Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Obi-Wan Kenobi.
In the series “Ahsoka”, which is confirmed to debut on Disney+ in 2023, the Jedi from “Rebels” Ezra Bridger may return, but he may be radically different from the brave hero who was last seen jumping into hyperspace. The expectation of the series “Ahsoka” has been growing since the first appearance of the character live in the second season of “Mandalorian”. This only intensified during the “Mando+” panel at Star Wars Celebration, where creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni posted footage from “Ahsoka” and confirmed the “Ghost of the Rebels.” Captain Hera Sindulla and Mandalorian Sabina Ren will appear in the series.
Sabine was last seen in Rebels, where she and Ahsoka agreed to find their friend Ezra Bridger and Empire Grand Admiral Thrawn, both of whom were pulled into hyperspace after Ezra successfully saved his friends from an imperial attack. Confirmation of Sabine’s appearance led to speculation that Ahsoka would act as a continuation of the “Rebels” and monitor the pursuit of the Ezra and Thrawn couple. Eztra was also seen in the mural depicted at the end of the frame with Ahsoka shown during the Mando+ panel, which once again hints that he will appear in the series.
In Rebels, Ezra is often stuck between his Jedi education and a strong connection to the dark side of the Force, similar to the contradictions between light and darkness experienced in the prologue films and Anakin Skywalker’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars. . With the help of his friends, Ezra always corrected his path, but after he had only Thrawn as a companion (assuming that he also survived), Ezra may have fallen even deeper into the power of the dark side. Although it is likely that Ezra will appear in the series “Ahsoka”, he may be a villain, and not the Jedi hero who was last seen in “Rebels”.
Why Ezra can be a villain in “The Ahsoka Show”
In Rebels, Ezra took the Sith holocron from Malakor along with the infamous Sith apprentice Darth Maul. Wanting to protect his friends and his home planet Lothal, Ezra often used his connection with the dark side of the Force to gain access to the holocron and use its power and knowledge. He was always guided back to the light side by his now-deceased Jedi master Kanan Jarrus, but without Kanan, Ezra may have succumbed to the dark side that always called him.
Isolation from his friends and the trauma of Kanan’s murder by the Empire may have also worsened over time, driving Ezra to the same desperate state that Anakin was in when he turned to the dark side in an attempt to save Padme. Being trapped with Thrawn for the last 10-15 years could also affect Ezra’s state of mind. Maybe he turned to Thrawn as a mentor and friend in the absence of his former rebel family, or maybe he was pushed to save himself by killing Thrawn, which the Jedi would not tolerate. It’s hard to say how much Thrawn influenced Ezra in the 10-15 years after his disappearance.
With the confirmed re-appearances of Sabine and Hera, coupled with the thrilling cameos of Qui-Gon Jinn and Palpatine in the recent series finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi, it is highly likely that the ever-popular Ezra will appear in Ahsoka. Given the uncertainty of Ezra’s path after the completion of “Rebels”, it is impossible to say what his character will be when and if he returns. One thing is for sure—if Ezra does return as a villain, it won’t be the first time the coveted Jedi hero goes to the dark side in Star Wars.
