Star Wars Rebels is an American 3D animated science fiction television series produced by Lucasfilm Animation and set in the Star Wars galaxy five years before A New Hope. It takes place during the Dark Times, when the Galactic Empire is hunting down the last of the Jedi while a fledgling rebellion against the Empire is emerging. The visual style of the series is inspired by the original Star Wars trilogy concept art by Ralph McQuarrie. The series features new characters, along with some from the original trilogy and from the previous animated series, The Clone Wars.
The series premiered as a one-hour television film, Spark of Rebellion, on October 3, 2014, on Disney Channel prior to the premiere of the series on October 13 on Disney XD. The second season premiered on June 20, 2015, with a one-hour television film, The Siege of Lothal. The third season premiered on September 24, 2016, with the television film, Steps Into Shadow. The fourth and final season premiered on October 16, 2017, with another one-hour television film, Heroes of Mandalore. Its final episode aired on March 5, 2018.
Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg and Greg Weisman served as executive producers of season one. Weisman left the show after season one. Filoni was also the supervising director for the first two seasons, a role he relinquished after accepting a promotion that expanded his creative role into overseeing all Lucasfilm Animation projects; he chose Justin Ridge to succeed him for season three. Filoni assumed the role back for the fourth season.
The series has been generally well-received with several award wins and nominations. Rebels garnered praise for its writing, characters, voice acting, score, and expansion of the franchise’s mythology, although it received some criticism for its animation and perceived lack of depth. The show was nominated for the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Animated Series and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program. Rebels became the first recipient of the Saturn Award for Best Animated Series on Television, winning for its final two seasons.
A number of tie-in media have been released to expand upon the series’ lore such as the comic book series Kanan, the novel A New Dawn, and the novel series Thrawn.
Premise
Fourteen years after the fall of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order and the rise of the Galactic Empire depicted in Revenge of the Sith, a motley group of rebels unite aboard a freighter starship called the Ghost and begin to conduct covert operations against the Imperial garrison on and around the planet Lothal and other planets that are menaced by the Empire.
Cast and characters
Main
- Taylor Gray as Ezra Bridger, a teenage con artist who is taken in by Kanan to be trained as a Jedi.
- Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kanan Jarrus, formerly known as Jedi Padawan, Caleb Dume, who survived the events of Order 66. He is Ezra’s mentor and leader of the Ghost Crew.
- Vanessa Marshall as Hera Syndulla, a Twi’lek pilot turned Rebel Commander and the daughter of Ryloth freedom fighter Cham Syndulla.
- Tiya Sircar as Sabine Wren, a young Mandalorian warrior who’s fixated on art.
- Steven Blum as Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios, a former Lasat honor guard member who wants the Empire to pay for enslaving his people.
- Dave Filoni as Chopper (credited as “Himself” prior to the series finale), Hera’s astromech droid who can be a bit reckless.
- David Oyelowo as Agent Kallus, a member of the Imperial ground team tasked with overviewing Imperial activities.
- Dee Bradley Baker as Captain Rex (seasons 2–4), a former high ranking Clone trooper, who served under Anakin Skywalker in the Clone Wars.
- Sam Witwer as Maul (seasons 2–3), a former Sith Lord and apprentice to Palpatine who is attempting to hunt down Obi-Wan Kenobi.
- Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn (seasons 3–4), a powerful high-ranking officer within the Galactic Empire.
Recurring
- Jason Isaacs as Grand Inquisitor, a former Jedi Temple Guard who turned to the dark side and was tasked with hunting down surviving Jedi.
- James Earl Jones as Darth Vader, an evil Sith Lord and apprentice to Palpatine who was once Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker.
- Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker, a former Jedi Knight who became Darth Vader.
- Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano, the former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, who aids the rebellion with pivotal assets.
- Stephen Stanton as Grand Moff Tarkin, an Imperial officer who oversees many of the Empire’s activities.
- Sam Witwer and Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine, the ruler of the galaxy and also known as Darth Sidious, Sith master of Darth Vader.
- Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Governor Arihnda Pryce, a high-ranking officer of the Galactic Empire and Governor of the Lothal sector.
- Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera, a Rebel extremist and a former freedom fighter.
- Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma, the leader of the Rebel Alliance.
Guest appearances
- Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, a protocol droid who assists allies in the rebellion.
- James Arnold Taylor and Stephen Stanton as Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Knight in exile on Tatooine.
- Frank Oz as Yoda, the wise and powerful Grand Master of the Jedi who is exiled on the planet Dagobah.
- Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian, a smuggler in the underworld.
- Nathan Kress as Wedge Antilles, a former Imperial TIE fighter pilot, who defects to the rebellion.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| Shorts | 4 | August 11, 2014 | September 1, 2014 | ||
| 1 | 15 | October 3, 2014 | March 2, 2015 | ||
| 2 | 22 | June 20, 2015 | March 30, 2016 | ||
| 3 | 22 | September 24, 2016 | March 25, 2017 | ||
| 4 | 16 | October 16, 2017 | March 5, 2018 | ||
Release
Broadcast
The first two episodes, titled Spark of Rebellion, premiered on October 3, 2014, on Disney Channels worldwide and on Family Channel in Canada. In Australia, the series premiered on October 17 on Disney XD. The Siege of Lothal premiered on June 28, 2015, and the second season debuted on October 18. In Canada, the series premiered on October 19 on the DHX-owned Disney XD. However, due to DHX Media losing the rights to Disney content, the show was later moved to Disney Channel. The second season premiered on November 7, and it was moved to the Corus-owned Disney XD channel on December 1.
In the Middle East and Africa, Spark of Rebellion premiered on October 11 and the series debuted on October 18 on Disney XD. Siege of Lothal premiered on October 10, followed the official season premiere on October 17. In Southeast Asia, Spark of Rebellion premiered on Disney XD on October 4 and the series officially started on November 29. Siege of Lothal premiered on October 3 on Disney XD and Disney Channel, and the second season was released on October 24. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the series debuted on October 16 on Disney XD. Siege of Lothal premiered on July 18, 2015, followed by the second-season debut on October 17.
Home media
| DVD/Blu-ray name | DVD Releases | Blu-ray Releases | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | Region A | Region B | ||
| Spark of Rebellion (DVD only) | October 14, 2014 | October 13, 2014 | November 5, 2014 | Spark of Rebellion included in Complete Season One | ||
| Complete Season One | September 1, 2015 | September 14, 2015 | September 16, 2015 | September 1, 2015 | September 14, 2015 | |
| Complete Season Two | August 30, 2016 | October 3, 2016 | November 2, 2016 | August 30, 2016 | October 3, 2016 | |
| Complete Season Three | August 29, 2017 | October 2, 2017 | December 6, 2017 | August 29, 2017 | October 2, 2017 | |
| Complete Season Four | August 12, 2018 | October 26, 2018 | November 28, 2018 | August 12, 2018 | October 26, 2018 | |
Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on DVD in the US at all retailers on October 14, 2014. DVD bonus features include character shorts, a 3D model kit of the Ghost ship, and a preview of season 1.
The Complete Season One of Star Wars Rebels was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray on September 1, 2015, in America, and in Germany on September 10, 2015. The Season 1 collection contains the expanded version of Spark of Rebellion with the Darth Vader/Grand Inquisitor prologue shown on ABC-TV. The Complete Season Two of Star Wars Rebels was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray on August 30, 2016, in North America. The Complete Season Three of Star Wars Rebels was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on August 29, 2017. The Complete Season Four is announced to be released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 15, 2018, in Germany, and July 31, 2018, in the United States.
The series is also available on the Disney+ streaming service, which launched on November 12, 2019.
Reception
Ratings
In the United States, the one-hour special garnered 2.74 million viewers on Disney Channel and 2.40 million viewers on ABC. Worldwide, it delivered a total of 6.5 million viewers. On Disney Channel, the first and second episodes delivered 2.33 million and 1.92 million viewers, respectively. The third and fourth episodes garnered 2.32 million and 1.84 million, respectively. The fifth, sixth, and seventh episodes were watched by 1.43 million, 1.30 million, and 1.60 million viewers, respectively. The eighth and ninth episodes got 1.92 and 1.44 million viewers, respectively.
