How 'Star Wars Rebels' Laid The Foundation For 'Ahsoka' And The New Canon

Star Wars

Sep 25

Star Wars animation paved the way for the franchise to grow in directions we couldn’t have imagined a couple of decades ago. The Clone Wars made a significant contribution to enriching the Star Wars prequels by filling in the gaps, introducing new characters, and clarifying character motivations. After the seven highly successful and influential seasons of The Clone Wars, Star Wars animation brought a series set 15 years after the events of Order 66, during the age of the Empire and the rise of the Rebellion.

Rebels took place during a period in the Star Wars timeline when the galaxy was under the Empire’s tyranny. However, it was surprisingly grounded despite the circumstances its main characters faced. The show’s intimate storytelling and unique animation style were a hit, but Rebels is a huge achievement for what it meant for Star Wars canon. Although the series didn’t alter existing canon, it expanded it in numerous ways. Ahsoka Season 1 was a live-action continuation of Rebels after its series finale, making it an essential watch for everyone, especially with Season 2 due out next year. As we get closer to Ahsoka Season 2, here’s a deep dive on how Star Wars Rebels has influenced canon in recent years.

RELATED:

Featured

Understanding The Future Of 'Star Wars' Publishing: 2026

Mon Mothma’s Defection

Many fans know Mon Mothma’s defection from Andor Season 2, where Cassian Andor helped the Senator escape after she made a speech exposing Palpatine in the aftermath of the Ghorman Massacre. However, the foundation for Mothma’s escape from Coruscant had been laid in Rebels Season 3’s Episode, “Secret Cargo”, where the Ghost Crew was responsible for taking Mothma to Yavin 4. On the Ghost, Mothma delivers a speech where she calls for the union of Rebel cells under the Rebel Alliance.

Additionally, although Mon Mothma’s speech in Andor has been praised, Rebels deserves credit for giving fans a closer look at the Rebel Alliance during its early years. The Rebel base on Yavin 4 features in several episodes, giving fascinating insight into Rebel heroes like Leia Organa, Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, Hera Syndulla, Kanan Jarrus, Saw Gerrera, and Fulcrum aka Ahsoka Tano. In so many ways, Star Wars Rebels walked so that Andor could run.

Thrawn As An Antagonist

Grand Admiral Thrawn — Image Source: StarWars.com

Thrawn served as the antagonist in Star Wars Rebels, where the Ghost Crew often faced off with the cunning strategist. Everything led to Ezra thwarting Thrawn’s plans for Lothal in the Rebels finale, which led both to the unknown regions where they weren’t heard from again until Ahsoka Season 1. Ahsoka revealed that Thrawn and Ezra were in another galaxy, on a planet called Peridea, opening the door for Star Wars to move beyond the known galaxy.

While Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy books aren’t considered canon, Ahsoka Season 2 and future projects in the Mandoverse can bring elements from Heir to the Empire to canon. With Thrawn and Ezra back in the home galaxy by the end of Ahsoka Season 1, fans can watch Rebels to catch up with Thrawn’s tactical genius and his interactions with characters like Hera Syndulla and Ezra Bridger. Additionally, Rebels is the best source to portray Thrawn correctly in live-action, with Lars Mikkelsen portraying the Admiral both in animation and the series. We all know that The Mandalorian leads to the sequel trilogy, so the challenge here is for Filoni to create an unpredictable character arc for Thrawn within the timeline limitations, as he doesn’t appear during the events of the sequel trilogy.

Mandalorian Lore And The Darksaber

Mandalorians had been explored in The Clone Wars, but Rebels deepened Mandalorian lore by revealing the planet’s condition in the aftermath of the Siege of Mandalore and the Great Purge. Not only were Mandalorians divided into various factions, but Mandalore had been almost destroyed by now. Key characters such as Gar Saxon, Sabine Wren, Clan Wren, and Bo-Katan Kryze played important roles in Rebels, with some transitioning to live-action projects like Ahsoka and The Mandalorian.

