Star Wars Rebels: Why It’s Even More Important to the Franchise 10 Years Later

As a seasoned gamer and long-time Star Wars enthusiast who has witnessed the rise and fall of various spin-offs and series within the galaxy far, far away, I must admit that I was initially skeptical about Star Wars Rebels when it first premiered ten years ago. After all, The Clone Wars had just been unceremoniously cancelled, and the Sequel Trilogy was still a distant promise.


10 years ago today (October 3rd, 2014), the television show Star Wars Rebels initially aired on Disney XD. At that time, the Star Wars universe was in a distinct phase. Disney had already taken over Star Wars from George Lucas, and the first installment of the Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, hadn’t yet been released. Fans of Star Wars animation were still recovering from the cancellation of The Clone Wars, and there was little optimism about a new series focusing on the origins of the Rebel Alliance and introducing a fresh group of characters.

Similar to Clone Wars, Rebels didn’t immediately capture the hearts of many viewers; although its debut event spanned numerous Disney platforms, including ABC, the viewership dipped below a million per episode after an initial surge – yet it managed to cultivate a dedicated fanbase that persisted for four seasons and produced a grand total of 75 episodes from 2014 to 2018. Despite lower overall viewership numbers, Disney and Lucasfilm continued to support the series due to its loyal fan base.

After it concluded, the significance and impact of Star Wars Rebels on the larger Star Wars universe has significantly increased, demonstrating the enduring legacy of the Star Wars franchise that continually defies expectations and withstands the test of time.

Why Star Wars Rebels Has Only Gotten Better With Age

At present, with so much Star Wars content flooding the scene, it might appear that Rebels is just another addition. However, in significant aspects, Rebels was actually a groundbreaking television series.

Initially, “Rebels” marked the debut of content on screen that expanded the “Star Wars” narrative beyond the Skywalker lineage. It not only introduced a new Jedi character (Kanan Jarrus), but also a crucial Force-user (Ezra Bridger); a vital Mandalorian character (Sabine Wren), and new ominous dark side adversaries such as the Inquisitors. This show seemed to be pioneering fresh ground in the “Star Wars” saga, opening up new avenues of possibility that made a film like “Rogue One” imaginable (a movie that even features a cameo from a “Rebels” character). The success of “Rebels” and “Rogue One” gave rise to spinoffs like “Andor” and sequel series like “Ahsoka”, which are two of the most successful TV productions for “Star Wars”. At the time this was written, both series were in the midst of producing their second seasons.

In the midst of introducing fresh elements, the producer of Star Wars Rebels, Dave Filoni, skillfully wove in significant links to the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy and its Clone Wars spinoff. For instance, Ahsoka Tano’s story as a Rebel agent “Fulcrum” continued; Darth Maul’s narrative reached its climax with his encounter with Obi-Wan Kenobi; Mandalore was reclaimed, leading to Bo-Katan Kryze becoming its ruler; Ahsoka and Darth Vader first crossed paths, and she confirmed that the Sith Lord was her old master Anakin Skywalker – all of which were crucial moments in Star Wars lore.

Over the past decade, the definition of “success” for movies and TV shows has evolved significantly. Yet, Star Wars Rebels stands out as a prime example of exceptional quality, expanding its influence dramatically. This is evident through clips from the show frequently trending on social media and video platforms. Furthermore, critics have produced numerous re-watch analyses and explanatory breakdowns focusing on the series’ narrative arcs and themes. Additionally, the enduring legacy of Star Wars Rebels has led Disney/Lucasfilm to continue its characters and storylines in live-action productions like The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and likely future Star Wars films set in the New Republic era.

Over the past decade, the question “Should I watch Star Wars Rebels?” has become increasingly frequent – and so has the enthusiastic response of “Definitely!” From those in the know. With Ahsoka Season 2 on the horizon, there’s no better time than now to start watching Star Wars Rebels on Disney+.

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2024-10-03 19:39