Star Warsis one of the most popular and extensive franchises in the history of Hollywood entertainment. In the years since the original film debuted in 1977, the series has grown to cover 11 live-action feature films, a handful of live-action series on Disney+, and countless books, comics, and video games that exist both within and outside the universe’s established canon. One arena in the franchise that has experienced some of the most extensive expansion within is the medium of animation.
The first animatedStar Warsstory premiered back in the ‘80s, as theDroidandEwokstelevision series both ran on ABC from 1985 to ’86. Since then, the number of animated series set in the galaxy far, far away has expanded to includethe likes ofStar Wars: Visions, The Bad Batch,Tales of the Jedi, andDave Filoni’sThe Clone Wars.
Update August 06, 2025: WithAhsokaairing on Disney+,Star Wars: Rebelshas gotten much more attention, and this article has been updated with more reasons why the beloved animated Disney+ series is so great.
One of the most well-known of these animated shows isStar Wars Rebels, which ran from 2014 to 2018 on Disney XD. The series was one of the firstStar Warsprojects to be produced by Disney after the studio purchased Lucasfilm in 2012. It is set in the years leading up to the original film,Episode IV – A New Hope, and it follows a group of rebels as they fight against the Galactic Empire’s tyranny throughout the universe.
Rebelshas been a fan-favorite series since it originally aired, but the show has recently seen increased interest due to live-action shows likeThe MandalorianandAhsokabringing elements and characters from the animated series into the live-action side ofStar Wars. It’s a show that deserves all the respect and love that it gets, but it’s still a relatively unknown story to casual fans. Here’s why whether you’re a die-hard or a casual fan ofStar Wars,Rebelsis a must-watch show that is worth checking out.
Exciting New Characters
Yes, it’s always exciting to see familiar faces, but one ofRebels’ biggest strengths is the original and new characters that it introduces into the franchise. The main characters of the show arethe crew of the ship the Ghost, who go on all sorts of escapades throughout the galaxy and are consistently a thorn in the side of the tyrannical empire.
These characters are Hera Syndulla, the Twi-lek pilot of the Ghost and general team leader; Kanan Jarrus, Hera’s partner and a Jedi who survived Order 66; Ezra Bridger, the youngest crew member whom Kanan is training to be a Jedi; Sabine Wren, a young Mandalorian with immense artistic and fighting skills; Zeb, a Lasat who serves as the crew’s muscle; and Chopper, a rambunctious astromech droid that gets into all kinds of trouble.
WhileRebelsis undeniably an ensemble show, as all these characters are given their own stories to develop them into complex and dynamic people, if there is one character that can be considered the lead, it’s Ezra.It is through Ezra’s perspectivethat the audience is introduced to this story, and he is the character who undergoes some of the most significant evolution over the series’ four seasons.
As he is trained to become a Jedi, he also develops into a great leader who has an immense impact on the formation of the Rebel Alliance and is directly responsible for some of the biggest challenges that the Empire faces. All the characters, however, are immensely likable and grow into some of the most compelling of the entire franchise.
Bridging the Gap After The Clone Wars
Another important role thatRebelsplays in the overallStar Warscanon is that it fills in many of the gaps in the story between the end ofEpisode III – Revenge of the Sith, Filoni’s animatedThe Clone Warsseries, and the beginning ofA New Hope. There aremajor characters from the original trilogyand the prequel films that factor intoRebels, and their actions in the early days of the Rebellion are more thoroughly defined. For fans of the original trilogy, characters like Leia Organa, Lando Calrissian, Mon Mothma, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and more factor directly into the events ofRebels. Their place in the war between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance is explored in much more detail, which recontextualizes and adds more depth to many of their actions that are seen in the original films.
On top of that, there are also many characters and stories from the prequel films and theClone Warsanimated series that are included inRebelsas well. Characters like Darth Maul, Ahsoka Tano, Captain Rex, and more are given their due, asRebelsfinally gives fans the answers to what they were doing in the decades betweenRevenge of the SithandA New Hope. Previously toRebels, the eras of the prequel and original trilogies felt very separate, even though there are many characters that carry from one into the other.Rebelsserves as a thread that weaves those two trilogies more closely together, helping to make theStar Warsfranchise as a whole feel much more coherent and deliberate in its storytelling.
