There are certain quotes from Star Wars that are synonymous with the films. Whether it is Princess Leia’s, “Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope,” or Vader’s iconic, “No, I am your father” moment, certain quotes from the series have become significant in pop culture to the point where one cannot say, read, or hear the quote without knowing exactly when it came from. Another of these lines comes from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Upon noticing that the rebels were duped by the Empire, Admiral Ackbar proclaims, “It’s a trap!” The short line has taken on a life of its own, becoming one of the most widely referenced Star Wars moments in the entire nine-movie series.
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However, technically, Admiral Ackbar was not actually the first character in the larger Star Wars franchise to say this, chronologically speaking. In Episode 2 of the new Star Wars Rebels podcast, Pod of Rebellion, host Jon Lee Brody pointed out the real origin of the quote.
Ezra Bridger Was a Trendsetter Years Before Return of the Jedi
Pod of Rebellion is a new podcast hosted by Vanessa Marshall (voice of Hera Syndulla), Tiya Sircar (voice of Sabine Wren), Taylor Gray (voice of Ezra Bridger), and Jon Lee Brody. Each episode relates to a specific episode of Star Wars Rebels, with the voice cast sharing some behind-the-scenes stories from their experience making the show.
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In the latest episode of Pod of Rebellion, Brody refers to the Rebels episode of the same title and notes, “There’s a line that Ezra has in this when he warns the Ghost crew. He says ‘It’s a trap.’ Now, that line in particular is associated with Admiral Ackbar, of course, in Return of the Jedi, even though I believe Princess Leia also said it I think two or three times in [Star Wars:] The Empire Strikes Back. But canonically speaking, in the sequential order of things, technically Ezra Bridger said, ‘It’s a trap,’ first, before Leia or Admiral Ackbar.”
In “Spark of Rebellion: Pt. 2” — the second episode of the first season of Star Wars Rebels — the Ghost crew learns about an Imperial ship carrying Wookiee prisoners who were to be sold into slavery. Some of these captives even served in the Clone Wars, which is a soft spot for Kanan, as he too fought in the Clone Wars as a young padawan. Kanan devises a plan to infiltrate the Imperial ship with Sabine and Zeb and free the Wookiees. However, the plan goes awry when Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) agent Alexsandr Kallus and his patrol of stormtroopers appear and board the ship as well. As Kallus is on a mission to capture the rebels, his presence there is not a coincidence at all.
When Hera and Ezra — waiting aboard the Ghost to provide escape — see Kallus’ ship, they have to take quick action to warn their friends. Ezra takes it upon himself to board the Imperial ship, locate his crewmates, and tell them of Kallus’s well-laid plan.
“It’s a trap! We gotta get out of here. It’s a trap! […] It’s not an op, it’s a trap!” Ezra yells, just in time to stop Kanan and Zeb from running into a group of stormtroopers.
As if Ezra Bridger wasn’t already one of the most important Jedi in the Star Wars universe, he now has the honor of originating a classic quote — three times, in fact — years before Admiral Ackbar.
Taylor Gray, the actor who portrayed Ezra in Rebels, discussed the moment on Pod of Rebellion and jokingly called on Ashley Eckstein — voice of Ahsoka Tano — to put the phrase “Ezra did it first” on a shirt. Eckstein is the founder of the fashion company Her Universe, which is known for its Star Wars collections. Her Universe already has a few Ezra-inspired pieces, but “Ezra did it first” would certainly be a fun addition to the catalog.
You can listen to Pod of Rebellion anywhere you stream your podcasts. New episodes are released every Tuesday.
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