After four seasons following the crew of the Ghost, the series finale of Star Wars Rebels offered a bit of closure for the liberators of Lothal - but it asked just as many questions as it answered. When Star Wars Rebels began, it seemed just as disconnected from the films as it was from predecessor series The Clone Wars. But as the years went on, appearances by Ahsoka, Rex, Leia, Saw Gerrera, and Darth Vader himself revealed that things weren't what they seemed, with the show leaving a major impact on the canon (including the recent introduction of time travel to Star Wars).While telling the tale of the Rebel Alliance's early days, the story of Star War Rebels focused on a fledgling group of freedom fighters often working on their own missions. At the same time, the story of two lost Jedi was told while new areas of the Force were explored. This season, we've seen new Force-sensitive creatures emerge, had some heartbreaking goodbyes, and finally saw the Ghost crew free Lothal from the yoke of the Empire.RELATED: Did Star Wars Rebels' Finale Steal Rogue One's Thunder?But despite all the ways the series finale of Rebels wrapped up its story, there are still some big questions about what the show's end means for the future of the Star Wars franchise.Page 1: What Does The World Between Worlds Mean For Star Wars?
What Does The World Between Worlds Mean For Star Wars?
One of the biggest moments in all of Star Wars Rebels came during the episode called 'World Between Worlds'. The episode introduced a new facet of the Jedi Temple on Lothal, revealing it to be a gateway between time and space. The voices in the World Between Worlds charted the history of the Star Wars franchise, but the impeccably designed scene was elevated to another level when Ezra pulled Ahsoka out of time during her duel with Darth Vader from two seasons before. The concept greatly expanded some ideas that had been teased a number of times, but what could it mean for the Force moving forward?
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Though the temple was destroyed, the finale showed that even a section of it could be used to access another time period. And given we saw the Emperor reach through one of the doors in the World Between Worlds, it's strongly implied there are more ways to access the flow of time. Rebels showrunner Dave Filoni explained the big twist by stating it won't be used often, but the Lucasfilm story group has created a canon way for time to be altered by certain Force users. We may never see such a heady concept explored on the big screen, but it's hard to imagine a future show, comic, or novel not further elaborating on the idea.
Where Was Ahsoka During the rest of the Original Trilogy?
Ezra's shocking save of Ahsoka brought a fan-favorite character back from what was assumed to be her death, but her survival leaves yet another Jedi alive who remained absent from the original trilogy. It's implied by Filoni that Ahsoka isn't pulled into the present, but rather brought back to her timeline. That means she spends years not being active in the Rebellion, staying away even after the victory on Lothal. And when she appears to Sabine at the end of the finale, her attire suggests a new path for the former Padawan.
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The Clone Wars had to jump through a few narrative hoops to explain why Anakin's pupil and close ally was never mentioned in Revenge of the Sith, but now Ahsoka's absence from the original trilogy is even more confusing. Of course, both Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back and Luke in the new trilogy provide examples of Jedi cutting ties with the Order and secluding themselves. After warning Ezra against interfering with time in the World Between Worlds to undo Kanan's sacrifice, it makes sense that Ahsoka would stray far away from the Rebellion and the Empire since Vader was supposed to kill her. The Clone Wars and Rebels have established that Ahsoka, like Kanan and Ezra, isn't a proper Jedi. Instead, she and the others are some of the few Force users who reject the religion-like trappings of Jedi and Sith and forge their own paths. And it's clear that Ahsoka's story needs to be told.
Where Did Ezra and Thrawn Go?
After the death of Kanan, it seemed as if Star Wars Rebels was done tugging at our heartstrings, but then Ezra went and sacrificed himself to stop Thrawn. The moment not only brought back the Purrgil to the franchise”they who helped invent hyperspace travel”but also seemed to clear two major players off the board. But Dave Filoni confirmed Ezra and Thrawn are still alive, meaning their role in Star Wars isn't yet done. But where exactly are they?
Given that both Ezra and Thrawn sit out of the Original Trilogy, it's safe to assume they're somewhere far, far away from the main story. The most obvious location is the Unknown Regions, a mysterious and unexplored area past the edge of where the Saga typically takes place. The realm has long served as a place of myth and mysticism, and it seems like the perfect location for an odd couple like Ezra and Thrawn to end up. There's also a good chance its home to the Purrgil and will be somewhere Ezra can continue to learn the secrets of the Force. Either way, we haven't seen the last of Ezra and Thrawn.
Where was the Ghost during A New Hope?
