Yes, “Star Wars Rebels” is canon to the “Star Wars” universe.
The popularity of the show has grown steadily since it debuted in 2014 among “Star Wars” fans. “Rebels” has established itself as a significant development in the “Star Wars” timeline thanks to the introduction of fan favorites like Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger, as well as the continuation of Ahsoka Tano's story.
However, many have started to question whether “Star Wars Rebels” is actually canon due to the appearance of some “Rebels” characters in Disney+'s “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and some apparent changes to the events of the show. The Grand Inquisitor, a central figure in “Star Wars Rebels,” also appeared on “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” portrayed by Rupert Friend, who is also the main antagonist in season one of the series, voiced by Jason Isaacs. But given that Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared to have killed the Grand Inquisitor at the hands of Reva in episode 2, there is a lot of uncertainty about the “Star Wars” timeline given his appearance in “Rebels” a few years later.
The Star Wars canon is organized by the Lucasfilm Story Group to aid writers and filmmakers in creating new works that make sense over the course of more than a thousand generations. And Rebels is unquestionably canonical in light of this intricate chronology.
Where does Star Wars Rebels fit in the canonical universe?
According to the canonical timeline, “Rebels” is set five years before the events of Episode IV: A New Hope (5 BBY-1 BBY). It follows the exploits of a diverse cast of characters who aid in the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. As a result of their efforts, the Rebel Alliance eventually forms, dons the emblem we are all familiar with, camps out in ruins, and eventually annihilates not one but two Death Stars.
The crew of the VCX-100 Light Freighter, also known as the "Ghost," is led by Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus and Twi'lek woman Hera Syndulla. It also includes Mandalorian graffiti artist Sabine Wren, an Imperial Academy dropout and former bounty hunter; force-sensitive human Ezra Bridger; Lasat honor guardsman Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios; and the Ghost's astromech droid C1-10 (AKA Chopper).
The Grand Inquisitor appears in “Rebels,” while he was most recently seen on “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” “Rebels” also features appearances from Darth Maul, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Leia Organa, Lando Calrissian, Saw Gerrera, and Mon Mothma, further solidifying its status in the Star Wars canon.
“The Bad Batch” episodes "Devil's Deal" and "Rescue on Ryloth" feature Hera Syndulla as a younger version of herself. Hera Syndulla will make her live-action debut alongside Sabine Wren and Chopper in the “Ahsoka” miniseries, which is slated to air on Disney+ in August 2023. In the interim, “Rebels” continues to be as canonical as any Disney-era comics, TV shows, or motion pictures.
When did the Star Wars Rebels debut?
Prior to the series' debut on Disney XD on October 13, 2014, the series made its television film debut as the hour-long “Spark of Rebellion” on October 3, 2014, on Disney Channel. On June 20, 2015, “The Siege of Lothal,” an hour-long television movie, served as the second season's debut.
The television movie "Steps Into Shadow" served as the third season's premiere on September 24, 2016. On October 16, 2017, the fourth and final season debuted with the one-hour television movie “Heroes of Mandalore.” On March 5, 2018, its final episode was broadcast.
The first season's executive producers were Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg, and Greg Weisman. Weisman departed the series following the first season. In addition, Filoni served as the supervising director for the first two seasons. Filoni stepped down from that position after accepting a promotion that increased his creative responsibilities to include overseeing all Lucasfilm Animation projects; Justin Ridge was chosen as his replacement for the third season. For the fourth season, Filoni took on the position once more.
The series has received positive reviews overall and has received numerous nominations and awards. Although it received some criticism for its animation, “Rebels” was praised for its writing, characters, voice acting, score, and expansion of the franchise's mythology. The show received nominations for both the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Animated Series. Rebels won the Saturn Award for Best Animated Series on Television for its final two seasons, making it the first such winner.
The comic book series “Kanan,” the book “A New Dawn,” and the novel series “Thrawn” are just a few examples of the tie-in media that have been published to further the lore of the series. Later “Star Wars” media would incorporate characters, plotlines, and other elements from the series. Following the conclusion, the plot will carry on in the upcoming live-action series “Ahsoka” in August 2023.
What is Star Wars Ahsoka?
For Disney+, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni will soon launch the limited-edition series “Ahsoka.” As a continuation of the animated series “Star Wars Rebels,” it is part of the “Star Wars” universe and a spin-off from the series “The Mandalorian.”
It takes place in the same time period as that series and its other interconnected spin-offs, following the events of “Return of the Jedi” (1983). Following the fall of the Empire, the series follows Ahsoka Tano as she looks into a new threat to the galaxy.
Ahsoka Tano is portrayed by Rosario Dawson in the lead role, carrying over from “The Mandalorian.” “The Mandalorian's" second season featured the live-action debut of the character, which was developed for the animated series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and voiced by Ashley Eckstein. The character's spin-off series, with Dawson reprising her role and Filoni serving as writer after he co-created the character, was announced in December 2020.
Early in May 2022, it was announced that several “Star Wars: Rebels” characters would be appearing on the show. Additional castings were made public in April 2023, highlighted by Lars Mikkelsen's Grand Admiral Thrawn cameo in the series, which confirmed the continuation of the “Rebels” series' plot. An eight-episode season of “Ahsoka” is expected to debut in August 2023.
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