbacks.

Up Next

Star Wars Forces of DestinyStar Wars Tales (TV anthology)

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Common questions

What is Star Wars Rebels about and when does it take place?

Star Wars Rebels follows a group of rebels called the Spectres who conduct covert operations against Imperial forces 14 years after Revenge of the Sith and five years before A New Hope. The series focuses on Ezra Bridger, Kanan Jarrus, Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, and Garazeb Orrelios as they fight against the Empire.

Who voices the main characters in Star Wars Rebels?

Taylor Gray voices Ezra Bridger while Freddie Prinze Jr. voices Kanan Jarrus and Vanessa Marshall voices Hera Syndulla. David Oyelowo provides the voice for Grand Admiral Thrawn and Steven Blum voices Garazeb Orrelios.

When did Star Wars Rebels premiere and what was its initial format?

The series premiered as a one-hour television film titled Spark of Rebellion on the 3rd of October 2014 on Disney Channel. The regular series then began airing on October 13 on Disney XD following the announcement made in May 2013.

How well was Star Wars Rebels received by critics and awards bodies?

Star Wars Rebels won the Saturn Award for Best Animated Series Television for its final two seasons and received nominations for both Critics Choice Television Award and Primetime Emmy Award. Rotten Tomatoes gave the first season a 92% positive score and awarded perfect scores to seasons 2, 3, and 4 based on aggregated reviews.

What tie-in media expanded the Star Wars Rebels story after the show aired?

Del Rey Books published the prequel novel A New Dawn on the 2nd of September 2014 while Marvel Comics released a 12-issue Kanan comic series from the 1st of April 2015 through the 16th of March 2016. Timothy Zahn wrote the Thrawn novels including Alliances released the 24th of July 2018 and Treason released the 23rd of July 2019.

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