Haven't Watched 'Star Wars: Rebels'? Here's A Few Important Facts About Ahsoka's Co-Stars

WARNING: Slight SPOILERS for Ahsoka, eps 1 & 2.

The first two episodes of Ahsoka have dropped on Disney Plus, to mostly positive reception from fans, with special praise coming from those who enjoyed the animated series Star Wars: Rebels. While the events of Ahsoka can be followed easily enough as a stand-alone series, Ahsoka can also be considered a Rebels sequel, so some knowledge of the latter definitely adds to the experience, with the Ahsoka including Rebels characters Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, cheeky droid Chopper, and of course the villain, Grand Admiral Thrawn, in significant roles.

If you haven't yet managed to finish Rebels yet, here's a few fun and interesting facts about Ahsoka's former rebel co-stars.

Hera Syndulla's Skill as a Pilot rivals that of Han Solo

Hera, the daughter of the noted Twi'lek General Cham Syndulla, was a child during the time of the war between the Republic and the Separatists. While watching Republic ships delivering the Clone Army to her home planet Ryloth, Hera became inspired to one day become a Pilot, a desire that only intensified after an encounter with Clone Force 99, aka The Bad Batch, and their young ward, Omega.

Hera eventually leaves Ryloth, and her Father's small Ryloth-based resistance, in favour of joining the growing Rebel Alliance as a pilot, where she can both fulfil her dream and make a difference on a larger scale.

By the beginning of Star Wars: Rebels, Hera is the co-leader of her own rebel cell, the Spectres, and Captains her very own starship, The Ghost. When the Spectres link up with the wider network of Rebels, Hera soon sets herself apart as one of the most talented pilots the Rebellion has at their disposal. Her genuine passion for flight also proves valuable, prompting the quirky Mon Calamari Engineer Quarrie to choose her as the Pilot of his first Blade-Wing aircraft, securing the ship for the Rebels.

The Rebels finale reveals that Hera continued to fly for the Rebellion after the Liberation of Lothal, piloting the Ghost during the Battle of Scarif, and was also present during the Battle of Endor. At some point during this period, she apparently meets and develops a friendly rivalry with fellow pilot Han Solo.

In 'Imperial Feast, a Star Wars: Forces of Destiny short set just after the Battle of Endor, Hera teases Han into admitting the Ghost is a better ship than his Millenium Falcon in exchange for extra rations to keep the Ewoks from eating their Stormtrooper hostages. While the matter of the better ship will likely never be confirmed, it is generally accepted in-universe that Hera and Han are nearly on par in regard to piloting skill.

C1-10P, aka Chopper, is a veteran of the Clone Wars

Every Star Wars project needs a droid character, and in Rebels, that was C1-10P, more commonly known as Chopper. The droid is a veteran of the Clone Wars, serving the Republic as a navigational astromech. At some point during the Ryloth campaign, the Y-Wing in which Chopper served was shot down by Separatists, leaving him with a permanent aversion to Y-Wing model ships.

The young Hera Syndulla pulled Chopper from the wreck and saw to his repairs, after which the droid became her constant companion and support, particularly once Cham Syndulla became consumed with the Ryloth Resistance to the point that he neglected his daughter. Chopper accompanies Hera when she leaves Ryloth to join the Rebel Alliance, eventually tasked with the operations and maintenance of her beloved ship, the Ghost. Chopper and Hera are deeply bonded, leaving her frantic when she almost loses him to Imperial reprogramming late in Rebels run.

Chopper's age, and lack of easy access to maintenance of his own due to the under-the-radar life of a rebel, has led to the droid developing a moody, cantankerous personality. However, in the Star Wars: Rebels epilogue, Sabine notes that Chopper's sharp edges soften somewhat in the presence of Hera's son, Jacen Syndulla. We may see some of this relationship onscreen if Jacen's rumoured appearance in Ahsoka comes to pass.

Sabine Wren is a former Darksaber wielder

Yes, that Darksaber. While those who stick to live-action Star Wars would have been introduced to the Darksaber in The Mandalorian, the weapon already had a history in animated Star Wars prior to that, featuring in prominent story arcs in both Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels.

In Rebels, Sabine stumbles upon the Darksaber in Maul's hide out, and is later convinced to use it to unite the Mandalorian people and bring them to the side of the Rebellion. She somewhat accomplishes this when she officially wins the Darksaber in a duel against Gar Saxon. However, Sabine does not see herself as Mandalore's permanent leader, only agreeing to keep the Darksaber until she finds a more fitting ruler.

Sabine eventually passes the Darksaber to Bo-Katan Kryze, after they free Mandalore from Imperial Rule. In Book of Boba Fett, The Armorer expresses the belief that Bo-Katan being gifted the Darksaber rather than having won it in battle is the reason for the misfortune that has followed the Mandalorians since, but Sabine's name is not mentioned directly.

Some believe that Sabine remains the Darksaber's true master seeing as she never officially lost it, although this might seem irrelevant in light of the weapon's destruction in The Mandalorian season three. However, it may still be relevant to the events of Ahsoka, as Sabine's saber skills might have contributed to Ahsoka's decision to take her on as a Padawan in the first place.

Watching Star Wars: Rebels isn't vital to understand Ahsoka. However, it definitely makes for a richer experience.