We’re finally back! After a four week hiatus between two of the best episodes this show has seen, I finally get to talk about Star Wars: Rebels again. I have been waiting for this episode with baited breath ever since the last episode knocked my socks off and, thankfully, it didn’t disappoint.
Without any further ado, because I really want to talk about that ending, let’s dive into our Five Thoughts on Star Wars: Rebels‘ “Legacy Of Mandalore”. Obviously, spoilers will follow.
1. Culture Of Mandalore
Between The Clone Wars and these two episodes of Rebels (as well as past episodes of Rebels like ‘The Protector Of Concord Dawn’ and ‘Imperial Supercommandos’), one of the aspects I’ve really appreciated was how different the culture of the Mandalorians is compared to their portrayal in the Expanded Universe. Sure, that’s ruffled some amount of feathers from people who were dedicated to that portrayal, but the Mandalorians never really interested me much. They all felt like they were trying to recapture the glory that was the effortless cool inherent in Boba Fett’s design. Plus, the not quite space Maori thing they had going felt a little insensitive.
Here, we see yet another side to Mandalorian culture. A clan dedicated to House Viszla, but who are not the die hard… let’s call them extremists, that the Deathwatch were. They’re a noble clan who have befallen hard times since the percieved betrayal of the daughter of the clan’s matriarch. They give the feeling of a once proud collective who have felt the turn of history with the rise of the Empire and I really appreciated that as opposed to the ultimate, immortal badasses who were the best at everything ever because jetpacks.
I also really enjoyed the portrait of Ursa Wren, styled after the works of Gustav Klimt. If Thrawn has taught us to study a culture through their art, the symbolist and cubist styles in Mandalorian art speaks volumes.
2. A Family Reunion
It’s only taken the show 53 episodes, but we’ve finally gotten a character focused episode about someone who isn’t Ezra and doesn’t revolve around mysteriously mentioning their past. While it may have been cool in Season 1 for the Ghost crew’s backstories to be somewhat obfuscated, it’s frustrating by Season 3. Thankfully, Sabine finally got her chance to shine and shine she did.
Returning to her birth family, it was interesting to see the bonds of loyalty stretch between the different parties. Since Sabine’s departure, having the Wren clan have to rely on Gar Saxon and his Imperial ties to keep their place in Mandalorian society meant that Sabine’s return put a lot of pressure on Sabine’s family. Do they accept their returning daughter and sister and her claim to the Darksaber which could put the Wren clan at the head of another civil war? Or do they side with Saxon and give up Sabine to the Emperor?
While the final answers to those questions weren’t exactly surprising, the episode did a great job of keeping you guessing at everyone’s motives until the very last second.
3. All Out Mandalorian War
One of the coolest things about this episode was seeing the larger scale battle between the Imperial Supercommandos and the Wren soldiers. It was the first time we’d really gotten a good look at what Mandalorian warfare looks like since The Clone Wars and it really pushed the limits of what Rebels can animate. Not only was it set against a gorgeous backdrop, but the lighting of the stronghold main room with its blue glass windows and dark walls lead to a really dark atmosphere that allowed the white and grey armour to stand out.
What I also appreciated was that, even though they were around, the fight scene at the end didn’t focus on Kanan and Ezra. Once the fight kicked off it transitioned from an all out brawl between the two sides that slowly paired down to the standoff between Sabine and Gar Saxon. Ezra continues to be the most annoying wee shite in the world, but at least he didn’t try to hog the spotlight here.
4. “Sparring Practice”
As I mentioned, the fight scene at the end pairing down to just the duel between Sabine and Saxon was fantastically done. And, boy, what a duel was it. It was the culmination of everything these past two episodes have built towards. The culmination of Sabine’s characterisation as she went from loner rebel with a hidden past to the potential saviour of Mandalore.
Continued belowI mean, sure, she didn’t land the killing blow and I maintain that honour is for cowards, but she managed to completely own Gar Saxon in single combat. If her claim to the Darksaber was about keeping a hold of it, as her mother said, she definitely defended that here. Where she goes from here is pretty much anyone’s guess, but her defeat of Gar Saxon was a genuinely important moment in Star Wars history.
5. Sabine’s Journey
Fi! Lo! Niiiiiiiiii!
Dave Filoni is going to be the end of me, I swear. I did not go through years of turmoil over what happened to Ahsoka after she left the Jedi Order for him to pull this same shit again with Sabine. Christ, we still don’t have a definitive answer of whether Ahsoka survived her encounter with Vader or not. He sadistically delights in giving people, including actors, as little information as possible, so ending such a dramatic shift for the series and the galaxy as a whole with Sabine staying with her birth family to chart a new course for Mandalorians is something that made me scream at my screen.
However… now that I’ve had a day to process it, I really admire this move. After three seasons, the Ghost crew is pretty much in the best shape it’s ever been. Their rebel cell has grown exponentially to the point where they now have a secure base and multiple fighter squadrons. Nothing bad has really happened to the crew as a whole. Even the Season 2 finale only affected Kanan and Ezra. But losing Sabine, though likely not a permanent change, is a significant enough loss that it will likely affect coming storylines and the emotions of the characters.
I can only hope this two-parter will lead to deeper development of the other members of the Ghost in the future. By which I mean Hera and Zeb, because c’mon.