Thanks to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, we know that Hera was upgraded to a general and that she and Chopper survived Rebels. We also saw the Ghost in the Battle of Scarif, proving the ace pilot continued to fight the Empire even Lothal was freed. What's more, but the finale of Rebels reveals Hera and Rex fought in the Battle of Endor, so we know some of the team were active during the Original Trilogy. But what's not clear is where the high-ranking Rebel Alliance leader was during A New Hope.
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The timetable isn't entirely clear, but it seems Rogue One and thus A New Hope occur not long after Rebels ends. But between those films and Return of the Jedi is a gap that saw Luke and his friends go on all sorts of missions”chronicled in comics and books. So why was Hera at Scarif and Endor but didn't participate in the Death Star Run? The answer may actually be a practical one, as the reveal of Jacen Syndulla implies Hera and Kanan somehow found time to conceive a child. That wouldn't have stopped Hera from fighting shortly after Kanan's death, but she may have been out of commission by the time the attack on the Death Star happened, or possibly fled before the attack with her infant son. Or possibly she was just on another mission already. Regardless, once Jacen was older, Hera was still in action, hepling stop the Empire on Endor.
What Happens to Jacen Syndulla?
Speaking of Jacen, the shocking reveal of Hera's son brings up a couple of interesting questions. For one, when did Hera and Kanan find time to conceive the child when they could barely manage a kiss? There's always the chance Jacen's father is someone else, but given the line "you know what his father was like," it seems impossible it's anyone other than Kanan. It is ultimately a kids show, so this part doesn't necessarily have to be explicitly outlined, but it's still a head-scratcher for fans familiar with the birds and the bees.
Jacen is actually an interesting nod to the Expanded Universe, as Jacen Solo was the son of Han and Leia and a fan-favorite character. The new canon has regularly borrowed from the EU, but naming Hera's child after the spiritual predecessor to Kylo Ren is ominous. It also seems to confirm yet another unaccounted for Force Sensitive that existed not only during the Original Trilogy, but is presumably alive in the new films. With a name like Jacen and a connection to a key Rebel leader and a Jedi, could the child have trained under Luke? Even more intriguing is the idea that Jacen may have been one of the Jedi killed when Ben Solo turned, or worse, became one of the Knights of Ren. Both those ideas seem like a dark conclusion for a character with such a bright introduction, but with Luke looking to rebuild the Jedi, it makes sense he would turn to children of the Rebellion like Jacen.
Why Doesn't Luke Know About Kanan, Ezra, and Ahsoka?
Whether Luke knew about Jacen Syndulla is one thing, but how have we never heard him mention Hera or the other members of the Ghost crew? And even more perplexing is the idea that Kanan, Ezra, and Ahsoka are all living Jedi (and former Jedi) that Luke either hasn't interacted with or possibly has never even heard of.
By their very nature, expanded media in shared universes runs the risk of creating characters with connections to the films but who are never alluded to on screen. The MCU has had a huge problem with this, but Star Wars has been a little better. Aside from the Rebels nods in Rogue One, that film introduced a live-action version of Saw Gerrera”first seen in The Clone Wars. But the idea that multiple powerful Jedi were not only running around the galaxy during Luke's lifetime but actively participated in the Rebellion is hard to come to terms with. It's difficult to imagine Luke isn't aware of his father's former Padawan or two Jedi how helped kickstart the Empire's defeat, but why he never mentioned them (especially in the new movies or the many novels and comics he's appeared in) may remain one of the biggest questions regarding Rebels and its legacy.
Of course, this is a question that could have a variety of simple explanations, but with these loose ends remaining unanswered, it's obviously still a big question for fans of the show.
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Will Sabine Become a Force Wielder?
Sabine Wren hasn't always been a focal character in the story of Rebels, but that's changed over the past two seasons. She's gained a place of prominence as a Mandalorian leader, trained with Kanan to wield the Darksaber, and was entrusted by Ezra above all others to hold onto his lightsaber and seek him out after his disappearance. And with Sabine now joining up with Ahsoka, could she learn to harness the Force?
The new canon of Star Wars has begun to veer away from the idea of binary Force users are either Jedi or Sith, presenting characters like the Nightsisters, Ahsoka, the Bendu, Chirrut ÃŽmwe, and others, who have some sort of relationship to the Force but don't subscribe to the particular dogma of "Jedi" or "Sith." With Ahsoka looking a lot like some other hermit-like Jedi masters, could she teach Sabine to harness more of the Force's power? We don't know what's next for the two, but Lucasfilm clearly has a story in mind for them that may unfold in the next Star Wars show. And with Ahsoka and Sabine working together to find Ezra, it seems safe to assume the Mandalorian will learn a lot more about the Force.
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