Ten cool things from Star Wars Rebels Season 2 we hope to see in Star Wars movies
This time last year, we published a list of 10 Things from Star Wars Rebels We Want to See in the Movies, and fans were pleased to see some of their favorite aspects of the show brought up as potential fodder for future Star Wars movies. Now that Star Wars Rebels Season 2 has arrived on Blu-ray and DVD, we wanted to take the opportunity to cherry pick some of the most interesting, galaxy-expanding ideas put forth in the extended 22-episode season. Check it out in the gallery below!
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By the end of Season 1, viewers were excited about this ragtag rebel cell and their adventures, but they were keen to see them leave the confines of Lothal and venture out into the further reaches of the galaxy. Season 2 gave us tons of new planets and ports and species and droids, along with new enemies, new allies and lots of surprises. It saw the return of classic Star Wars Saga characters like Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, Lando Calrissian, Princess Leia, Yoda, R2-D2 and Darth Maul, as well as Clone Wars favs like Ahsoka Tano, Hondo Ohnaka and Captain Rex. Overall, the show continues to be a beacon of hope that the new Lucasfilm under Disney and producer Kathleen Kennedy are doing right by the property while expanding the potential of the Star Wars Universe.
RELATED: Thrawn Enters in a New Star Wars Rebels Season 3 Promo
With that in mind, here’s hoping that the Lucasfilm Story Group’s Kiri Hart, Carrie Beck, Pablo Hidalgo, Dave Filoni and Simon Kinberg will take some cues from Star Wars Rebels and make both the show and the films to follow part of one big cohesive, interrelated story.
What aspects of Star Wars Rebels do you want to see in Lucasfilm’s upcoming slate of Star Wars movies, including Rogue One, Han Solo and the proper Saga films?
10 Things From Rebels Season 2 We Want in Star Wars Movies
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Ahsoka Tano
Many fans were disappointed that we did not include Anakin Skywalker's disgraced former apprentice in last year's list, but the truth is Ahsoka had a mere cameo in the final episode of Season 1. In Season 2 she became an integral part of the show, and formed a powerful Jedi triumvirate with Kanan and Ezra, not to mention her dramatic duel with Vader. While her fate is left up in the air in the last episode, it would be fitting to integrate her into the fabric of the saga films, even if it's just a passing reference.
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B Wings
These cool blade-shaped ships were introduced by George Lucas and Richard Marquand for Return of the Jedi, but closer review of the space battles in that film only has B-Wings featured briefly at the beginning and then promptly forgotten. It's possible they were a part of the famously-purged effects sequence (still unseen by the public) that Lucas cut out of the battle, but nevertheless they deserve their day in the sun, as the B-Wing prototype did in the Rebels episode "Wings of the Master." With Rian Johnson confirmed to be bringing back the A-Wing for Episode VIII, here's hoping the Blade Wing also makes a comeback.
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Acknowledge the Prequels
Let's be honest: In The Force Awakens interviews, J.J. Abrams could barely hide his disdain for George Lucas's prequels, which is why it wasn't a surprise that he went out of his way to barely acknowledge their content. The fact is, though, those movies are canon and to pretend they didn't happen would be throwing the baby out with the bath water. There's a lot of great potential in the world building of the Jedi order, the Sith, Coruscant, the origins of the Empire and, of course, the Clone Wars, not to mention characters like Anakin Skywalker, whose presence in the force should remain a constant. We know that Jimmy Smits is set to return as Bail Organa in Rogue One, along with Clone Wars animated character Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), so let's hope the trend continues!
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Sith Temples
The two-part season finale "Twilight of the Apprentice" explored the ruins of an ancient Sith Temple, surrounded by the charred Pompeii-esque remains of a long-forgotten battle. Once Darth Maul and Ezra activate the pyramid, its glowing red lines reminded us of TRON, and it was a stunning design that inspired both awe and dread. Should the Knights of Ren or other Dark Side devotees ever need to do a little Sith archeology, let's hope these temples are utilized.
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Mandalorians
Before Josh Trank's departure threw the project into disarray, Lucasfilm was making a Boba Fett solo movie. Simon Kinberg was providing the script, but it got pushed way back in the release timeline and may be scrapped altogether. It would be a shame if that were true, as the episode "The Protector of Concord Dawn" showed that the war-like Mandalorian culture is a prime avenue to be explored on film.
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The Mystery of the Geonosians
Attack of the Clones was meant to establish that the bug-like Geonosians were the ones responsible for designing and constructing The Death Star. However, in both the Rebels timeline and, seemingly, Rogue One, there's not a Geo to be found. Were they wiped out by The Empire? If so, why? We hope this is not glossed over in the coming film.
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Darth Vader
Okay, this one's a bit of cheat since we KNOW that Vader will play a small part in the events of Rogue One. However, his iteration in Rebels is one of our favorite portrayals of the fallen Jedi-turned-Sith, using his telekinetic abilities to become a true force to be reckoned with in battle. The shot of him standing atop a floating tie fighter is iconic, and having James Earl Jones back as the voice sorta seals the deal. Vader in the original trilogy was always a little underutilized, and Rebels uses him sparingly but effectively, something we hope the movies take to heart.
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Gravity Well Projector
Too often in Star Wars movies has cranking up the hyperdrive and going into lightspeed been the go-to method of escaping a tight spot. In the Rebels episode "Stealth Strike," the experimental Imperial Interdictor ship uses gravity wells to pull ships right out of hyperspace. The rebels destroy the ship, but we hope the First Order can salvage the technology so the Resistance won't have it so easy.
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Purrgil
Space Whales. You read that right, Space Whales. The Purrgil are a fascinating species introduced in the episode titled "The Call," where the crew of The Ghost encounters them orbiting around a mining rig. Turns out these creatures use the fuel to travel through space at lightspeed, which is something to behold. In an interesting side-note, Rebels executive producer/occasional writer Simon Kinberg came onboard as producer of Ruairí Robinson's amazing looking flying space whale/lightspeed travel movie The Leviathan around the same time Season 2 was being made. Hmm...
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Morally Grey Bad Guys
Arguably the best episode of Season 2 was "The Honorable Ones," where -- in a play on the 1968 film Hell in the Pacific -- Zeb and his mortal enemy Agent Kallus are marooned on an icy moon together and forced to cooperate to survive. We discover that, despite his ruthless work for the Empire, Kallus has a deep respect for Lasats as warriors, and we're left thinking that Kallus may have reason to doubt the morality of his work. The Force Awakens touched on the idea of a First Order stormtrooper switching sides, but we'd like to see more characters that are less "all good"/"all bad" and more "in-between."