The series also did a deep dive on the history of the Darksaber, which Sabine passed to Bo-Katan, but “Trials of the Darksaber” was a chance for Sabine to come to terms with her trauma and guilt, and Filoni continued Sabine’s arc by making Force-sensitive Sabine canon. The Darksaber returned in The Mandalorian Season 2, The Book of Boba Fett, and The Mandalorian Season 3, where it was revealed that Bo-Katan lost it to Moff Gideon. Even though the weapon was destroyed at the end of Mando season 3, it could be rebuilt later by either Grogu, Sabine, or another Mandalorian Jedi.

Darth Maul’s Quest For Obi-Wan

Darth Maul’s story was expanded further in Star Wars Rebels, and it is where Maul met his end at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Throughout the show, Maul seemed like the perfect candidate for redemption. Unfortunately, his main aim was to find and kill his arch nemesis, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Maul’s tragic arc in Rebels played a crucial role in furthering the growth of characters like Ezra Bridger and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

It is through his association with Maul that Ezra learned the consequences of walking too close to the Dark Side. Because of Maul, Kanan lost his eyesight, which served as a turning point in the series, as well as Kanan, Hera, and Ezra’s lives. Overall, Maul’s role in Rebels was a catalyst for Ezra Bridger’s growth into the character he is in Ahsoka.

Inside The World Of Vader’s inquisitors

Darth Vader is ruthless in Star Wars Rebels, and the proof lies in his Jedi hunters, better known as the Inquisitors. Most of Vader’s inquisitors were former Jedi Temple guards who joined the dark side after the fall of the Republic. They were tasked with hunting down surviving force users, particularly surviving Jedi after Order 66. The Inquisitors had issues with each other, which served as an intriguing aspect of Rebels. From Rebels, the Grand Inquisitor and the Fifth Brother made their live-action debut in Obi-Wan Kenobi.

However, the series featured others, including Reva, and overall, there have been 16 Inquisitors featured across Star Wars canon, including Kenobi, Tales of the Empire, Tales of the Jedi, Ahsoka, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and more. Credit goes to the series for giving a detailed look at the Inquisitor’s role in the Empire’s sordid history.

The World Between Worlds

Perhaps the wildest and most mystical concept introduced in canon is the World Between Worlds, and it has such a hold on fans that it’s hard to imagine a time when it didn’t exist. Recently, the mythical realm made an appearance in season 1 of Ahsoka and served as the setting for Anakin Skywalker’s reunion with his former padawan. Since its introduction, the World Between Worlds has been the heart of many debates among fans. While some might think it’s Filoni’s way to get rid of the sequels, he has said the World Between Worlds is not a way to alter canon. It’s a portal within the Force where all space and time are connected. If the idea of a mystical realm seems too outlandish, it’s important to note that Filoni discussed the concept thoroughly with George Lucas before implementing it.

Most fans know that Ahsoka Tano is alive because Ezra Bridger pulled her to safety in the World Between Worlds before Darth Vader could strike her a fatal blow on Malachor. The question is, what role will it play in the future? Besides its canonical significance, the realm is visually just as interesting both in animation and live-action. Hopefully, the World Between Worlds will be explored in detail in Ahsoka Season 2.

Overall, it’s undeniable that Star Wars Rebels had a significant impact on Star Wars canon by deepening Star Wars lore, exploring the mystical side of the Force, including the World Between Worlds, the Mortis Gods, Ancient Jedi Temples, Loth Wolves, and introducing quirky characters like Bendu. Thus, the show expanded our understanding of the Force in canon, taking fans on a spiritual journey with Kanan and Ezra in places like Lothal, which made its live-action debut in Ahsoka.

The series has memorable moments, including the episode “Twilight of the Apprentice”, where Ahsoka successfully broke Vader’s mask. This moment was replicated in Obi-Wan Kenobi, when the Jedi Master symbolically broke the other half of his former padawan’s mask. Rebels brought Grand Admiral Thrawn into canon, which opened up the possibilities for him to be a part of live-action years later. Characters like Bo-Katan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, and Ahsoka played integral roles, and new characters, including Ezra, Zeb, Hera, and the Inquisitors, will continue to play a role in Star Wars for years to come, making Rebels an essential watch for everyone.

READ NEXT:

Featured