The latest two-part episode run of Star Wars Rebels saw Sabine, Ezra, and Chopper embark on yet another dangerous mission, though they had some help from an old friend who has since left a major impact on the galaxy far, far away.
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Saw Gerrera returned to the Star Wars animated series last night, once again voiced by Forrest Whitaker. And the episodes brought the fledgling Rebellion even closer to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, packed with references and Easter eggs you might have missed.
Whitaker, who also portrayed Saw in the first Star Wars spinoff movie, continued pushing Saw down a dark path in his fight against the Empire.
It also showed the major cracks that have grown between he and Mon Mothma since the events of Season Three, during which he nearly tortured the last remaining Geonosian in an interrogation.
But Saw’s appearance in the new episode isn’t the only reference to Rogue One, as the two-parter featured name drops, characters, and references to major plot points that dovetail right into the quest to retrieve the Death Star plans and the beginning of A New Hope.
Check out the following slides to learn more about how the animated series plays into the first Star Wars anthology movie.
The Rebel Base, Mon Mothma, and U-wings
After taking part in the liberation of Mandalore, Kanan, Sabine, Chopper, and Ezra make their way to Yavin IV where Hera and Zeb welcome them.
While Ezra is feeling a little jaded with the Rebellion’s methods, a droid broadcasts a message from Saw Gerrera where he chastises the leadership of Mon Mothma.
The two get into an argument, which precedes Saw’s involvement later in the series. Because Ezra’s anger at Mon’s decision not to provide immediate aid to Lothal, he and Sabine go along with Saw after he rescues them from Imperial forces on Jalindi.
Sabine, Ezra, and Chopper board Saw’s U-wing, piloted by Saw’s extremist ally known as Edrio (who also appears in Rogue One) escape before the Ghost can track their location, leading to Saw’s next mission.
Jedha and Kyber Crystals
Saw recruits the Ghost crew members into helping him determine the Empire’s secret project, which they caught wind of during the Geonosis mission in Rebels Season Three. He has tracked their project down to the Faos Station, which appears to be a civilian vessel, but Saw has determined it’s a front for the Empire.
The group infiltrate the station and discover a cargo hold filled with prisoners.
Though Saw wishes to abandon them and find what the Empire is truly hiding, Ezra and Sabine learn the prisoners are all power and rector technicians who were jailed after turning down Imperial recruitment.
They were being brought in to work on Galen Erso’s Death Star project, though they had no idea what the true sinister purpose was at this point.
They learn that the cargo was coming from the planet Jedha, on its way to an empty sector devoid of stations or planetary bodies. Chopper searches the shipping manifest to find mentions of Jedha, and the group learns what the Empire is trying to hide on the station: a gigantic Kyber crystal. Ezra hears it “singing” to him.
Death Troopers and Director Krennic
Unfortunately, they are found by a squad of Death Troopers, who feature prominently in Rogue One.
Though they manage to take one out right off the bat, the Death Troopers prove formidable. But after causing the cargo hold to fill with smoke, Saw and the Rebels take down all but one of their numbers, leaving her to escape.
But in the fight, the Kyber crystal shows signs of destabilizing.
The Empire, meanwhile, attempts to send a warning to Director Krennic about the ordeal while the remaining Death Trooper rallies with backup.
Saw doesn’t want to save the prisoners, and he attempts to ride out the delivery of the Kyber crystal so he can finally discover what the Empire is working on. But Ezra and Sabine choose to get the prisoners to safety and warn Saw what the Empire could accomplish with such a large crystal in their possession. Saw then decides to completely destabilize the Kyber and and take out a looming Star Destroyer in the process, not content without dealing a blow to the Empire.
Sabine, Chopper, and Ezra risks their lives while saving the prisoners, hijacking an Imperial shuttle and barely making it out of the initial blast, which destroys the station and the Star Destroyer.
Though the Kyber shockwave shuts down their power, Hera pilots the Ghost to their rescue, and the prisoners decide to join the Rebellion.
Saw, however, seemingly decides to go to Jedha and learn more about the Empire’s plans… by any means necessary.
[Embed id=36023]Star Wars Rebels (TVShow: star-wars-rebels)[/Embed]
