In just over a week (as of this writing), the third season of Star Wars Rebels will premiere on Disney XD. The network has done a great job of piecing together their marketing campaign, releasing promos, character descriptions, and episode titles to get fans excited about another round of adventures with the Ghost crew. Following a well-received second season, the anticipation for Rebels' return is high and with the arrival of villain Grand Admiral Thrawn, it doesn't look like it will disappoint.
One of the main points of emphasis for Rebels will be Ezra Bridger's continuing Jedi training. As hinted at in "Twilight of the Apprentice," the youngster is starting to feel the pull of the Dark Side, and the growth and evolution of his powers will be fascinating to watch. A previously released clip showed Ezra was embracing the aggressive nature of the Dark Side to gain the upper hand in a battle against stormtroopers, and the protagonist's future is the subject of another season three preview, which you can watch above.
In it, Kanan seeks the advice of a Force wielder, a creature who identifies himself as "The Bendu," voiced by Doctor Who star Tom Baker. As the alien explains, he does not subscribe to the Light and Dark sides of the Force, as Jedi and Sith do, but operates somewhere in the middle. He represents the center of the Force. Kanan has become troubled by Ezra's constant use of the Sith holocron he discovered in the season two finale and is concerned the object is changing his apprentice for the worse.
Sharing his words of wisdom, The Bendu explains that Ezra cannot turn simply because of the holocron. As he states, the "temptation of power, forbidden knowledge, even the desire to do good" can steer someone down the wrong path, but the decision to change ultimately boils down to the individual. It has been stated that Ezra is becoming more reckless as his role with the Rebellion increases, and the footage released thus far has certainly supported that claim. It's clear that his brief time with Maul left quite an impression on Ezra, and even if he remains committed to the Alliance's cause, his tactics may differ from the typical Jedi way. It remains to be seen, but Kanan probably wouldn't approve of Ezra's stunt with the Imperial walker.
Another interesting element of this clip is that it's further developing the mythology of the Force. For the most part, viewers have seen users that are either good or evil. The Bendu has the appearance of a neutral player, and it will be fascinating to see if he factors into later episodes of the season. Regardless, it's nice to see Lucasfilm adding new aspects to long-established franchise tropes, fleshing it out to make things more compelling. Arguably, a TV series can go off in directions that a feature film can't, meaning Rebels should continue to be a vital part of the Star Wars canon.
NEXT: Star Wars Rebels Season 3 Promo
Star Wars Rebels season three will premiere on Disney XD September 24, 2016 at 8 p.m.
Source: Disney XD