With a cast made up of largely new characters, most of the major players in Star Wars Rebels were not protected by plot armor from later stories in the franchise. Since their fates were not set in stone, few of the characters were truly safe. One of the show's main characters who had been around since the first episode--Kanan Jarrus--met a tragic end in the final season.
Other prominent characters like the villainous Grand Inquisitor and Rukh did not survive the series either. Despite the dangerous challenges all the characters faced, certain characters introduced in season 1 managed to survive through all of the show's 4 seasons and 75 episodes. The survival of certain characters also opened the door for some of their appearances in several live-action Star Wars series.
Hera Syndulla
Hera Syndulla was introduced as part of the Ghost crew in the pilot episode. The series epilogue showed her flying the Ghost with her son Jacen and her droid Chopper. Hera not only survived, but continued to be a key figure in the Rebellion and for the New Republic as they worked to defeat the Empire once and for all.
She has appeared in many stories outside of Rebels, including the video game Star Wars: Squadrons, the Alphabet Squadron novels, and a "Forces of Destiny" episode taking place after the Battle of Endor. Her name is also mentioned during Rogue One and the Ghost can be seen flying during the Battle of Scarif.
Ezra Bridger
While Rebels featured many important characters, Ezra was the primary protagonist of the series. Fans were understandably concerned about his chances of survival given his absence in the original trilogy, not to mention that Jedi Luke Skywalker was considered the Rebellion's new hope and Yoda told Luke he would be the last of the Jedi.
Rebels found a way to have Ezra survive while still explaining his absence during the original trilogy era. In the Rebels series finale, in order to save Lothal and to save his friends from Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Empire, Ezra let himself be transported into hyperspace with Thrawn by the purrgil. While his fate is currently undetermined, Rebels ended with Sabine Wren and Ahsoka Tano setting out to find Ezra, making it clear that he is still alive. Many fans expect Ezra to reappear and make his live-action debut in the upcoming Ahsoka series.
Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
Zeb was a lot more than the brawn of the Ghost crew. After being introduced in the pilot episode, Zeb was part of many of the most heartwarming moments in Rebels. Most memorably, he took a leap of faith to lead some of his fellow Lasat to their native planet of Lira San.
Later on, Zeb helped save the life of Alexsandr Kallus and they formed an unexpected friendship, with both Zeb and Kallus growing beyond their mutual hatred for each other. Zeb survived the purge of the Lasat people and he survived everything the Ghost crew endured. The series ended with him bringing his enemy-turned-friend Kallus to Lira San.
Sabine Wren
When her character debuted in the pilot episode, Sabine Wren commended Ezra on making a gutsy move. The series ended with her narrating the epilogue and setting out to find Ezra after the sacrifice he made to ensure that Lothal would be liberated from the Empire.
Between the beginning and the end of the series, Sabine was an invaluable member of the Ghost crew, the Rebellion, and in liberating her homeworld of Mandalore from the Empire. Natasha Liu Bordizzo will bring Sabine to live-action in the Ahsoka series. Sabine is a perfect fit for this show and this era of live-action Star Wars television considering her survival in Rebels, her history as a Mandalorian, and her team-up with Ahsoka to find Ezra.
Chopper
K-2SO and IG-11 proved that just because they were the main droid characters in their respective Star Wars stories didn't mean that they were safe. Fortunately for Chopper, he had a happier ending and survived his Star Wars story.
After being introduced in the pilot episode, the irritable, mischievous, but loyal droid was an integral part of the Ghost crew. Without him, they could not have pulled off most of their greatest accomplishments, including the liberation of Lothal. Despite being in so many perilous situations and going undercover as an Imperial droid numerous times, Chopper survived it all and can be seen alongside Hera and Jacen Syndulla inside of the Ghost during the Rebels epilogue.
Alexsandr Kallus
Many of the Imperials introduced in the first season of Rebels did not survive until the end of the series. Agent Kallus is an exception to this, and his brave defection from the Empire certainly helped. Instead of being a disposable cog in the Empire's machine, he became a valuable member of the Rebellion and an indispensable ally of the Ghost crew.
Kallus helped liberate Lothal from the Empire, and after the Galactic Civil War ended, he traveled with Zeb to Lira San. Kallus learned that the Lasat had survived the Empire's purge under his command, that they were thriving, and Kallus was even welcomed as one of them.
Ahsoka Tano
Ahsoka Tano's first line in Rebels was in the season 1 episode "Out of the Shadows," although audiences didn't see her onscreen until the season 1 finale "Fire Across the Galaxy." In season 2, she nearly died when facing Darth Vader on Malachor. Thanks to Ezra's intervention in the World Between Worlds during season 4, Ahsoka was literally pulled out of Malachor and she survived. Rebels ended with Ahsoka joining Sabine in the search for Ezra.
Ahsoka's survival allowed her to appear in live-action series such as The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and her own upcoming spinoff show. When she was introduced in The Clone Wars, many fans thought she would not survive beyond the prequel era, but now she has survived through numerous eras of Star Wars.
Cikatro Vizago
Even though he was not a main character, crime lord Cikatro Vizago was also introduced in the pilot episode. In the beginning, his relationship with the Ghost crew was strictly transactional. They stole blasters that he wanted, and in return, he gave them payment and the location of Wookiees enslaved by the Empire, who the Ghost crew went on to free.
By the final season, Vizago's relationship with the Ghost crew was more than a transactional one. He joined them in the effort to liberate Lothal from the Empire because he believed in what the Ghost crew was doing. Vizago stayed loyal, even when it initially seemed like Governor Pryce and her forces had defeated them. He played his part in the plan and survived to see Lothal free again.
Jai Kell
While operating undercover at the Academy for Young Imperials on Lothal, Ezra Bridger met Jai Kell in the season 1 episode "Breaking Ranks." When Ezra and another cadet-in-training--rebel sympathizer Zare Leonis--learned that Jai Kell was Force-sensitive, they helped Jai Kell escape.
Jai Kell went on to join Lothal's resistance group against the Empire. He helped Lothal's resistance leader Ryder Azadi and the Ghost crew fight back against the Imperial occupation of Lothal. Jai Kell played an important role in successfully ending the Imperial occupation and liberating Lothal from the Empire and survived to see this liberation for himself.
Lando Calrissian
As a character first introduced in The Empire Strikes Back, Lando Calrissian was one of the few characters in season 1 of Rebels who was guaranteed to survive the series. Even though the epilogue of Rebels surprisingly took place after the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi, Lando's survival is still confirmed as he survived the events of the original and sequel trilogies.
Lando's Rebels introduction came in the season 1 episode "Idiot's Array" where the Ghost crew became involved in his chaotic schemes. The episode gave fans the chance to see Lando during more of his deceitful and mischievous days before becoming a responsible businessman or general in the Rebellion.