The protagonist of Star Wars Rebels, Ezra Bridger might be a classic Star Wars hero, but he’s certainly not the average Jedi. Trained in the ways of the Force by Kanan Jarrus, a Jedi Knight who survived Order 66, Ezra is one of the few Force-users to take center stage during the Age of the Rebellion.
At first, he might seem like a headstrong rebel with some Jedi potential, but he ends up becoming one of Star Wars’ most impressive Force-sensitives. He connects with beings like Loth-wolves and the purrgil; activates Holocrons and explores both Sith and Jedi Temples; and removes the threat of Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn. So, with Ezra Bridger set to appear in the Ahsoka series, here’s what to know about the scrappy rebel-turned-Jedi, who was vanished at the end of Star Wars Rebels alongside Thrawn.
Ezra Bridger And The Space Whales, Explained
When the Star Wars space whales, formally known as the purrgil, appeared in Season 3 of The Mandalorian, fans of Star Wars Rebels rejoiced. The last time viewers saw Ezra Bridger was during the rebels’ final stand on his homeworld, Lothal. They had captured the Empire’s on-the-ground leader, Governor Pryce; however, Ezra, Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, and the rest of the Ghost crew had to contend with the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn and his fleet. Luckily, Ezra’s connection with the purrgil helped save the day.
Previously, on a mission to steal fuel from the Mining Guild, the Ghost crew found themselves in a struggle between the guild and the purrgil. The Mining Guild had restricted the purrgil pod’s access to Clouzon-36 gas, which the creatures need not only in order to travel through hyperspace, but to breathe. While Hera is skeptical of the purrgil — many travelers lose their lives in whale-on-ship hyperspace tunnel crashes — Ezra forms a bond with the Purrgil King thanks to the Force.
While this bond helps both the purrgil and rebels make quick work of the Mining Guild, the Force-inspired alliance also helps Ezra liberate Lothal. On Ezra’s command, the rebels’ Ghost sends up a transmission, asking the purrgil to help destroy Thrawn’s blockade. Using the Force, Ezra encourages the purrgil to destroy the Imperial forces, and ensnare Thrawn’s flagship. Once Thrawn’s ship is entangled in the purrgil tentacles, the creatures jump to hyperspace, carrying Thrawn with them.
Is Ezra Bridger Alive?
The only downside to this great purrgil maneuver is that at the time, Ezra is on Thrawn’s flagship. Struggling against the purrgil tentacles, Thrawn tells Ezra that whatever happens next will happen to them both — to which Ezra replies, “That’s the idea.” Although he doesn’t know where the hyperspace jump will bring Thrawn’s flagship, Ezra is committed. But is he still alive?
Sabine Wren and Ahsoka Tano seem to think so. In the Star Wars Rebels’ epilogue, the duo set out to look for Ezra Bridger after the Battle of Endor. In The Mandalorian, Ahsoka asks Morgan Elsbeth, Magistrate of the oppressed Calodan, about Thrawn’s whereabouts. Apart from wanting to take Thrawn out once and for all, Ahsoka likely asks this in order to find Ezra, since the two vanished together.
In the final episodes of The Mandalorian Season 3, the Shadow Council, which is composed of high-ranking Imperial remnants, is lying in wait for Thrawn’s inevitable return. Maybe it’s wishful thinking — or maybe the council knows something about where Thrawn’s been in the interceding years. And there’s a good chance that Ezra won’t be too far behind the Chiss admiral.
How Ezra Bridger & Sabine Wren Connect To The Darksaber
Not only does Ezra Bridger hold connections to the purrgil, Thrawn, and the fate of the Jedi, but he’s also associated with the (recent) history of the Darksaber. On Dathomir, Maul’s home planet, Ezra comes across the Mandalorian artifact. During the end of the Clone Wars, Maul ruled Mandalore, having killed the Darksaber’s previous owner, Death Watch leader Pre Vizsla. Although Ahsoka and her clone battalion help Bo-Katan Kryze liberate Mandalore from Maul, Order 66 throws the planet into chaos, with the troopers firmly on the side of the newly formed Empire.
