Loading AI tools
American animated television series From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Star Wars Rebels is an American 3D animated science fiction television series produced by Lucasfilm Animation and set in the Star Wars universe. It takes place 14 years after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) and progresses toward the events of the original Star Wars film (1977).[lower-alpha 1] It depicts the Galactic Empire hunting down the last of the Jedi while a fledgling rebellion against the Empire emerges. The visual style of the series is inspired by the original Star Wars trilogy concept art by Ralph McQuarrie.[1] The series features new characters, along with some from the original trilogy[2][3] and from the previous animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–2020). The series comprises four seasons.
Star Wars Rebels | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Genre | |
Created by |
|
Based on | Star Wars by George Lucas |
Voices of | |
Composers |
|
Country of origin | United States |
No. of seasons | 4 |
No. of episodes | 75 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producers |
|
Running time | 22 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | Disney XD |
Release | October 3, 2014 – March 5, 2018 |
Related | |
The series premiered as a one-hour television film, Spark of Rebellion, on October 3, 2014, on Disney Channel prior to the premiere of the series on October 13 on Disney XD.[4][5] The second season premiered on June 20, 2015, with a one-hour television film, The Siege of Lothal. The third season premiered on September 24, 2016, with the television film, Steps Into Shadow. The fourth and final season premiered on October 16, 2017, with another one-hour television film, Heroes of Mandalore. Its final episode aired on March 5, 2018.[6][7]
Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg, and Greg Weisman served as executive producers of the first season. Weisman left the show after the first season.[8] Filoni was also the supervising director for the first two seasons, a role he relinquished after accepting a promotion that expanded his creative role into overseeing all Lucasfilm Animation projects; he chose Justin Ridge to succeed him for the third season.[9] Filoni re-assumed the role for the fourth season.
Rebels has been generally well-received with several award wins and nominations. The show was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Animated Series and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program. Rebels became the first recipient of the Saturn Award for Best Animated Series on Television, winning for its final two seasons.
A number of tie-in media have been released to expand upon the series' lore such as the comic book series Kanan, the novel A New Dawn, and the novel series Thrawn. Characters, storylines, and elements introduced in the series would also appear in subsequent Star Wars media. The series' storyline continues in the Disney+ live-action series Ahsoka.
Fourteen years after the fall of both the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order and the rise of the Galactic Empire,[10] a motley group of rebels called the Spectres unite aboard a light freighter called the Ghost and begin to conduct covert operations against Imperial forces on and around the planet Lothal and on other planets that are menaced by the Empire.
The series was announced in May 2013, with a one-hour special set to debut in fall 2014 before airing as a full series on Disney XD.[12][13] The announcement came two months after the cancellation of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.[12] Simon Kinberg, Dave Filoni and Greg Weisman were announced as executive producers.[12][13]
Concept art from the series, including a first look at the Ghost, was shown at the Star Wars Celebration that July.[14][15] In September 2013, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Freddie Prinze Jr., Vanessa Marshall, Taylor Gray and David Oyelowo were being cast as the series leads.[16]
At the 2013 New York Comic Con, it was revealed that the series would take place 14 years after Revenge of the Sith and 5 years before A New Hope.[17] An image of the Inquisitor, the main villain of the series, was shown at the convention.[18][17]
The first two episodes, titled Spark of Rebellion, premiered on October 3, 2014, on Disney Channels worldwide and on Family Channel in Canada.[19] In Australia, the series premiered on October 17 on Disney XD.[20] The Siege of Lothal premiered on June 28, 2015,[21] and the second season debuted on October 18.[22] In Canada, the series premiered on October 19 on the DHX-owned Disney XD.[23] However, due to DHX Media losing the rights to Disney content, the show was later moved to Disney Channel.[24] The second season premiered on November 7, and it was moved to the Corus-owned Disney XD channel on December 1.[25][26]
In the Middle East and Africa, Spark of Rebellion premiered on October 11 and the series debuted on October 18 on Disney XD.[27] Siege of Lothal premiered on October 10, followed the official season premiere on October 17.[28] In Southeast Asia, Spark of Rebellion premiered on Disney XD on October 4 and the series officially started on November 29.[29][30] Siege of Lothal premiered on October 3 on Disney XD and Disney Channel, and the second season was released on October 24.[31][32][33][34] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the series debuted on October 16 on Disney XD.[35] Siege of Lothal premiered on July 18, 2015,[36] followed by the second-season debut on October 17.[37]
