Random Saturday: Star Wars Rebels

So, for the next little while, at least, I'll be taking a break from Crowdfunding Saturday. I kinda feel I've said my piece. So instead, Saturdays will host random posts on random topics, of the kind that may pop up every day, but will now definitely be popping up on Saturday.

And I'll start this new feature with a post about one of the finest pieces of pop culture to show up in recent years, the extremely excellent and recently concluded Star Wars Rebels animated tv show. This post will cover the entirety of the show, so some spoilers will be happening, but I'll try to avoid particular plot points, so this will be more of an appetizer to watching the show for those who haven't than a recap for those who won't.

Our heroes

Rebels took place in the years leading up to Rogue One and A New Hope, the years when The Empire's grip on the galaxy seemed unshakable, and small ragtag resistance groups came together in what would become the rebellion. This is a show about one such group, one that happens to have a Jedi, and who recruits a new member, a force sensitive young man from a distant planet.

Rebels could have easily been a show about one my least favorite character tropes: the angsty young man. And it was that, but that was only one piece of an ensemble puzzle, lead - and this was less clear early on but became crystal clear as the show went on, by a non-human woman, a daring pilot, owner of the ship, and all around badass:

Hera Syndulla

Hera started the show as something of a motherly type, there to worry about the exploits of the rebel cell on her ship. But while remaining the closest thing to a mother figure on the crew, she also became a true leader, eventually rising to the rank of General in the nascent rebellion.

With Hera as leader, the Jedi and Padawan, the young Mandalorian woman, the grizzled Lasat warrior, and the droid that annoyed and saved all of them at times were a true team, as well as a true family of choice.

Ezra, the teen padawan whose entry into the world of rebels and force powers marks the beginning of the show, starts off as the worst, but grows. His early crush on Sabine Wren, the young Mandalorian who is the closest to him in age, becomes a true friendship. And Sabine became as important as Ezra to the show, and got to grow as a character. Give me a show about a team becoming a family that focuses strongly on friendship and you've already done much of the work needed to make me a fan.

The wider SW universe

Rebels tells a story crucial to the Star Wars universe: The creation of the rebellion. From individuals with a bone to pick with the Empire, to small groups fighting guerrilla style, to the larger organization that exists by the time Rogue One starts.

The show ties in threads from the movies and from other media. I think this is the most we've seen of the Mandalorians onscreen outside the Old Republic games. It also bring in the greatest Star Wars villain never seen in the films or previous tv version: Grand Admiral Thrawn. In an Empire full of dunces Thrawn stands alongside Grand Moff Tarkin as the exception. He's brilliant, charming, a lover of art and culture and entirely psychopathic. Thrawn's arrival in the beginning of season 3 marked a major refocusing of the show. The enemy was smarter, so our heroes had to be smarter as well. And that made the show smarter.

The show also had many other points of contact with the larger SW universe, and alongside the Clone Wars series put in a great deal of work redeeming the prequels. The Darth Maul storyline, in particular, was exceptional. And its ending, on Tatooine, was brilliant.

To Sum Up

There are 74 episodes in this show, and it is entirely binge worthy. The story is now complete and awaits your viewing. I highly recommend it for all ages.

Images are promotional and released on StarWars.com. Their are used here under fair use.