The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels share a lot of connective tissue, from their production teams to the characters who appear in both shows. That list of recurring faces is quite extensive, ranging from major icons of Star Wars lore to one-off characters and brief cameos. For fans of such a sprawling fiction, seeing past characters return is always a highlight. The direct ties between Clone Wars and Rebels helped the latter show immediately establish a level of emotional weight by drawing on what made its predecessor such a compelling story.
While The Clone Wars successfully adapted many of the franchise's most popular characters, like Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, it excelled particularly on the strength of its original characters. Ahsoka Tano obviously tops that list, though the show’s resurrection and centering of Darth Maul – effectively made into a whole new character – was also huge hit. Tano and Maul became the focal points of the show’s seventh season, and their lightsaber duel during the Siege of Mandalore is one of the greatest in Star Wars canon.
When Rebels began, it seemed inevitable that some of those beloved Clone Wars faces would reappear. Both shows featured (occasionally brief) appearances from classic characters like Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, R2-D2, C-3PO, Grand Moff Tarkin, and Darth Sidious. Those characters are mainly cameos in both series, however, and the rest of this list will focus on main Clone Wars figures who return, and the first show’s original characters whose stories are continued in Rebels.
Ahsoka Tano
Easily the most popular character to come out of the animated shows, Ahsoka Tano is as close to a singular protagonist as The Clone Wars ever gets. She begins her journey as Anakin’s apprentice during the battle of Christophsis, and over the course of the war she grows in wisdom and skill, eventually becoming a fierce fighter and expert commander. After being framed for murder and fighting to prove her innocence, Ahsoka leaves the Jedi Order by choice, eventually reuniting with the 501st to take down Darth maul during the Siege of Mandalore. She barely escapes with her life after her clones turn on her during Order 66, disappearing into the galaxy to hide from the forces of the Empire.
In Rebels, Ahsoka returns to aid the early days of the Rebellion. Now a fully grown and wizened Jedi (well, former Jedi), she mentors Kanan Jarrus and helps instruct Ezra Bridger in the ways of the Force. Ahsoka discovers her old master has survived beneath the mask of Darth Vader, leading to an epic clash between the two from which Ahsoka barely survives (thanks to Ezra and a bit of Force-time travel). Now that she’s returned to the Star Wars galaxy in The Mandalorian, Ahsoka’s animated tenure may just be the start of her adventures.
Captain Rex
Another beloved Clone Wars mainstay, the Captain of the 501st returns in Star Wars: Rebels to add his aging abilities to the Rebellion. Rex is the primary clone character throughout the first show, frequently giving council to other protagonists and having several arcs focusing solely on him. Though he initially submits to the mental control of Order 66, Ahsoka manages to save him and help him escape with her.
In Rebels, the crew of the Ghost finds Rex living in an old AT-TE Republic Walker with two other old clones - Wolffe and Gregor (both of whom also appeared in The Clone Wars). The trio of veterans aided the Rebel Alliance, with Rex surviving to and fighting in the Battle of Endor. While he’s not as central in Rebels, Rex still plays a key role.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
One of the most important characters in all of Star Wars, Obi-Wan makes a brief return in Rebels for what many consider the show’s greatest episode – “Twin Suns.” After leading troops through numerous campaigns in The Clone Wars and facing off several times with his nemesis Darth Maul, Obi-Wan retreats to exile on Tatooine following Order 66 and his duel with Anakin on Mustafar. There he watches over the young Luke Skywalker, ensuring nothing ill befalls the boy.
In “Twin Suns,” after extensive searching, Maul finally tracks Obi-Wan down to his desert hovel. The two share a brief exchange before Maul demands a final fight to settle their rivalry once and for all. Obi-Wan is hesitant at first, realizing all the pain he’s caused the former Sith, but Maul’s realization of Luke’s presence forces Obi-Wan to duel him. In just three quick blows, the aging Jedi defeats Maul for the final time, at last laying him and their feud to rest as Maul dies in his arms. It’s a powerful, haunting, and gorgeously-animated moment, and possibly the high point of the entire series.