DVD/Blu-ray name | DVD Releases | Blu-ray Releases | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | Region A | Region B | ||
Spark of Rebellion (DVD only) | October 14, 2014 | October 13, 2014 | November 5, 2014[38] | Spark of Rebellion included in Complete Season One | ||
Complete Season One[39] | September 1, 2015[40] | September 14, 2015[41] | September 16, 2015[42] | September 1, 2015[43] | September 14, 2015[44] | |
Complete Season Two[45] | August 30, 2016[46] | October 3, 2016[47] | November 2, 2016[48] | August 30, 2016[49] | October 3, 2016[50] | |
Trials of the Darksaber (DVD only) | January 21, 2017 | January 22, 2017 | January 23, 2017 | February 9, 2017 | February 10, 2017 | |
Legacy of Mandalore (DVD only) | February 18, 2017 | February 19, 2017 | February 20, 2017 | March 9, 2017 | March 12, 2017 | |
Complete Season Three[51] | August 29, 2017[52] | October 2, 2017 | December 6, 2017 | August 29, 2017 | October 2, 2017 | |
Complete Season Four | August 12, 2018 | October 26, 2018 | November 28, 2018 | August 12, 2018 | October 26, 2018 |
Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on DVD in the US at all retailers on October 14, 2014. DVD bonus features include character shorts, a 3D model kit of the Ghost ship, and a preview of season 1.[53]
The Complete Season One of Star Wars Rebels was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray on September 1, 2015, in America,[54] and in Germany on September 10, 2015. The Season 1 collection contains the expanded version of Spark of Rebellion with the Darth Vader/Grand Inquisitor prologue shown on ABC-TV. The Complete Season Two of Star Wars Rebels was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray on August 30, 2016, in North America. The Complete Season Three of Star Wars Rebels was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on August 29, 2017.[55] The Complete Season Four is announced to be released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 15, 2018, in Germany,[56] and July 31, 2018, in the United States.[57]
The series is also available on the Disney+ streaming service, which launched on November 12, 2019.[58]
In the United States, the one-hour special garnered 2.74 million viewers on Disney Channel[59] and 2.40 million viewers on ABC (excluding Boston, whose local station WCVB preempted it for a Steve Harvey special).[60] Worldwide, it delivered a total of 6.5 million viewers.[61] On Disney Channel, the first and second episodes delivered 2.33 million and 1.92 million viewers, respectively.[62] The third and fourth episodes garnered 2.32 million and 1.84 million, respectively.[63] The fifth, sixth and seventh episodes were watched by 1.43 million, 1.30 million and 1.60 million viewers, respectively.[64] The eighth and ninth episodes got 1.92 and 1.44 million viewers, respectively.[65]
In Canada, the second episode was watched by 274,500 viewers, making it the most-watched broadcast ever on the network.[66] In the United Kingdom, the film was the highest-rated broadcast that week, with 81,000 viewers.[67]
Season | Timeslot (ET) | Episodes | Premiered | Ended | Viewers (in millions) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Premiere viewers (in millions) |
Date | Finale viewers (in millions) | ||||
1 | Mondays 9pm/8c |
13 | October 13, 2014 |
1.03[68] | March 2, 2015 |
0.72[69] | 0.68 |
2 | Wednesdays 9:30pm/8:30c (10/14/15–12/09/15) Wednesdays 9pm/8c (1/20/16–3/30/16) |
22 | October 14, 2015 |
0.46[70] | March 30, 2016 |
0.69 | 0.81 |
3 | Saturdays 9pm/8c |
22 | September 24, 2016 |
0.56 | March 25, 2017 |
0.50 | 0.66 |
On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has received a 92% positive score, based on 13 reviews with an average rating of 8.20/10, the website's critics consensus reads, "Rebels adds new dimension to an unexplored sector of the Star Wars timeline, inserting a ragtag group of lovable characters into a galactic adventure that all ages can enjoy." Seasons 2 and 3 have received a 100% score based on 6 reviews for season 2 and 6 reviews for season 3, with an average rating of 7.40/10 for season 2 and 9/10 for season 3. Season 4 has received a 100% score based on 10 reviews with an average rating of 9.20/10, the website's critics consensus reads, "The Force is with these Rebels in a thrilling conclusion that plays to its characters' strengths while serving up plenty of galactic spectacle."[71][72][73][74] On Metacritic, the first season has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 based on 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[75]
IGN and Variety in particular had strong praise for the pilot film, Spark of Rebellion, with their only criticism being the appearance of the Wookiees in the film, being cited as not all that impressive compared to the rest of the animation.[76] SyFy Wire calls the series "Pure fun", further stating that it "captures the awe and joy of A New Hope" and is "thematically ambitious" with a "dramatic edge".[77] Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media called the series "exciting" with cartoon violence and "positive messages." Ashby also argued that the series has a "broad appeal for kids and adults" particularly those interested in Star Wars.[78] Graeme Virtue of The Guardian wrote that the series was inspired by the television Space Western Firefly.[79]
Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2015 Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Animated Show | Star Wars Rebels | Nominated |
42nd Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production | Nathaniel Villanueva & Douglas Lovelace | Nominated |
5th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Animated Series | Star Wars Rebels | Nominated |
2014 BTVA Awards | Best Male Lead Vocal Performance in a Television Series – Action/Drama | Steve Blum as Zeb Orrelios | Nominated |
Best Female Lead Vocal Performance in a Television Series – Action/Drama | Tiya Sircar as Sabine Wren | Nominated | |
Vanessa Marshall as Hera Syndulla | Nominated | ||
Best Male Vocal Performance in a Television Series in a Supporting Role – Action/Drama | Jason Isaacs as The Inquisitor | Won | |
Best Female Vocal Performance in a Television Series in a Supporting Role – Action/Drama | Kath Soucie as Maketh Tua | Nominated | |
Best Male Vocal Performance in a Television Series in a Guest Role – Action/Drama | Frank Oz as Yoda | Nominated | |
James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi | Nominated | ||
James Earl Jones as Darth Vader | Won | ||
Best Vocal Ensemble in a New Television Series | Star Wars Rebels | Nominated | |
6th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Animated Series | Star Wars Rebels | Nominated |
2015 BTVA Awards | Best Female Lead Vocal Performance in a Television Series – Action/Drama | Vanessa Marshall as Hera Syndulla | Nominated |
44th Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production | Kevin Kiner for Twilight of the Apprentice | Nominated |
Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production | Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn in Hera's Heroes | Nominated | |
Outstanding Achievement, Editorial in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production | Joe E. Elwood and Alex McDonnell for Twilight of the Apprentice | Nominated | |
Writers Guild of America Awards 2016 | Best Writing in Animation | Steven Melching for "A Princess on Lothal" | Nominated |
2016 BTVA Awards | Best Male Vocal Performance in a Television Series in a Supporting Role | David Oyelowo as Agent Kallus | Nominated |
Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn | Nominated | ||
43rd Saturn Awards | Best Animated Series or Film on Television | Star Wars Rebels | Won |
69th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Children's Program | Star Wars Rebels | Nominated |
2017 BTVA Awards | Best Vocal Ensemble in a Television Series | Star Wars Rebels | Nominated |
Best Male Vocal Performance in a Television Series in a Guest Role | Stephen Stanton as Obi-Wan Kenobi | Won | |
Best Female Vocal Performance in a Television Series in a Supporting Role | Genevieve O'Reilly as Mon Mothma | Nominated | |
44th Saturn Awards | Best Animated Series or Film on Television | Star Wars Rebels | Won |
70th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Children's Program | Star Wars Rebels | Nominated |
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) | Kevin Kiner for "Family Reunion – and Farewell" | Nominated | |
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation | Matthew Wood, David Acord, Bonnie Wild, Sean Kiner, Ronni Brown, Margie O'Malley for "A World Between Worlds" | Nominated | |
Chopper and the Ghost appear in the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.[80] Hera's surname is called on a loudspeaker at the Rebel base on Yavin IV, where Chopper can briefly be seen. In addition, the Ghost takes part in the climactic battle over Scarif.[81]
The Ghost also appears in the 2019 film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker during the final battle over Exegol.[82] The voice of Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kanan Jarrus can also be heard in the film as one of the voices of Jedi past who provide Rey with encouragement to defeat Emperor Palpatine.
The Grand Inquisitor and Fifth Brother appear in Obi-Wan Kenobi, portrayed by Rupert Friend and Sung Kang, respectively.[83][84]
The Purrgil appear in The Mandalorian season 3 episode "Chapter 17: The Apostate". Zeb makes his live action debut in season three episode, "Chapter 21: The Pirate", voiced again by Steven Blum.[85]
Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger, and Hera Syndulla made their live-action debut in the series Ahsoka, portrayed by Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Eman Esfandi, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, respectively.[86][87][88][89][90][91] Dave Filoni and Lars Mikkelsen reprise their roles as Chopper and Grand Admiral Thrawn.[92] Clancy Brown reprises his role as Ryder Azadi, the governor of Lothal. Vinny Thomas appears as Jai Kell, who was previously voiced by Dante Basco. Evan Whitten appears as Jacen Syndulla: Hera and Kanan Jarrus's son. Temuera Morrison appears as Rex in the fifth episode in flashbacks.
