With a blend of original characters and fan favorites from The Clone Wars and Legends material, Star Wars Rebels features a truly compelling cast of characters. Star Wars Rebels enables these characters to develop in rewarding and meaningful ways. These journeys honor the original characters' introductions in Rebels and the history of the characters from The Clone Wars and Legends.
Some of the show's most meaningful character development can be summed up in the characters' first and last lines in the show. By comparing and contrasting the first and last lines, the audience gets a snapshot of the most important ways that the characters grew over the course of the series.
Ahsoka
"Phantom, this is Fulcrum." - "May the Force be with you, Ezra Bridger."
The audience doesn't know they're listening to Ahsoka the first time she speaks in this show since she uses the codename Fulcrum and her voice in the transmission sounds robotic when communicating with Hera. She is a rebel informant communicating with a rebel cell, unaware of the deep relationships she will form with them.
Her last line doesn't come with her appearance at the end of the series finale. Her last words are said when she reappears on Malachor after escaping Emperor Palpatine in the World Between Worlds. This last line and Ezra using the World Between Worlds to save her life sets up the final scene in the series where she sets out to save Ezra.
Maul
"I know where you are." - "He will avenge us."
When Ezra is lost on Malachor, a mysterious voice promises to help him find his way. To Ezra, this mysterious individual--Maul--looks like a feeble, wizened individual bent over and hobbling with the support of a walking stick, which is the first step in manipulating Ezra.
In his final moments, after being mortally wounded by Obi-Wan, Maul dies in the arms of his old enemy. While he can no longer manipulate others, he is still desperate for revenge, desperate to know that all his pain and suffering wasn't for nothing. When Obi-Wan confirms that he believes the boy he is protecting is the Chosen One, Maul dies with the hope that this Chosen One will avenge him and Obi-Wan for all they lost at the hands of Emperor Palpatine.
Thrawn
"And I would like to keep it that way Admiral Konstantine." - "Whatever happens next happens to both of us."
While Admiral Konstantine insists to Grand Moff Tarkin that there is no evidence of a unified rebellion, Thrawn interrupts with confident assurance that he will keep it that way, a confidence that is bolstered by his victory at Batonn that earned him a promotion to Grand Admiral.
Thrawn is far less confident in his last line as the Purrgil ensnare him and his Imperial fleet that is holding Lothal captive. By emphasizing that whatever fate befalls him will also befall Ezra, Thrawn tries to reason with his enemy, but it is already too late. Ezra is willing to make this sacrifice in order to save Lothal and his friends. For once, Thrawn has to accept that he has lost and his fate is out of his hands.
Rex
"What do you want?" - "We need to prepare for how we're going to fight back."
When the members of the Ghost crew seek him out on the planet Seelos, Rex is initially wary of their presence and unsure if he can trust them. It doesn't take long for Rex to become an invaluable and beloved ally to the Ghost crew, though.
This is evident in his last line where he is committed to helping them defend Lothal from the Empire. His last line in the show also shows his strategic mindset, as only moments after liberating Lothal from the Empire, he is already thinking about the long-term plan to maintain their victory.
Kallus
"I've no doubt." - "Looks like the people are with you, General Syndulla."
Agent Kallus's response is cold and informal when Commander Aresko describes an attack made by a rebel cell on Lothal. Kallus does not care about Aresko and is simply there to investigate what happened and do his duty as a loyal servant of the Empire.
By the end of the series finale, Kallus has defected from the Empire and has become a loyal friend and ally to the rebel cell he once hunted. When he hears the people of Lothal cheering after being freed from the Empire, Kallus remarks how the people stand firmly behind Hera and her rebel friends. Instead of treating Hera with disdain or cold formality, he shows her respect and admiration, one of many instances that shows Kallus' rewarding character development.
Zeb
"Now what?" - "We can keep it without them."
When a mysterious kid--Ezra--interferes with the Ghost crew's mission, the frustrated Zeb is initially unsure of how to respond. Zeb does not know that he will eventually risk everything to help this kid save his homeworld from the Empire.
In the series finale, Zeb knows that he and his friends liberated Lothal on their own and he believes they can keep it free from the Empire on their own as well.
Hera
"You said this was a routine op." - "Then if the Empire wants a fight, we'll be ready for them."
Hera is one of the galaxy's best pilots and it's only fitting that the audience meets her for the first time while she's flying the Ghost. Hera asks Kanan how the routine operation on Lothal went awry, trying to understand why the Ghost crew is currently being pursued by TIE Fighters.
Hera's last line and her last appearance in the show also take place within the cockpit of the Ghost. When seeing the cheering and unified people of Lothal below, she is confident that they have what they need to keep Lothal free from the Empire. Her final appearance shows her piloting the ship, accompanied by Chopper and her son Jacen Syndulla.
Kanan
"How's it going?" - "Battles leave scars...some you can't see."
When fans are introduced to Kanan, they get a taste of his sarcastic and arrogant side as he asks some Stormtroopers how it's going before he proceeds to knock them out and shoot them.
In the final season, Kanan heroically sacrifices his life to save Hera and the rest of the Ghost crew from a lethal explosion. His last line was originally said earlier in the series and is heard again after his death when Ezra is in the World Between Worlds.
Ezra
"Hey, mister, spare a jogan?" - "I can't wait to come home."
Ezra wastes no time proving how clever he is as he presents himself as a kid begging Imperial officers to give him a jogan fruit, but it's a ruse so he can swipe a comlink off of the Imperials. By using the comlink to make them run toward a nonexistent emergency, Ezra is able to free the jogan seller who was being apprehended by the Imperials and Ezra is able to take some jogan fruits for himself. In one fell swoop, he sticks it to the Empire, frees an innocent individual, and gets food for his next meal.
After being clever but more importantly making an enormous sacrifice to save his friends and his homeworld, Ezra's last line is heard during the recording he left behind. Even though he disappeared into hyperspace with Thrawn and the Purrgil, his last line is an assurance that his story is not over yet. It is a promise that he will return to Lothal one day and that fans haven't seen the last of him yet.
Sabine
"Pretty gutsy move, kid!" - "Ezra's out there somewhere, and it's time to bring him home."
When Ezra tries to escape on a speeder bike carrying the crates that the Ghost crew is trying to steal, Sabine jumps onto the speeder bike and tells him that what he's doing is a gutsy move. The tone of her voice shows is a mixture of being impressed and "Are you kidding me?" which sums up her future dynamic and relationship with Ezra quite well.
Her final line demonstrates the deep bond that she and Ezra form. After playing an integral role in helping Ezra free his homeworld, she continues to watch over Lothal. Now Sabine is ready to fulfill the rest of her promise by teaming up with Ahsoka to find Ezra and bring him home.