Kallus/Zeb - A 'Rebels' story

Initially premiering worldwide in October 2014 as a television movie, ‘Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion’ grew into a top-rated animated television series. Running from 2014 to 2018 with four Emmy nominations, the series was the first major Star Wars project released since Walt Disney Company acquired Lucasfilm Ltd in 2012. From the beginning, the foundation of ‘Rebels’ was the validity of found family. The trope has been popularly used in ‘Star Wars’ media since the early days and ‘Rebels’ beautifully crafted it into the script. The crucial & unique relationship dynamics are what truly made ‘Rebels’ the great show it was. Hera Syndulla & Kanan Jarrus take the position of Father and Mother throughout the show while Garazeb Orrelios, Sabine Wren, and Ezra Bridger are endeared as the children. But it is not just the main cast's relationships with each other that stand-out. In fact in the middle of season two, Garazeb forms a surprising bond with an imperial operative on a far-off moon. From that episode on, that bond boomed in popularity and became the LGBTQA+ ship to come the closest to being canon in mainstream ‘Star Wars’ media. Why does it deserve to rank among the other great Star Wars couples? It is one of the most underrated yet sincerest portrayals of romance in any ‘Star Wars’ media because of the way it successfully captures the enemies to lovers trope in a healthy manner.

To understand what makes Kallus & Zeb such a great couple, one must understand the Siege of Lasan, which was an Imperial mission orchestrated by the Empire that saw the near-extinction of the Lasat species. From this devastation, Garazeb Orrelios survives and joins up with the Ghost Crew (A gang of Rebels). Compassionate and for the cause, Zeb fit in perfectly with his rebel friends and was one of the show’s strongest characters. Further, into the show, audiences realize Alexsandr Kallus is the one who arranged the Fall of Lasan. Kallus, introduced in the first episode, is an imperial operative and enemy of the Ghost Crew. Throughout the first and most of the second season, Kallus & Zeb form a particularly personal rivalry. They were quite a fixture in each other's lives from the beginning. The dynamic of Kalluzeb is one seen often in popular Star Wars romances; an Ex-Imperial & a member of the Rebellion or two similarly strong-willed people who believe there is good in their cause. At its most basic; Enemies to lovers.

Episode two-seventeen, ‘The Honorable Ones’ sees the true beginning of their enemies to lovers transition. Starting with Zeb being stranded on a moon surrounding the planet Geonosis after crash-landing during a space battle. However, Zeb is not alone and is accompanied by Alexsandr Kallus. The events of this episode mark a turning point for Kallus and it’s all thanks to Garazeb. Unexpectedly, in their duality, getting off the moon becomes a question of Empire vs Rebels and it is while pitting the two against each other that Alex first becomes outwardly weary of his own cause. “I was only doing my duty. It was nothing personal.” Kallus explains, almost as if he were trying to reason with himself. However Zeb goes on to perfectly encapsulate their current relationship status; “Yeah what the Empire did on Lasan, I’ll never forget it.” (Rau, Brad, director. The Honorable Ones . Stream Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic, https://www.disneyplus.com/video/b3a97a11-666d-4c58-8f20-d47d534a5643. Accessed 5 July 2022). To put it plainly, Zeb is making sure Kallus understands that he does not forgive or understand him at all. Two characters who are made to hate each other are forced into a life-or-death situation. ‘Rebels’ shows that this bonds them by going through the intimate process of breaking down their walls in order to successfully work together. Vulnerable, they must learn to trust each other and inadvertently gain a little more perspective on the other. In just one episode, the TV show manages to portray the seeds of a plotline in which a surprisingly compatible couple of adversaries (different in cause and species) become more. The execution of this process is flawless, especially for a twenty-three-minute long episode.

The first step toward their intertwined storyline involves Garazebs faith in his family and his cause against Alex’s blind dedication to the Empire. “You’re expecting your rebel friends to come to your rescue? Your friends fled. If anyone finds us, it’ll be the Empire and you will be captured.” (Rau, Brad, director. The Honorable Ones . Stream Disney). He threatens…only, Alex’s attempts to scare Zeb do not affect the Lasat at all. This goes on for a little while; Alex suggesting the Empire could find them and Zeb shutting him down leading them to flat out compare sides. “But the Empire will win. Every day we recruit more informers. Every day we persuade Rebel sympathizers to reconsider their allegiances.” Kallus claims and Zeb responds with, “And every day, more beings get fed up with the Empire and join us.” (Rau, Brad, director. The Honorable Ones . Stream Disney). Right after this moment, Zeb shows his genuine kindness by offering a meteorite for Kallus to warm up with. Alexsandr seems to reflect on this for a second and thinks, for maybe the first time, what kind of people the Rebellion is actually made up of.