In Canada, the second episode was watched by 274,500 viewers, making it the most-watched broadcast ever on the network. In the United Kingdom, the film was the highest-rated broadcast that week, with 81,000 viewers.
| Season | Timeslot (ET) | Episodes | Premiered | Ended | Viewers (in millions) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Premiere viewers (in millions) |
Date | Finale viewers (in millions) |
||||
| 1 | 13 | 1.03 | 0.72 | 0.68 | |||
| 2 | 22 | 0.46 | 0.69 | 0.81 | |||
| 3 | 22 | 0.56 | 0.50 | 0.66 | |||
Critical response
On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has received a 92% positive score, based on 12 reviews, and seasons 2, 3 and 4 have received a 100% score based on 6 reviews for season 2, 6 reviews for season 3, and 10 reviews for season 4, with an average rating of 8.17/10 for season 1, 7.38/10 for season 2, 9/10 for season 3, and 9.22/10 for season 4. On Metacritic, the first season has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 based on 4 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.
IGN and Variety in particular had strong praise for the pilot film, Spark of Rebellion, with their only criticism being the appearance of the Wookiees in the film, being cited as not all that impressive compared to the rest of the animation.
Accolades
| Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Animated Show | Star Wars Rebels | Nominated |
| 42nd Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production | Nathaniel Villanueva & Douglas Lovelace | Nominated |
| 5th Critics’ Choice Television Awards | Best Animated Series | Star Wars Rebels | Nominated |
| 2014 BTVA Awards | Best Male Lead Vocal Performance in a Television Series – Action/Drama | Steve Blum as Zeb Orrelios | Nominated |
| Best Female Lead Vocal Performance in a Television Series – Action/Drama | Tiya Sircar as Sabine Wren | Nominated | |
| Vanessa Marshall as Hera Syndulla | Nominated | ||
| Best Male Vocal Performance in a Television Series in a Supporting Role – Action/Drama | Jason Isaacs as Inquisitor | Won | |
| Best Female Vocal Performance in a Television Series in a Supporting Role – Action/Drama | Kath Soucie as Maketh Tua | Nominated | |
| Best Male Vocal Performance in a Television Series in a Guest Role – Action/Drama | Frank Oz as Yoda | Nominated | |
| James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi | Nominated | ||
| James Earl Jones as Darth Vader | Won | ||
| Best Vocal Ensemble in a New Television Series | Star Wars Rebels | Nominated | |
| 6th Critics’ Choice Television Awards | Best Animated Series | Star Wars Rebels | Nominated |
| 2015 BTVA Awards | Best Female Lead Vocal Performance in a Television Series – Action/Drama | Vanessa Marshall as Hera Syndulla | Nominated |
| 44th Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production | Kevin Kiner for Twilight of the Apprentice | Nominated |
| Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production | Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn in Hera’s Heroes | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Achievement, Editorial in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production | Joe E. Elwood and Alex McDonnell for Twilight of the Apprentice | Nominated | |
| Writers Guild of America Awards 2016 | Best Writing in Animation | Steven Melching for “A Princess on Lothal” | Nominated |
| 2016 BTVA Awards | Best Male Vocal Performance in a Television Series in a Supporting Role | David Oyelowo as Agent Kallus | Nominated |
| Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn | Nominated | ||
| 43rd Saturn Awards | Best Animated Series or Film on Television | Star Wars Rebels | Won |
| 69th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Children’s Program | Star Wars Rebels | Nominated |
| 2017 BTVA Awards | Best Vocal Ensemble in a Television Series | Star Wars Rebels | Nominated |
| Best Male Vocal Performance in a Television Series in a Guest Role | Stephen Stanton as Obi-Wan Kenobi | Won | |
| Best Female Vocal Performance in a Television Series in a Supporting Role | Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma | Nominated | |
| 44th Saturn Awards | Best Animated Series or Film on Television | Star Wars Rebels | Won |
| 70th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Children’s Program | Star Wars Rebels | Nominated |
| Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) | Kevin Kiner for “Family Reunion – and Farewell” | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation | Matthew Wood, David Acord, Bonnie Wild, Sean Kiner, Ronni Brown, Margie O’Malley for “A World Between Worlds” | Nominated |
Other media
Films
Chopper and the Ghost appear in the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Hera’s surname is called on a loudspeaker at the Rebel base on Yavin IV, where Chopper can briefly be seen. In addition, the Ghost takes part in the climactic battle over Scarif.
