For all of the parents who wish their kids would love Star Wars, and for all of the kids who want to see something more their speed, Star Wars Rebels exists. In the space between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, Star Wars Rebels explains how the Empire seeks to eradicate the Jedi and all who would stand with the Rebellion, while a small minority seeks to build strength against this corporate evil.
While the first season lay the groundwork for the main stories surrounding Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray), a fifteen-year-old urchin who grows to understand his powers flowing from the Force, the second season builds the complexity of his ‘team’ and highlights newer (old to Star Wars fans) characters. From the first season, fans will recognize Chopper (the R2D2-like robot), Zeb (Steve Blurn), the alien, the human Jedi survivor Caleb (Freddie Prinze Jr.), and the pilot/warrior Hera (Vanessa Marshall).
And then the list of familiar characters starts to roll in Season 2: Darth Vader. Lando Calrissian. Captain Rex (yes, Clone Wars). Princess Leia. And Darth Maul. Seriously, the second season closes the gap between the five years previous to New Hope – and the film itself. Hello, Rogue One, right?
Ultimately, this series has a bittersweet feeling because we know that most of these characters must’ve been wiped out by the time we reach the first/original film. Otherwise, we would’ve known about them. And there’s a significant evil lurking in the background: he’s big, black-cloaked, and breathes heavy.
But we do know that hope will rise.
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