As conditions worsen and an unknown creature makes its presence known, Kallus & Zeb begin to strategize (Well, mostly Zeb. Kallus is a bit of a downer) and after a surprise attack from the creature, more bickering ensues when Zeb suggests Kallus should question his authority. “Afraid you’ll learn the Geonosians were wiped out by your precious Empire?” (Rau, Brad, director. The Honorable Ones . Stream Disney). At first, Kallus ridicules the idea in support of his loyalty to the Empire but with a clear sense of…ignorance. The conversation leads to the second step in the transition in which Kallus shares his true point of view of what happened on a mission he thought was to bring peace to a world that needed it. His first unit was completely wiped out by Rebels one by one. This gives Zeb a chance to relate to his once enemy...who may just be a different kind of victim of the Empire.

After the boys learn more about the other through the wonders of conversation, the action starts with another attack from the creature. While climbing to safety, Zeb—hilariously—and thoughtfully whips Kallus up to the surface of the moon and to safety before he even saves himself. This proves to be another moment for Alex to consider what kind of man Zeb really is after all. He then shows his respect and trust for Zeb by shooting the creature and therefore saving Zeb right back. Because that is the kind of man Kallus is, he just didn’t know the cause he was working for was not made up of like-minded people. Realizing this now, Kallus begins to apologize for Lasan, only for Zeb to capture all their development by saying this; “What happened on Lasan, it’s over for me. I’ve moved on. By the way, It’s Zeb.” (Rau, Brad, director. The Honorable Ones . Stream Disney) which is a complete 180 from where he stood at the beginning of the episode. Thus, making room for the lighter & more fun parts of the enemies to lovers trope to takeover…like sleeping on each other's shoulders.

Going back to Zeb’s faith in his family, they are the first to come to the rescue. While he does offer Kallus the chance to come with them, he is refused. Watching Zeb run towards a ship of people racing out to greet him, Kallus truly realizes what he’s been hiding from himself. He wants a family. And thus begins a very cheesy and sweet turn of events. After spending just one day with Zeb, Kallus reexamines his entire life, all he knows, all he has worked for and decides to start making a change. Because one man showed him kindness. (Authors note: I too would risk it all for Garazeb Orrelios).

Since the release of ‘The Honorable Ones’ in February of 2016, fan-fiction for the pairing (affectionately known as Kalluzeb) boomed. The first stories date back to that very same month of release and sixty-five pages go on to July of this year on ‘Archive Of Our Own’. Steve Blum, the voice of Garazeb Orrelios, had this to say when talking of the characters' early days; “From the very first time Zeb and Kallus appeared together, I joked that someday they’d become a couple and end up on Lirasan together.” (Church, Ricky. “Exclusive Interview - Star Wars Rebels' Steve Blum Talks Zeb, Kallus, and Career in Voice Acting.” Flickering Myth, 31 July 2018, https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2018/07/exclusive-interview-star-wars-rebels-steve-blum-talks-zeb-kallus-and-career-in-voice-acting/). Even the actors behind the show were in support of this strange relationship from the beginning. What makes Kalluzeb so endearing is that the boys were so genuinely affected by each other during the course of one episode that Kallus risked his life to join the Rebellion and Zeb accepted him with open arms. They had one episode together and they were a HIT.

What became of Kallus & Zeb? Well, in perhaps one of the most surprising yet lovely twists, ‘Star Wars’ allowed for an ambiguous ending in which it could be assumed they were romantic—and a part of the LGBTQA+ community—after all. It does not sound like a lot but for ‘Star Wars’ this is huge when one considers what they did to Finn/Poe. Steve Blum was right, the boys end up together on Lira San. It is there that Zeb shows Kallus he hadn’t destroyed the Lasat people…and as Zeb puts his arm around him, the voiceover goes on to say that he was welcome as one of them. No other LGBTQA+ ‘Star Wars’ ship has been left so openly in a TV show or movie that the audience can assume they are, in fact, together romantically. One can only hope this continues in the likes of ‘Ahsoka’ with, at the least, one mention of the two being together. They deserve it!