A Comprehensive 'Star Wars Rebels' Watch Guide - Part II: Sabine Wren
Image Source: Wallpapersden
“As for me, I used to think that Ezra was counting on me to protect Lothal, the planet and the people he cared for so much. But one day, I realized there was more to it. There was something else I was meant to do. Ezra's out there somewhere, and it's time to bring him home.”
― Sabine Wren
These closing words of Star Wars Rebels kept open the possibility of seeing our favorite characters again for the past four years. Now, with Ahsoka finally on the horizon, it seems we will finally get our wish! In my last watch guide, I analyzed the character arc of Ahsoka Tano, and now I turn to her companion in the search for Ezra. The Mandalorian Sabine Wren has grown from a young, distrustful girl to a mature young woman who is able to harness her many talents.
Season 1, Episode 7: “Out of Darkness”
Image Source: StarWars.com
This is the episode of Rebels to focus on Sabine and have her be more than a background character. Sabine argues with Hera because she is upset that Hera does not trust her to communicate with “Fulcrum.” Hera explains that the information she receives from “Fulcrum” is given on a need-to-know basis. Sabine explains that when she was in the Imperial Academy as a Cadet, she was taught not to ask questions, which did not work out well for her in the end.
RELATED:
She and Hera go to Fort Anaxes to pick up supplies, and Sabine hopes to meet “Fulcrum” there. However, there is no one there when they arrive, and Sabine is frustrated that she missed her chance. She and Hera find it strange that there is no one there until they discover the frynocks. Sabine devises a plan to hold off the frynocks until they could be rescued. While she and Hera face their common enemy, Sabine comes to terms with her role on the Ghost and is satisfied that she is indeed considered to be a trusted member of the Ghost family.
Season 2, Episode 8: “Blood Sisters”
Image Source: IMDb
Sabine acquires a droid that has valuable information. In fact, it is so valuable that the droid has a bounty on it. The bounty hunter going after the droid turns out to be Ketsu Onyo, one of Sabine’s old friends from Mandalore. Ketsu Onyo helped Sabine escape from the Imperial Academy in the past, and they became bounty hunters. They dreamed of joining the Black Sun crime syndicate together until Ketsu left Sabine for dead during one of their escapades.
Ketsu has fulfilled her dream of joining Black Sun. Sabine, realizing that she is now working for the greater good, tells Ketsu that she is happy not to be working for slavers and assassins who would kill their own. To emphasize their differences, Ketsu tells Sabine that she will open fire on her if she does not hand over the droid. Thanks to Chopper, this does not work, and Sabine and Ketsu work together to deliver the droid to the right person.
Sabine tells Ketsu, who has previously declared her distrust of people, that by meeting good people, she has become a better person. She invites Ketsu to join them as well. They shake on it, and Ketsu flies away.
This episode fleshes out more of Sabine’s past and shows how far she has come from a distrustful person to someone who completely trusts her friends to have her back.
Season 3, Episode 15: “Trials of the Darksaber”
“I am proficient with many types of blades, and blasters, and explosives, but that is a lightsaber.”
— Sabine Wren
This is a truly pivotal episode for Sabine. In the previous episode, “Vision and Voices,” Sabine discovers the Darksaber on Dathomir. Both Kanan and Fenn Rau agree that it was not a coincidence that brought the Darksaber into Sabine’s possession. Rau explains the history of the Darksaber, saying that it is a symbol of Mandalorian power and whoever wields it can unite the clans. Sabine says that with her family history, there is no way she could be a leader. Hera points out that she should at least try, as they will need her family’s help eventually to rally the Mandalorians to the Rebel cause.
Sabine reluctantly agrees to train with Kanan and Ezra on how to handle the Darksaber. Due to her not being a Force-user, Kanan starts off very slowly, then, with Hera’s urging, he steps it up. Sabine has difficulty controlling the Darksaber until she finally works through her inner demons. She comes to terms with her guilt for leaving her family, and being branded a traitor. When she does, Kanan, Ezra, and Fenn Rau all pledge to follow her as she plans to return to Mandalore.
Season 3, Episode 16: “Legacy of Mandalore”
Image Source: Fandom
Picking right up where the previous episode left off, the Ghost crew makes its way to Krownest, where Sabine is reunited with her mother, Countess Ursa Wren, and brother, Tristan. The reunion is a bit rocky at the beginning, as Sabine suspects it would be. Her family has aligned itself with Gar Saxon, a puppet of the Empire. This is in order to fend off attacks that they are all traitors after Sabine’s escape from the Imperial Academy. After Ursa and Tristan reacquaint themselves with Sabine, Ursa lets Gar Saxon know that Sabine has arrived with Jedi rebels. While Sabine and Tristan are sparring together, Tristan lets Sabine know that Ursa has traded the Jedi to ensure Clan Wren’s safety with Saxon. However, when Ursa is about to hand over Kanan and Ezra, Saxon still accuses Clan Wren of treason, and is about to execute them all. Sabine steps in, and the two duel.
Saxon has taken the Darksaber from Ursa, and now Sabine fights him to get it back. The two grapple on the ice, and Sabine emerges victorious. When Saxon demands that she executes him, Sabine responds, “That might be the Mandalorian way. But it's not my way. Not anymore.” Just when Saxon is about to shoot Sabine in the back, Ursa shoots him first. Ursa says that Mandalore needs chaos to rebuild and find a true leader. Though she is the holder of the Darksaber, Sabine insists that she does not want to be Mandalore’s leader, and will help find the true leader. To the Ghost crew’s surprise, Sabine decides to stay on Mandalore
By the end of this arc, Sabine demonstrates to her friends and her family that she is no longer running away from her problems. She will stand with them and help them face whatever may come.
Season 4, Episodes 1 & 2: “Heroes of Mandalore”
Image Source: StarWars.com
“I'm surprised to see you so swayed by Sabine Wren. You seem to be as impressed with her as I am."
"I had my doubts, Rau, but she came back to face her past and her bold initiative has impressed me. She has become a courageous leader. She reminds me of the best of who we were, and could inspire us to become more than we have been of late.”
― Fenn Rau and Bo-Katan Kryze
The season picks up on Mandalore with Sabine leading a party to rescue her father from the Empire. She is now on good terms with her family, and they also trust the Jedi to accompany them on the mission.
The next part then shows Sabine coming to grips with her past as she sees the Empire using the weapon she created back at the Imperial Academy—the “Duchess.” The weapon specifically targets Mandalorians by attacking the beskar alloy in their armor.
Sabine works together with Bo-Katan to destroy the “Duchess.” When they have finished this mission, Sabine announces that she has found the rightful owner of the Darksaber and offers it to Bo-Katan. Bo-Katan reluctantly accepts the Darksaber, and representatives from the other clans pledge their allegiance to her. Sabine’s mission for Mandalore and her reconciliation with her family is finally complete.
Sabine rejoins the Ghost crew and uses her skills in weaponry and art history to help further their missions. She would get the hyperdrive of a TIE Defender prototype and even decipher the art murals the Empire plunders from the Jedi temple. In the series finale, Sabine blows up the Imperial Dome over Lothal, shouting, “For Kanan and Ezra!” in honor of her lost friends.
Personally, I cannot wait to be inspired by Sabine as she journeys to find Ezra in Ahsoka.
READ NEXT:
Source(s): StarWars.com, Wookieepedia, Star Wars Canon Wikia, Disney+