Ray Stevenson and Sharmila Devar reprise their roles as Gar Saxon and Ursa Wren, respectively in the seventh season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Freddie Prinze Jr. and Vanessa Marshall reprise their roles as younger versions of Kanan Jarrus (then still going by his original name, Caleb Dume) and Hera Syndulla in three episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, with the former also making brief non-speaking cameo appearances in the seventh season of The Clone Wars and the series Tales of the Jedi. The Grand Inquisitor also appeared in the fourth episode of its sequel, Tales of the Empire, with Jason Isaacs reprising his role as the character.
On September 2, 2014, Del Rey Books published Star Wars: A New Dawn, a prequel novel by John Jackson Miller telling the story of how Kanan and Hera met[76][93] (set about six years before the series).[94] One of the first canon Star Wars novels to be released by Disney Publishing Worldwide and Del Rey Books,[95][93] It includes a foreword by Dave Filoni.
In 2017, a new novel, entitled Thrawn, was released. The book marked the entrance of Grand Admiral Thrawn into the current canon. It was written by the character's original creator, Timothy Zahn.[96] A sequel to Thrawn, titled Thrawn: Alliances, was released on July 24, 2018. It explored Thrawn's partnerships with Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker.[97][98] Another Thrawn novel, Thrawn: Treason was released on July 23, 2019. It takes place during the events of Star Wars Rebels' fourth season.[99]
Hera Syndulla would go on to appear in Alexander Freed's Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron novel trilogy, as a general of the recently christened New Republic's eponymous starfighter squadron in the final days of the Galactic Civil War, hunting down the weakened Imperial forces after the battle of Endor and the death of Emperor Palpatine.[citation needed]
From April 1, 2015, through March 16, 2016, Marvel Comics published a 12-issue comic series, titled Kanan, and set during the events of the first season. Written by former executive producer of the series Greg Weisman and illustrated by Pepe Larraz, Jacopo Camagni and Andrea Broccardo, the story is centered on Kanan having flashbacks to his days as a Padawan in the Jedi Temple and the Clone Wars. The other members of the Ghost crew also appear.[100]
In the summer of 2017, Marvel announced that a comic book miniseries adaptation of Zahn's Thrawn novel was being planned, scheduled to be released in early 2018.[101] The first issue was released on February 14, 2018, with new issues being released over the following five months.
A few days after the series finale was aired, IDW Publishing released the seventh issue of the long-running Star Wars Adventures multi-era comic book series, which contained the first of a two-part comic arc, set between the second and third season, in which the Spectres embark on a mission to save a rare endangered bird from Imperial custody.[102] The second part appeared in the next issue, which was released on March 28, 2018.[103]
A side-scrolling run-and-gun game based on the show's first season, titled Star Wars Rebels: Recon Missions, was released by Disney Mobile on iOS, Android and Windows Store in early 2015, before being discontinued on July 28, 2016, due to the limitations of the support team. Ezra Bridger is the only playable character, with other characters available via in-app purchases, which also grant early access to most of the game's levels in the mobile versions and are required to play the full campaign in the Windows Store version.
Additionally, several of the characters from the series are playable in other games such as Disney Infinity 3.0, Angry Birds Star Wars II, Roblox (as virtual accessories and gears), Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Skywalker Saga (as downloadable content only), Star Wars: Galactic Defense, Star Wars: Force Arena and Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes.
Vanessa Marshall reprises her role as Hera Syndulla for the 2020 video game Star Wars: Squadrons, providing voice work and motion capture for the character.[104]
Characters in Star Wars Rebels have taken influence from Biblical, Hebrew, and Greco-Roman mythological names. Star Wars writers have often used biblical names for Jedi while giving galactic Imperial characters Roman names. In 2015 an interview was conducted with Dave Filoni and Simon Kinberg where Kinsberg stated that they wanted to connect to the original films by using the biblical naming scheme seen in the films.[105] Both Caleb and Ezra are historically Hebrew names, with Ezra translating to "helper".[105] Characters with Roman names include Clone Captain Rex which translates to "King" in Latin (although that character was created for The Clone Wars) along with Sabine Wren, Admiral Brom Titus and Admiral Kassius Konstantine.[106]