10 ‘Star Wars Rebels’ Elements In ‘Ahsoka’ That Spark Joy

(Warning: Major spoilers for Ahsoka ahead.)

Sabine & Ahsoka: The Search for Ezra Bridger. That was the proposed follow-up series that avid Star Wars Rebels (2014-2018) fans have hoped for ever since the acclaimed animated series ended its run five years ago.

At the end of the series finale, former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano and Mandalorian warrior Sabine Wren team up to look for their Jedi-trained friend Ezra Bridger who was last seen disappearing into space with Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn, thus ending the Battle of Lothal.

Fast forward to 2023 and we have Ahsoka, DisneyPlus’ latest live-action Star Wars series by Rebels creator Dave Filoni. It not only continues the story of the titular fan favorite from The Clone Wars, but also that of the Ghost crew from Star Wars Rebels, much to the delight of Rebels fans.

Packed with action and fascinating new and old characters alike, the 8-episode Ahsoka has Rosario Dawson reprising her role as Anakin Skywalker’s former Jedi Padawan from The Mandalorian (2019-present) and The Book of Boba Fett (2021).

Set after the Fall of the evil Galactic Empire, the series sees Ahsoka and her estranged Jedi apprentice Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) working together to foil a plot to bring Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen, reprising his Rebels role) back from exile, but which in turn may also lead them to finding Ezra (Eman Esfandi).

Here are but 10 Star Wars Rebels elements in Ahsoka that spark joy:

1. The Rebels’ Mural

The iconic mural honoring the Ghost crew was an endearing sight in the Rebels Season 4 finale, “Family Reunion and Farewell”. It was thus nice to see a life-size replica of it in Ahsoka Episode 1, “Part One: Master and Apprentice,” as Lothal governor Ryder Azadi (Clancy Brown, reprising his Rebels role) shows off the monument at a city ceremony.

Even more moving though is when Sabine stood before the mural prior to joining Ahsoka to find Thrawn and Ezra in Episode 2, “Part Two: Toil and Trouble,” in a sequence that mirrors frame-for-frame scenes from the Rebels' epilogue.

2. A Warrior’s Stance

From her smirks and frowns to her steely stares, live-action Sabine is a joy to watch. That Bordizzo perfectly embodied the colorful personality of the feisty Mandalorian is an understatement. Not to mention her versatility in fight scenes such as those with Dark Jedi apprentice Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno).

Another cool Rebels throwback is when Sabine cuts her hair just before donning her Mandalorian armor again in Episode 2. This mirrors the stirring scene in which rebel leader Kanan Jarrus cut his hair prior to his heart-wrenching demise while rescuing his love Hera Syndulla from Imperial forces in Rebels Season 4 Episode 10 episode, “Jedi Night.”

3. Lothal Tower Hideout

Sabine has taken over Ezra’s Roost, his former hideout atop an unused communications tower in the outskirts of Lothal and it is filled with many Rebels easter eggs such as Sabine’s trademark graffiti art and Ezra’s scout trooper helmet.

The best bit though is when Sabine runs out to the balcony as Ahsoka’s T-6 Jedi Shuttle flies over the tower in Episode 1, mirroring the “years after” end sequence in the Rebels series finale.

4. Loth-Cat

Yes, the loveable loth-cat made its first live-action appearance in The Mandalorian, but loth-cats are native to Lothal and were first seen in abundance in Star Wars Rebels. So this spunky version sparks more joy and wins brownie points as it belongs to Sabine.

5. Chopper

The unmistakable orange astromech droid (Filoni, reprising his Rebels role) made his live-action cameo in 2016’s Rogue One. In Ahsoka, it is good to see that Chopper is still as temperamental and defiant as always, whilst being an ever-supportive sidekick to Twi’lek New Republic General Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).

