Who are the Rebels?

As we saw in the Ahsoka trailer (click here to watch if you haven't already) it seems that our fan-favorite Jedi’s show will almost be a direct continuation of the Rebels cartoon. Multiple characters from the series have been confirmed and others are likely to be referenced. So let’s highlight each member of the Ghost’s team so that you’re getting ready for Ahsoka.

Kanan Jarrus

At the time of Order 66, he was known as Caleb Dume, padawan of Jedi master Depa Billaba. After Master Depa was killed by Clone Troopers, Caleb escaped because of the Bad Batch (you can see that scene in the series premiere of The Bad Batch), who weren’t affected by Order 66. He’s not seen again, at least on the screen, until the beginning of Rebels, where he has joined Hera’s crew on the Ghost and forsaken the Jedi identity. But when force-sensitive Ezra joins the crew, he takes the young man as a padawan. Throughout the course of their many battles and missions, Kanan ends up going blind in a lightsaber battle and ends up sacrificing his life for cause.

Hera Syndulla

Captain and pseudo-mom of the team, Here's family previously appeared in Clone Wars. But chronologically her first appearance, like Kanan, was during The Bad Batch. As an adult, she's the Ghost's captain and the team's original link to other rebel cells. Her romantic  relationship with Kanan makes her decisions as a leader that much more impressive. During the Rebels epilogue, it's revealed that Hera was pregnant when Kanan died, so maybe we'll see young Syndulla-Jarrus in Ahsoka.

Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios

Supposedly the last of the Lasat race, he carried that trauma with him throughout the series… until he found other Lasats and helped save their race. But for the most part, throughout Rebels, he was just the big brother that harassed Ezra and hatched schemes with him. Though, in my opinion, his biggest contribution to the rebellion was inadvertently recruiting Agent Kallus to their cause, while trapped on a frozen planet with him. He was last seen as a cameo during The Mandalorian (see episode 3x05 "The Pirate").

Sabine Wren 

A Mandalorian child drafted into the Empire, but she left the Empire after becoming disillusioned. Aboard the Ghost, she's the resident artist, painting anything from her quarters to a TIE fighter. With all the emphasis on Mandalore lately, especially during the latest season of The Mandalorian, I wonder how that'll play into Sabine's story in Ahsoka. It should also be noted that Sabine held the Darksaber for a time, before handing it over to Bo Katan… but as we learned in The Mandalorian, that didn’t turn out so well for her.

C1-10P “Chopper”

If R2-D2 is the sassiest droid, Chopper is the angstiest. This metal can of fury isn’t afraid at any point to deactivate any given droid or to push someone into a pit. After a mission during the Clone Wars, Chopper was found by Hera on her home planet. Somehow he also had a knack for blending in among Imperial droids. How? I don’t know. Side note: There’s an Easter egg during Rogue One where you can see Chopper on Yavin 4.

Ezra Bridger

An orphan found on Lothal, he follows a similar story arc to Skye on Agents of SHIELD (who I’m still hoping to see on Secret Invasion–have I mentioned that yet?). He becomes Kanan’s Jedi apprentice and, like Anakin, gets tempted by the Dark Side at times. In some ways he was Harry Potter-esque, running head first into danger without a second thought. I’d argue it was his Harry-like behavior and his Force connection to the purrgil that ended the Empire’s occupation of Lothal, as he and Grand Admiral Thrawn were sent into deep hyperspace. 

Alright. So now that you know the Rebels and read a couple spoilers, go watch Star Wars Rebels. You still have time before Ahsoka premieres!

Cassian Andor: Good, Bad, or Ugly?

(Guest post by Ben)

Cassian Andor was part of the fight against the Empire since he was six years old. At least, that’s what he told Jyn Erso, daughter of Galen Erso who also happened to be the brains behind the Empire’s planet-killing Death Star. Fighting the good fight for such a long time and from such a young age would make Cassian a true hero, would it not?

Or would it instead have desensitized him to the point that war is all he knows? That compassion, kindness, and caring are simply relics of a bygone era?

When we first meet Cassian in Rogue One, he’s getting intel from a fellow member of the Rebellion (well, technically the informant was part of Saw Gerrera’s band of extremist insurgents, a disparate group than that of the acclaimed Rebel Alliance). Tivik—the aforementioned informant—had hurt his arm, making it impossible for him to climb to safety, which is what Cassian ended up doing…after shooting Tivik to keep him from getting captured. (Thoughtful, I know.)

So that’s how we’re first introduced to Cassian Andor. He murders an informant in order to keep his secrets from being not-secret. Is that the kind of action we associate with our heroes? Generally not. Look at it this way: Han shot Greedo (first, might I add). Killed him cold. Of course, Greedo was about to do the same to Han, so in retrospect, Han was simply saving his own life. We don’t blame him for killing some sleemo that worked for another—albeit much larger—sleemo. Gotta protect yourself, right?

OK, bad example. But if Han had shot and killed Luke to protect himself? Or if he’d thrown Chewie under the space-bus in order to survive? We would have hated the guy! Some hero, right? Fortunately, Han Solo was a team player and took care of his friends before they were even his friends.

But on the Ring of Kafrene, Cassian Andor showed his true colors. He shot one of his compatriots in cold blood. Ruthless.

However, when Cassian goes to take out Galen Erso further on in the film, both Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus seem surprised that he would do that. “Does he look like a killer?” Chirrut asked. Baze didn’t seem to think so. In fact, Baze seemed to think he had “the face of a friend.” So what’s up with this Andor guy, anyway? Is he good, or is bad? (Or maybe he and Baze simply go way back.)

And then there’s the whole end-of-the-movie thing where Cassian redeems himself by sacrificing himself to get the Death Star plans to the Alliance. Oh, you haven’t seen Rogue One yet? Um, spoilers, I guess… But anyway, did this act of valor actually redeem Andor from all his past atrocities? Does exercising for five minutes undo the pound of decadent chocolate fudge cake you just ate? Who’s to say? (Although I like to believe that’s all the exercising I need.)

So what is Cassian? Is he a good guy? Is he a bad person? Is he downright ugly? Is he all of the above? These are the questions I’m hoping—nay, expecting—the Star Wars: Andor show to answer. He is obviously a flawed character, but he’s also deeply complex. There’s more to Cassian Andor than just the wholesomeness of Princess Leia’s goodness and the overtness of Sheev Palpatine’s evilness. I’m excited to see where they take Cassian’s character (obviously from a prequel standpoint since anything after Rogue One is, well…this is awkward…) and if they will make him more of a sympathetic character, or make him as evil as the Dark Side itself. (My money’s on making him more sympathetic, but hey, anything’s possible.) They’re bound to show the “terrible things” he’s done on behalf of the Alliance, but by so doing, will we come to like him more as a hero, or come to see him more as a villain?

Your turn! Do you think Cassian Andor is a hero, a villain, or a little bit of both? Share your thoughts in the comments! 

Andor premieres August 31 on Disney Plus