Hints toward Ezra Bridger and Rebels Season 3 courtesy the Star Wars Show
Just ahead of Star Wars Celebration Europe, where Star Wars Rebels executive producer Dave Filoni has stated his intention to air the first two episodes of Season 3, Mr. Filoni cameoed on today’s episode of the Star Wars Show and brought with him a clip from next season. The clip features Zeb, Ezra, and Sabine, rescuing Hondo from an Imperial prison cell, along with a previously unknown Ugnaught (those guys who threatened to toss C-3PO’s head into a furnace on Cloud City). While it appears Hondo’s rescue came at the promise of special information, the most to come out of the clip featured Ezra Bridger displaying his new look and abilities as a Jedi.
We were told earlier this year that Season 3 Ezra would adopt a new appearance and the folks at Star Wars Rebels weren’t joking. Our teenage Jedi apprentice has gained a few inches in height and lost quite a few inches in his hair cut, sporting the Star Wars equivalent of a buzz cut. Think Anakin’s haircut in Attack of the Clones, but without the rat tail and braids. His outfit has also changed. Ezra retains his trademark orange, but has adopted an outfit more akin to that worn by Kanan Jarrus in the past two seasons. Similar to Kanan, Ezra has now taken up a blaster and with it a sporting a gunslinger’s holster tied to his right thigh, just like Kanan. In short, minus the armor, and Ezra is dressing a lot like his Master.
Given that Ezra is sporting a stand alone blaster, it appears he has forsaken combining blasters and lightsabers together in the style of his previous lightsaber. That weapon met a quick end at the hands of Darth Vader in the Season Two finale, but it’s quickly revealed that Ezra has built himself a new lightsaber. Wielding a green blade instead of the former blue, Ezra also displays incredible agility and frightening effectiveness using it against storm troopers, while dodging their blasts at close range. Hondo, amazed at Ezra’s abilities quips, “Is that really Ezra?” Sabine retorts, “Most of the time.”
The preview of Rebels next season was short, but definitely sweet. It also holds some potential clues for what we might expect going into next season. First, Ezra continues to mirror Luke Skywalker, who moved from a blue lightsaber after it was lost in an ill advised duel with Darth Vader. Second, after Luke constructed his new lightsaber, Darth Vader and Yoda both pronounced his training complete. It’s possible that Ezra’s training may be reaching a conclusion, as well, at least as far as Kanan can instruct him. Third, when Luke Skywalker went on to face Darth Vader and the Emperor in this time in his life, he was once again tempted by the Dark Side. Given the last shot of Ezra in last season’s finale, we can definitely expect Ezra to face more Dark Side temptation this go around. Finally, based on how much of Kanan’s appearance and weaponry Ezra has adopted, it may imply that Kanan is no longer going out into the field on missions, and that Ezra has adopted the role that his master once played on such missions. We will definitely get a lot more information starting this weekend, but until then, we can at least say, things are looking exciting.
