Highlights
- It's not necessary to watch Rebels before Ahsoka, but having some familiarity with the key plot points and characters from Rebels can enhance the viewing experience.
- Ahsoka picks up on unresolved plot threads from Rebels, particularly concerning the disappearance of Ezra Bridger. However, these details are recapped in the first episodes of Ahsoka, making it accessible for newcomers.
- Ahsoka features familiar characters from Rebels, including Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, and the antagonist Grand Admiral Thrawn. Ezra Bridger is also confirmed to appear later in the series.
The latest Star Wars series to drop on Disney+, Ahsoka, is a direct continuation of storylines and character arcs from the animated show Rebels – but is it necessary to watch Rebels before watching Ahsoka? The character Ahsoka Tano has always been close to co-creator Dave Filoni’s heart, and nearly every Star Wars project Filoni has developed (from The Clone Wars to Rebels to The Mandalorian) has featured Ahsoka in a major role. In Ahsoka, Filoni finally lets the iconic ex-Jedi ronin take center stage in her own solo adventure. But her solo adventure follows on from her ensemble adventures with the rest of the cast of Rebels. So, is Rebels required viewing before watching Ahsoka?
Taking place between the rise of the Empire in Revenge of the Sith and the Rebellion’s first meaningful victory in A New Hope, Rebels revolves around the crew of a light freighter called the Ghost as they embark on covert missions against the Imperial forces spreading through the galaxy. In narrative terms, Ahsoka essentially plays like Rebels season 5 in live-action, bringing back a bunch of fan-favorite characters and picking up some unresolved plot threads, but it’s very much its own story. The Ahsoka/Rebels connection follows the same principles as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel movies are designed to be accessible to newcomers, but it’s helpful to have some background information.
You Don't Have To Watch Rebels Before Ahsoka (But It Helps)
It’s not strictly necessary to watch Rebels before Ahsoka, but it doesn’t hurt to have a passing familiarity with some of the key plot points from Rebels – particularly the loose ends left in the finale that Ahsoka picks up. The most important things to know are recapped in some expository lines of dialogue, including the mysterious disappearance of Ezra Bridger. Ezra was the main protagonist of Rebels and he’s been missing in action since the series ended. He was last seen sacrificing himself to the Purrgil to ensure Grand Admiral Thrawn would be defeated.
At the end of Rebels, Ahsoka headed out to find Ezra. In The Mandalorian, she was hell-bent on finding Thrawn, likely as a stepping stone to find Ezra. In Ahsoka, she still hasn’t found Thrawn, but she will encounter both Thrawn and Ezra by the time the season finale rolls around. Since this is all covered in the first couple of episodes of Ahsoka, newcomers should be able to follow the story without catching up on Rebels. All the major characters from Rebels are so well-defined, and get reintroduced so poignantly and succinctly, that a Star Wars fan who had never heard of any of them before watching Ahsoka would know everything they need to know about them by the end of the first episode.
Which Rebels Characters Appear In Ahsoka?
Ahsoka’s two closest confidants in her new spin-off series are both familiar figures from the supporting cast of Rebels. She teams up with Mandalorian warrior Sabine Wren, the Ghost crew’s resident weapons expert. Sabine is arguably the most rebellious character in the Rebels cast. She’s played brilliantly in live-action form by Natasha Liu Bordizzo, who captures her anti-authority attitude perfectly. Ahsoka and Sabine are joined by Hera Syndulla, who acted as a mother figure to her crewmates on the Ghost. She became an actual mother to her son, Jacen Syndulla. In Ahsoka, Hera’s maternal instincts kick in to mediate a disagreement between Ahsoka and Sabine. In live-action form, Hera is played spectacularly by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Filoni also reprises his voice role as Hera’s trusty droid companion, Chopper.
Grand Admiral Thrawn is being set up as the big bad of the series. Thrawn is a high-ranking commander in the Empire, likely to be a key figure in the Imperial Remnants in The Mandalorian continuity. Original voice actor Lars Mikkelsen is reprising the role in live-action for his appearance in Ahsoka (as teased in the trailers). It’s up to Filoni to write Thrawn in a way that lives up to both the character’s legacy and Mikkelsen’s iconic performance. Thrawn is a unique bad guy in the Star Wars universe – as a cold-hearted military strategist, Thrawn is characterized more like a Star Trek villain than a Star Wars villain – which has earned him a reputation as one of the franchise’s most compelling baddies.
Ezra hasn’t appeared in Ahsoka yet, but he has loomed large as an integral off-screen presence, and he’s confirmed to show up later in Ahsoka’s eight-episode run. Live-action Ezra will be played by Eman Esfandi, who replaces Taylor Gray from the animated series. In Rebels, Ezra was a former thief who was taken on as a Jedi apprentice under the tutelage of Kanan Jarrus. Star Wars fans with no knowledge of Ezra’s history might not enjoy the maximum impact when Ahsoka finally tracks Ezra down and reunites with him. So, whether or not it’s worth checking out Rebels before watching Ahsoka depends on whether it’s worth watching 75 episodes of one Star Wars show to pick up on all the Easter eggs and callbacks in eight episodes of another Star Wars show.