How Star Wars Rebels Finale Sets Up Season 4

Star Wars Rebels just put a cap on its third season, putting the motley crew of the Ghost and the [...]

By Joe Schmidt

Star Wars Rebels just put a cap on its third season, putting the motley crew of the Ghost and the greater growing Rebellion in between a rock and a hard place as the Imperial Army nearly snuffed them out entirely.

In the season finale two-parter "Zero Hour," Grand Admiral Thrawn began his assault by tricking Kallus, who he now knows is the Rebel spy operating as Fulcrum, into leaking their plans to his allies. This causes the fleet to mobilize where they meet on Atollon, an uncharted planet where the Rebels have been stationed.

Now Thrawn knows where they're hiding as well as who the spy among his ranks is. He captures Kallus and forces him to observe as they arrange an attack in the system. One of the most climactic battles in the production history of Rebels occurs, and the Imperial Fleet nearly destroys the Rebels before some ships can escape. The rest return to their base on Atollan to prepare for ground assault.

While Ezra Bridger attempts to round up Sabine Wren and the Mandalorians for support, Kanan Jarrus goes to the massive Force-sensitive being known as Bendu in an attempt to get him on their side. He only ends up pissing Bendu off, but at this point Kanan no longer needs guidance from the wise being; he's made peace with himself and embraced his connection with the Force.

Sabine and a squad of Mandalorians arrive just in time to help stem the tide of the attack, as does Bendu rage across the planet's surface with a sandstorm attacking the forces of Rebels and Imperials alike.

The Rebels, and Kallus, manage to escape but only after suffering massive casualties at the Empire's hand. It is their first true confrontation and it indicated how outmatched and overpowered they were against Thrawn's strategic mind and the power of the Imperial Army.

But Hera Syndulla and her squadron eek it out alive and begin to meet with their allies on Yavin 4, where the greater Rebellion Fleet has stationed, and ending the season on a note of hope despite the military draw.

The season fostered a lot of growth among the Ghost crew members and their friends, while this finale gave some massive hints for where the future will go in its fourth year. 

Check out the slides to see what you can expect when Star Wars Rebels returns for Season Four.

Fall of Mandalore

When Sabine Wren returned to Mandalore with the Darksaber, she kicked off a series of events that nearly ended up with her family being killed at the behest of the Imperial-allied Clan Saxon.

But Sabine battled and defeated their leader Gar Saxon, who was then killed by her own mother and labeled a traitor to Mandalore.

However, the Mandalorians couldn't outright join the Rebel cause at the moment. The planet was long occupied by Imperial forces during and after the Clone Wars, and an Imperial training academy was established on the planet.

In the finale, Sabine's mother Ursa indicated that they could not lend their full support to the Rebel cause due to a civil war with Clan Saxon, clearly aligned with the principles of their deceased leader.

And now that the planet's clans are warring among themselves over which side to take in the battle between Empire and Rebellion, they have likely earned the ire of their Imperial superiors.

Rebels producer and writer Stephen Melching recently posted a tweet with a hint at the direction for the fourth season, and it doesn't bode glad tidings for the planet of warriors.

The fall of Mandalore seems to be inevitable at this point, but it will be intriguing to see how it affects the cast of Rebels and the greater Star Wars Universe going forward.


With Maul gone and Thrawn surviving, the producers could bring in another fan-favorite character in to the show to help the Empire's battle. Could Boba Fett be making his way into Rebels to help stem the tide against Rebel sympathizers on Mandalore?

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Race to Rogue One


There have been many huge strides toward the approach of events depicted in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Episode IV: A New Hope—and many teases a long the way.

In the latest episode, Thrawn was flanked by Death Troopers who first appeared on screen in Rogue One. It was the latest hint that Rebels was moving toward that epic confrontation.

The crew of the Ghost will likely take part of that battle and more beyond it, as evidenced by the presence of Syndulla's ship (and Chopper) in Rogue One.


When Rebels finally does chronicle this portion of the story, it will likely provide a whole new point of view into that specific struggle, indicating that there was far more to the confrontation than what we saw in Gareth Edwards' movie.

And from that point on, Rebels will have clear boundaries in the storytelling as it moves into the time period of the original Star Wars trilogy.

But once it gets into Rogue One, A New Hope, and the Battle of Yavin 4, it will once again be in the clear to tell original stories that help bridge gaps instead of dancing in between the raindrops.

Season 4 could ultimately be building toward the confrontation on Scarif, which would leave Season 5 to deal with the events of the Death Star. If Star Wars Rebels were to continue beyond that, it would be able to focus on original stories that help flesh out the time between movies, which is how it began.

star wars rebels finale set up season 4 rogue one
(Photo: Lucasfilm)
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Ezra And Kanan Embrace The Light Side

One of the show's major themes across all three seasons was Ezra Bridger's struggle between the Dark and Light Sides of the Force. While Kanan Jarrus tried his best to teach him, the former Jedi Padawan had many of his own issues and insecurities that prevented him from fully embracing his role as Ezra's Master.

Then Darth Maul entered the fray and totally threw them both for a loop, blinding Kanan and tempting Ezra.

Kanan eventually sought guidance from Bendu, a being who stood in balance of the Light and Dark sides, which helped the sightless Jedi to reestablish his connection to the Force.

Ezra too traveled his own path, being coerced on different occasions into helping Maul unlock a vision aided by both Jedi and Sith holocrons. Though Ezra reluctantly supported Maul, Maul often attempted to sway him into becoming his own apprentice.

The two had key visions that pointed toward the significance of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi; Ezra learned he held the key in destroying the Sith, while Maul learned he was on a planet orbiting "twin suns."

After a confrontation with Sabine and Kanan, Maul encouraged Ezra to abandon his friends. But Ezra refused, returning to help the people who took him in when he was an orphan on Lothal.

Then Ezra traveled to Tatooine to warn Kenobi of Maul's quest for vengeance, eventually reuniting the two for a time when it seemed like Maul's influence could again take over. Ezra was actually haunted by his presence and attempted attacking apparitions of the former Sith, nearly giving into anger.

But he was rescued by Ob-Wan, who imparted words of wisdom and set him back on the right path.

Ezra returned to his family with renewed dedication, and his relationship with Kanan grew stronger.

The two will likely continue down this path now, with Ezra's flirtation with the Dark Side finally behind him. Now he can work on becoming one with the Force—not a Jedi, but something new for times of war and rebellion.

star wars rebels finale set up season 4 kanan ezra
(Photo: Disney XD)
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Star Wars Rebels

Star Wars RebelsSaturday at 8:30 PM on Disney XD

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MORE STAR WARS REBELS NEWS: ·Maul's Voice Actor Says He Deserved A Meaningful End
·EP Dave Filoni Talks About Obi-Wan and Maul's Final Duel
·Kenobi And Maul's Final Duel Was Epic
·Thrawn Wreaks Havoc In Finale Preview
·Darth Maul Was Supposed To Die Last Season
·Best Kanan Jarrus Moments In Star Wars Rebels

Star Wars Rebels airs Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD, and follows the adventures of Hera (Vanessa Marshall), Sabine (Tiya Sircar), Zeb (Steve Blum), and the Jedi Kanan (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) and Ezra (Taylor Gray), a small crew that's finding their way in the nascent Rebel Alliance a few years before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.

Executive produced by Simon Kinberg and Dave Filoni, the in-canon series helps to connect the worlds of the films and the previous animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, with guest appearances so far by characters like Lando Calrissian, Ahsoka Tano, Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Leia Organa, Wedge Antilles, and more.

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