Freddie Prinze Jr. will not reprise his role as Star Wars Rebels’ Kanan Jarrus in the upcoming Ahsoka series. Star Wars Rebels season 1 introduced Kanan as a secret Jedi who survived Order 66 and went on to lead a small rebel cell alongside Hera Syndulla. Rebels would later reveal that Kanan was a surviving Padawan from the time of the Republic, setting up an incredible character arc that culminated in season 4.

During The Big Thing podcast, Prinze Jr. discussed his most recent Kanan cameos in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 1, but confirmed that he will not return in Ahsoka.

Prinze Jr: “I was asked to [voice Kanan in The Bad Batch]. I feel like every time you hear Kanan’s voice since Rebels ended, it really kind of dilutes his impact. I didn’t wanna do [Episode IX] either. I was asked as a favor, but I feel like all their favors are used up now."

Interviewer: "So no Ahsoka?"

Prinze Jr: "No Ahsoka. I’m done with Kanan. I’m too old for that stuff. "

While Kanan Jarrus never appeared in live-action, Prinze Jr.'s voice was one of the many cameo Jedi voices Rey heard during The Rise of Skywalker's ending battle. Prinze Jr. also voiced a 14-year-old Caleb Dume in The Bad Batch season 1, episode 1, which retconned Kanan's backstory. The Ahsoka series will now revisit multiple Rebels characters in live-action, including Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, and Ezra Bridger.

Why Freddie Prinze Jr. Is Correct About Leaving Kanan Alone

As disappointing as Prinze Jr. not returning as Kanan may sound, the actor makes a compelling case for leaving the character alone. The story of Caleb Dume, the Jedi Padawan who would become Rebel leader Kanan Jarrus, was concluded in Rebels season 4. Kanan’s death in Rebels was one of the saga’s most emotional moments. Likewise, his sacrifice summarized what it means to be a Jedi in the most impactful way.

Instead of retconning Yoda’s “the last Jedi” line from Return of the Jedi once again, Star Wars gave Kanan a definitive ending. As beloved as Spectre-1 was, Kanan’s story always suggested that the “last Padawan” would not survive the events of Rebels. Even still, Kanan’s death was not for shock value, instead serving to raise the stakes for Rebels season 4’s finale and teaching Ezra Bridger one last critical Jedi lesson.

Neither a Kanan Force ghost nor a Rebels flashback in Ahsoka would retcon Kanan’s death. However, revisiting a dead Star Wars character multiple times can lessen the impact of their deaths, even if a retcon is not involved. Kanan’s voice was heard during The Rise of Skywalker, and a young Caleb Dume appeared in both The Bad Batch and Tales of the Jedi. That said, Ahsoka will likely reference Kanan in some capacity, perhaps even bringing in Hera and Kanan’s son, Jacen Syndulla.

Source: The Big Thing