Related:Star Wars: Is the Franchise Relying Too Heavily on its Animated Shows?
It may seem like quite the undertaking to watch all ofThe Clone WarsandRebels, but the two shows add so much context to the galaxy far, far away that it is well worth it. WhileRebelscan be watched on its own, the flawless continuation of the story and the emotional pull it has from building off of relationships fromThe Clone Warsmakes it better to watch after the first series. With all the characters the show shares with other Star Wars projects, it is easy to see why.
Expanding of The Force
While the choice to expand on the Force and how it works during the prequels was a controversial choice,Rebelsbuilds the lore in a fluid and natural way. Ezra, the young Jedi in training, explores a unique Force ability that hadn’t previously been seen on screen before. He can use the Force to connect and communicate with various creatures across the galaxy. Not only is this a cool ability, but it also reveals that there are many creatures who are Force-sensitive. For example,the Purrgilare basically giant space whales that are able to organically jump into lightspeed, traveling across galaxies that even the best pilots assumed were myths and legends. They end up playing a big part in Ezra’s final plan to defeat the Empire on his home planet, and they have already played a large part in Ahsoka’s journey to find the lost Jedi.
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Then there is Bendu. Bendu is a giant being that has a connection to the Force, but he does not side with either the Light or Dark. He does seem to prefer the Jedi to the Sith, as he helps Kanan learn more about the Force, but he himself is balanced between the warring sides. Bendu’s presence indicates that there are many more beings out in the galaxy far, far away that are connected to the Force than just the Jedi and Sith, which opens the door for many more interesting stories to be told.
Rebelsdoesn’t just introduce new characters and creatures that are Force-sensitive, but also new places. On a quest for knowledge, Ezra travels to The World Between Worlds. The World Between Worlds is a place outside of space and time, and it has become an important part of otherStar Warsprojects as it appears to be the manifestation of The Force itself, connecting the past, present, and future as well as the living and the dead. InAhsoka, the title Jedi is transported to The World Between Worlds and meets her old Jedi Master, Anakin.
Relevance to New Shows
One of the biggest benefits to watchingRebelsat this point, beyond the simple satisfaction of watching a genuinely great and well-written series, is that the show is becoming increasingly relevant to howStar Warsis growing. There have been several characters, such as Zeb, who haveappeared in the live-action Disney+ series. That was exciting enough for fans, but many more characters were about to make their live-action debut in the showAhsoka. Characters like Hera, Sabine, Ezra, Chopper, and the villainous Grand Admiral Thrawn have made the jump from the animatedRebelsseries to the live-actionAhsoka. This provides fans ofRebelswith the immense satisfaction of seeing their favorite characters not only appear in live-action but have their stories continue to expand.
It’s not just the characters fromRebelsthat are being incorporated into the newStar Warsseries; it’s the story as well. Thrawn is one of the main antagonists of theAhsokaseries, which is a role he will likely continue to serve through Filoni’s newly announced live-action film as well. The character ofAhsoka also played a major supporting rolethrough several seasons ofRebels, in which she underwent some of her most crucial character development since she was introduced inThe Clone Warsway back in 2008.
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Another important part ofRebelsthat could, and probably should, have an impact on the future of Star Wars is the introduction of another young Jedi. At the end ofRebels, the audience sees Hera with a young boy, presumably the child of her and Kanan. It was unknown at the time if this kid, named Jacen, would be Force-sensitive like his father, but inAhsoka, it is revealed that he can sense the Jedi Knight when she is transported to The World Between Worlds. As a Force-sensitive child, he may be part of a future Jedi Order. If both Jacen and Grogu weren’t a part of Luke’s school for Jedi when Kylo made his drastic turn to the Dark Side, then they may eventually find their way to helpingRey on her questto restart the Jedi Order in her planned film.Rebelsmight be one of the most important entries in theStar Warsfranchise.