The Ghost also appears in the 2019 film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker during the final battle over Exegol. The voice of Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kanan Jarrus can also heard in the film as one of the voices of Jedi past who provide Rey with encouragement to defeat Emperor Palpatine.
Novels
On September 2, 2014, Del Rey Books published Star Wars: A New Dawn, a prequel novel by John Jackson Miller telling the story of how Kanan and Hera met (set about six years before the series). One of the first canon Star Wars novels to be released by Disney, it also introduces Imperial captain Rae Sloane, who is later a grand admiral in the Aftermath trilogy (2015–2017). It includes a foreword by Dave Filoni.
In 2017, a new novel, entitled Thrawn, was released. The book marked the entrance of Grand Admiral Thrawn into the current canon. It was written by the character’s original creator, Timothy Zahn. A sequel to Thrawn, titled Thrawn: Alliances, was released on July 24, 2018. It explored Thrawn’s partnerships with Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker. Another Thrawn novel, Thrawn: Treason was released on July 23, 2019. It takes place during the events of Rebels’ fourth season.
Hera Syndulla would go on to appear in Alexander Freed’s Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron novel trilogy, as a general of the recently christened New Republic’s eponymous starfighter squadron in the final days of the Galactic Civil War, hunting down the weakened Imperial forces after the battle of Endor and the death of Emperor Palpatine.
Comics
From April 1, 2015, through March 16, 2016, Marvel Comics published a 12-issue comic series, titled Kanan, and set during the events of the first season. Written by former executive producer of the series Greg Weisman and illustrated by Pepe Larraz, Jacopo Camagni and Andrea Broccardo, the story is centered on Kanan having flashbacks to his days as a Padawan in the Jedi Temple and the Clone Wars. The other members of the Ghost crew also appear.
In the summer of 2017, Marvel announced that a comic book miniseries adaptation of Zahn’s Thrawn novel was being planned, scheduled to be released in early 2018. The first issue was released on February 14, 2018, with new issues being released over the following five months.
A few days after the series finale was aired, IDW Publishing released the seventh issue of the long-running Star Wars Adventures multi-era comic book series, which contained the first of a two-part comic arc, set between the second and third season, in which the Spectres embark on a mission to save a rare endangered bird from Imperial custody. The second part appeared in the next issue, which was released on March 28, 2018.
Video games
A side-scrolling run-and-gun game based on the show’s first season, titled Star Wars Rebels: Recon Missions, was released by Disney Mobile on iOS, Android, and Windows Store in early 2015, before being discontinued on July 28, 2016, due to the limitations of the support team. Ezra Bridger is the only playable character, with other characters available via in-app purchases, which also grant early access to most of the game’s levels in the mobile versions and are required to play the full campaign in the Windows Store version.
Additionally, several of the characters from the series are playable in other games such as Disney Infinity 3.0, Angry Birds Star Wars II, Roblox (as virtual accessories and gears), Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (as downloadable content only), Star Wars: Galactic Defense, Star Wars: Force Arena and Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes.
Vanessa Marshall reprises her role as Hera Syndulla for the 2020 video game Star Wars: Squadrons, providing voice work and motion capture for the character.
Themes
Historical influences
Characters in Star Wars Rebels have taken influence from Biblical, Hebrew, and Greco-Roman mythological names. Star Wars writers have often used biblical names for Jedi while giving galactic Imperial characters Roman names. In 2015 an interview was conducted with Dave Filoni and Simon Kinberg where Kinsberg stated that they wanted to connect to the original films by using the biblical naming scheme seen in the films. Both Caleb and Ezra are historically Hebrew names with Ezra translating to “Helper”. Characters with Roman names include Clone Captain Rex which translates to “King” in Latin along with Sabine Wren, Admiral Brom Titus and Admiral Kassius Konstantine.