Why Star Wars Rebels is the Closest Production to the Original Trilogy in Many Years
Disney XD’s latest show Star Wars Rebels officially aired last week, and fans tuned into the show not really knowing what to expect from this new chapter of Star Wars. With a completely new cast of characters and stories, we were uncertain of the outcome of this show. I think it’s safe to say that most fans were pretty blown away with what was witnessed on-screen.
Setting up a new chapter in the ever expanding Star Wars universe was a bold and dangerous move, one that Disney executed wonderfully with this new series. This new adventure takes place in a dark period of Jedi history, following the attacks of the Jedi council and the rise of Darth Vader. These unlikely Rebels come together to rebel against the Imperial army and fight for justice and freedom. Even though Darth Vader and the Emperor exist in this timeline, there have been no sightings of either of them yet, but they have left their mark on the galaxy at large, and this new show shows the effect that it had on a much wider spectrum, and on a larger scale. It’s not quite as dark as The Revenge of the Sith set out to be, and it’s been toned to appeal to more of a family audience, but it still gets the message across well enough. These Star Wars television series are so fantastic, it makes me wonder why Lucas didn’t move from the original trilogy straight to the television series.
As I suggest in the title of this article, this new series is really the closest production we have to the original Star Wars trilogy, specifically A New Hope. Its darker tone takes its toll on the story, focusing on the legendary past of the now extinct Jedi, and the sense of survival in this new reality has a strong presence in the nature of the story. In the first two episodes, we have so far had cameos by five original trilogy characters, so the sense of Star Wars nostalgia is very much present and something hardcore fans will be excited to see. If you have been unsure about this series up to now, I can guarantee you you’ll have a jolly good time.
In many ways, Ezra is very much like Luke Skywalker himself. Ezra’s discovery of a lightsaber has him in awe, and his brief uses of the Force reveal his abilities as a Jedi himself. I’m curious to discover who Ezra’s parents turn out to be (if it’s ever revealed) and to discover how he came to possess these powers.
One thing that this series has over The Clone Wars is the unknown fates of the characters within it. In The Clone Wars, fans already knew the outcome of most of the key characters (with the exception of Ahsoka) which caused it to lack the suspense it attempted to succeed at in each episode. In Rebels, since all these characters are brand-new, fans are unaware of their future fates, which gives it a greater element of suspense.
In closing, I’m thrilled to see Star Wars back on television with this awesome new series. Its got great action, fantastic story, likable characters, and many ties with the original trilogy, which has me thrilled. The Force is strong with this new series.
Mitchell Stein is a major Star Wars/Disney/Muppet/Marvel fan. He co-operates the website The Mickey Mindset (link: mickeymindset.com) where he celebrates all these and more, daily! Be sure to check it out and like them on Facebook! (facebook.com/TheMickeyMindset)
