Star Wars Rebels Series Finale And Ghost Crew Fate Explained

Warning! MAJOR SPOILERS for the Star Wars Rebels series finale ahead!

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The Star Wars Rebels has finally come to a close with its series finale, finally giving us the true fate of all its character, explaining what each member of the Ghost Crew did during the Galactic Civil War (i.e. the time frame for the Original Trilogy) and beyond. Just what would happen to these characters after Rebels has been a point of discussion since the series began; especially concerning the fates of the Jedi, Kanan Jarrus and his apprentice, Ezra Bridger.

Related: Star Wars Rebels Explains What Force Ghosts Actually Are

Kanan’s (or rather Caleb Dume’s) fate was revealed in the season 4 mid-season premiere, “Jedi Night”, where he was seen sacrificing himself to save the lives of his friends. Ezra’s fate is left a bit more ambiguous, but the result ends up being just the same. As the rebels of Lothal fight their way inside the Imperial Complex (that large dome structure inside the city), Ezra risks his life to save his friends with his own mission.

While the finale finally gave answers to a number of fan questions, it also left a lot up in the air, possibly planting the seeds for more stories to be told with some of these characters in the future.

This Page: Why Did Palpatine Want Ezra?

Why Did Palpatine Want Ezra?

The Rebels may have seized the city, but Grand Admiral Thrawn arrives with his fleet at the last minute, threatening to bomb civilians if the rebels do not surrender. Ezra chooses to hand himself over to Thrawn, who then presents Ezra to the Emperor via holovid. (The whole encounter bears heavy parallels to Darth Vader doing the same with Luke years later in Return of the Jedi). Emperor Palpatine, looking an awful lot like he did in his Chancellor days, shows Ezra around a section of the Jedi Temple that he was able to preserve. He tries to tempt Ezra into reopening the gateway to the World Between Worlds with visions of his parents, promising Ezra that he would be able see them again.

Related: Rebels Introduces Franchise-Changing Sci-Fi Plot Device To Star Wars

As if it weren’t already clear from their prior confrontation while Ezra was within the World Between Worlds, Palpatine is desperate to access this mystical plane of the Force. If he were able to reach the World Between Worlds, he would be able to influence seemingly any moment in time – both the past and the future – and his power would become truly unlimited. Palpatine already knew Ezra was the key to reopening the gateway, so he obviously instructed Thrawn before he left that once he reached Lothal, he was to bring Ezra directly to him. (Again, the Return of the Jedi parallels are strong.)

Luckily for the galaxy, Ezra resists Palpatine’s temptation, proving he truly learned from Kanan’s last lesson. Ezra destroys the remnant of the Jedi Temple, and as he flees, the hologram of Palpatine flickers and changes that of the more sinister and clearly Sith appearance of the Emperor. But he’s still only a hologram, and while he was clearly able to demonstrate some control over the Force at this distance (at one point, uncuffing Ezra’s hands) he isn’t able to stop Ezra. Escaping from the Emperor, Ezra goes to confront Thrawn on the bridge of his Star Destroyer.

About The Author

Sarah Moran
(1214 Articles Published)

Sarah Moran is a news editor for Screen Rant and has been contributing to the site since 2014. She primarily writes features and covers the ongoing development of current movies and television shows. Sarah is a graduate of THE Ohio State University where she earned her B.A. in Film Studies in 2009.

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Sarah’s favorite movies range from studio era classics to the latest sci-fi and superhero blockbusters. Her favorite TV shows are animated, and she’s always up to watch a documentary. Sarah spends her free time playing too many video games and proudly supporting the Columbus Crew, the greatest team the world has ever seen.

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