Bo-Katan Kryze
Introduced in The Clone Wars as a minor villain as part of the Mandalorian Death Watch, Bo-Katan eventually becomes a grudging protagonist in the battle against Maul on her home planet. She assists Obi-Wan Kenobi's escape after her sister Satine is killed by the former Sith, and she later helps Ahsoka Tano defeat Maul and liberate Mandalore during the siege in season 7.
In Star Wars: Rebels, Bo-Katan’s becomes a more pivotal figure. She loosely allies herself and her small band of Mandalorian warriors in a campaign to once again liberate their world, this time from the oppressive rule of the Empire. After numerous battles to that end, Bo-Katan accepts possession of the Darksaber and becomes Mandalore – the warrior-leader of the people. With the sword and title to her name, she unites the clans of Mandalore in a continued effort against Palpatine’s tyranny. She later returns after the Empire’s fall in The Mandalorian.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Anakin Skywalker makes the transition from Clone Wars to Rebels, though it’s a bit rougher for him than the other characters on this list. Anakin served as a general in the Clone Wars, leading the 501st to numerous victories over the separatists. He was a leader, a hero, and a fierce fighter who always led the charge himself. Until his turn to the dark side, appearing briefly as Darth Vader in the show's final episode.
Obviously, in Rebels, Anakin’s role is rather different. As Darth Vader, he serves as one of the show’s primary antagonists, attempting to thwart the Ghost crew and their Rebel friends at every possible turn. Vader is an imposing and frightening force throughout the show (as he is anywhere he appears) and obviously differs wildly from his time in The Clone Wars. Some would even say Vader is a different person entirely, and that Anakin is actually dead. At least, from a certain point of view, although Anakin is briefly visible as a hologram recording and we even get a peek at his face when Ahsoka damages his helmet.
Darth Maul
Maul’s role in Star Wars: Rebels is relatively similar to his role in The Clone Wars. He’s a bit less murderous, but he continues to run his various galactic crime syndicates from the shadowy reaches of space and scheme of various conquests. He as a few run-ins with Ezra Bridger and the Ghost crew, even dueling briefly with Ahsoka at one point, arguably serving as an anti-hero in moments. Ultimately, he tracks Obi-Wan to Tatooine, where they have their last battle and Maul finally dies.
Wullf Yularen
A minor recurring character in both shows, Wullf Yularen served as an admiral in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. He frequently operated alongside Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano and Obi-Wan Kenobi. After the rise of the Galactic Empire, Yularen stayed on in much the same capacity. In this way he transitioned to an ancillary antagonist in Rebels, occasionally appearing alongside Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Saw Gerrera
Saw Gerrera first appeared during the Onderon arc in The Clone Wars, where he fought as part of a resistance movement against Separatist occupation. Gerrera’s freedom fighting days continued into the era of the Empire when he and his small resistance force became part of the burgeoning Rebel Alliance. Gerrera briefly encountered the core squad of Rebels, ultimately separating himself from the alliance and dying on Jedha during the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Hondo Ohnaka
A pirate, smuggler, and all-around brigand, Hondo Ohnaka is a recurring face through both series. Starting off as more of a lighthearted villain, he eventually becomes more of a loveable antihero, occasionally allying himself with both the Jedi and the Rebels. While never fully cutting himself off from his original criminal ways, Hondo gradually became more of a direct protagonist, assisting the crew of the Ghost at different points and generally putting himself in opposition to the forces of the Empire.
Cham Syndulla
A leader of the Twi’lek resistance against the Confederacy, Cham Syndulla fought tirelessly during the Clone Wars for the liberation of Ryloth. Although a relatively minor character in The Clone Wars, he is the focal point of an extended arc while allied with Jedi Master Mace Windu. In Rebels, Syndulla plays a more significant role, as he is the father of Hera – the pilot of the Ghost and one of the show’s primary characters. While not particularly impactful in his narrative role, he does appear occasionally in Star Wars: Rebels, sometimes alongside his fellow Clone Wars alum Gobi Glie.