6. Hera and Jacen Syndulla

Speaking of Hera, this writer has yet to embrace her live-action version fully as Winstead’s portrayal seems not quite there. Not sure if it’s due to her Twi’lek makeup or I deemed Hera to be shorter. To be fair, Winstead does shine whenever she’s helming Ghost or being a caring mother figure.

What is cool is that the series does introduce Jacen Syndulla (Evan Whitten)—Hera’s son with Kanan—in Episode 3, “Part Three: Time to Fly,” and shown to be Force-sensitive just like his human Jedi dad as he helps locate a near-drowning Ashoka in Episode 5, “Part Five: Shadow Warrior”.

7. The World Between Worlds

One of the best Rebels episodes is Season 4 Episode 13, “A World Between Worlds,” where Ezra finds a cosmic space in the Lothal Jedi Temple with portals to the past and voices of Jedi Masters such as Yoda can be heard.

In Ahsoka Episode 4, “Part Four: Fallen Jedi”—after Dark Jedi Baylan Skoll (the brilliant late Ray Stevenson) sends her plummeting into the ocean—Ahsoka finds herself in the World Between Worlds where she meets her former master, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen). Thanks to a spirited performance by Christensen, Anakin’s life lessons and sparring with Ahsoka in Episode 5 would provide some of the most memorable scenes ever seen in Star Wars.

8. Purrgil

Watching a pod of purrgil or star whales appearing over the planet Seatos in Episode 3 was truly a thrill. These whale-like space creatures with tentacles were the ones that Ezra enlisted to ensnare and hyperspace Thrawn and his Imperial spaceship to an unknown destination.

Guessing that the purrgil could lead them to Ezra, Ahsoka and architect droid Huyang (David Tennant, reprising his The Clone Wars role) follow the creatures in Episode 5 as they travel to another galaxy far, far away... to the remote planet of Peridea.

9. Thrawn

He was cunning and brutal, and a cool villain in Rebels. It was easy to understand just why Thrawn the smooth-talking military strategist genius is such a Star Wars Legends fan favorite.

With Mikkelsen as menacing in voice as in sight, watching Thrawn marched into frame as legions of Night Troopers chanted his name truly send chills down one spine in Episode 6, “Part Six: Far Far Away”. With the help of the Night Sisters, Thrawn plans on causing mayhem in the galaxy once again may just continue in either Ahsoka Season 2 (TBC) or Filoni's upcoming live-action Mandoverse movie.

10. Ezra Bridger

Ezra Bridger lives! In Episode 6, with the help of the native turtle-bug-like Noti, Sabine finally succeeds in locating an older Ezra complete with bushy beard. A joyous reunion that was completed in Episode 7, “Part Seven: Dreams & Madness,” when Ahsoka arrives to help the duo fight against the Skoll-abandoned Hati and Thrawn’s Night Troopers.

Esfandi is spot on with Ezra’s mannerisms and his bantering with Bordizzo’s Sabine has the same dynamic that Rebels fans loved about the pair. From a Noti adopting Ezra’s energy slingshot stance to the rebel hero reuniting with Hera and Chopper in Episode 8, “Part Eight: The Jedi, The Witch and The Warlord,” joy is knowing the search for Ezra is canonically over and he is home!

Here’s to Ahsoka Season 2--fingers crossed that it will be greenlighted--where we can look forward to Ahsoka and Sabine’s future adventures, Skoll’s destiny with the Mortis Gods, and Hati's deal with the Peridea bandits.

Ahsoka Season 1 is streaming exclusively on DisneyPlus.

Read also:

* 4 'Star Wars Rebels' Easter Eggs in 'Rogue One’

* Hope, There Is: 5 Highlights From 'Star Wars Rebels' Series Finale

* How 'Star Wars Rebels' Expanded George Lucas's Lightsaber Mythology for the Darksaber

* Rebel Heart: Mon Mothma Finally Rallies the Troops on 'Star Wars Rebels'

* ‘The Mandalorian’: 15 Best Quotes From Season 1