The chaos also leads to Maul’s escape, which means that he still wields the Darksaber in Rebels. The former Sith Lord adds the relic to his collection of arcane objects on Dathomir, where Ezra and Sabine encounter the blade for the first time. Possessed by the spirit of a Nightsister — one of the witches of Dathomir — Sabine wields the Darksaber against Ezra. Later, Ezra uses both his own lightsaber and the Darksaber to destroy the altar that summoned the possessive spirits. Before leaving Dathomir, Sabine takes the Mandalorian weapon, but gives it to Kanan Jarrus, Ezra’s Jedi teacher and fellow member of the Ghost crew.
Although Sabine is hesitant to use the Darksaber at first, she eventually seeks guidance from Kanan. At first, the weapon is too heavy for her to use properly, but, as she works through her past trauma and guilt, Sabine’s will aligns with that of the Darksaber. She resolves to use the symbolic weapon to unite the Mandalorian clans and retake the planet. Impressed with Bo-Katan Kryze’s dedication to saving Mandalore, Sabine Wren later gifts the Darksaber to her, and Bo-Katan leads the Mandalorians for a time.
How Powerful Is Ezra Bridger?
Unassuming and scrappy when viewers first meet him, Ezra Bridge becomes one of the most powerful Force-users in Star Wars. With impressive precognitive abilities and an indomitable will, Ezra commits himself to learning more about the mysteries of the Force. Kanan Jarrus trains Ezra, but the Padawan also learns about the nature of the Force from other unlikely sources.
For starters, Maul, the former Sith Lord, believes Ezra Bridger would make a suitable apprentice after they meet in the ruins of a Sith Temple on Malachor. Ezra has used both Sith and Jedi Holocrons (ancient knowledge-storing devices). He can enter The World Between Worlds — a realm that contains all of space and time and its many pathways and gates — by way of the Jedi Temple on Lothal. Like the Skywalkers, Ezra is a skilled pilot, and becomes an impressive duelist. But one of the Force-related traits that sets Ezra Bridger apart from other Jedi is his connection to other Force-sensitive beings. Like Kanan, Ezra grows close with Bendu, an ancient and wise creature who claims to represent the center of the Force.
Ezra is also one of the few Jedi who uses the Force to have meaningful connections with animals, including the Loth-wolves, massive canines native to Lothal. Unlike other living beings, the Loth-wolves have deep connections not only to the Force, but to Lothal, too. There’s a purposefulness to the Loth-wolves’ connection to the Force, later solidified when they help Ezra access the Jedi Temple (and The World Between Worlds), and (seemingly) use hyper tunnels to travel great distances. As mentioned, Ezra uses the Force to connect with the purrgil, too.
Much like Ahsoka, Ezra seems to exist in a neutral space. While he does what’s right, he doesn’t abide by the strict ways of the Jedi Order. Much like Kanan, Ezra forms close personal relationships with the Ghost crew, his found family, and doesn’t shy away from the love he feels for his late parents. Time and again, the Jedi Council’s tendency toward restraint and isolation has proven to be their undoing. Jedi like Ezra, Kanan, and Ahsoka prove that love of all kinds doesn’t conflict with one’s ability to channel the Force for good. That makes Ezra Bridger an incredibly powerful and admirable Force-sensitive character.
Will Ezra Bridger Be In “Ahsoka”?
Yes, Ezra Bridger will be in the upcoming Ahsoka series. Already, Eman Esfandi has been cast as live-action Ezra Bridger, and he’s even been spotted (in hologram form) in the first official trailer for Ahsoka. While not much has been said about the show’s plot, it’s clear that quite a few characters from Star Wars Rebels will make their live-action debuts alongside Ezra, including Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).
Given the ending of Rebels, and the hints that have cropped up in The Mandalorian, it’s likely Ahsoka and Sabine are continuing their search for Ezra. It's also possible that the Jedi’s live-action Star Wars debut might just coincide with that of Lars Mikkelsen’s Thrawn.