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Star Wars Rebels

It’s no secret that I love Star Wars Rebels. The animated series stole my heart in its first season with its wit, its heart, and its devotion to bridging the gaps between the original Star Wars trilogy and the prequels. Well, now Star Wars Rebels is back for season two, and based on this weekend’s epic hour-long episode, “The Siege of Lothal,” it’s safe to say that the show has upped the ante big time. There’s more action, more danger, and, most importantly, more Darth Vader.

In just one season, Star Wars Rebels has affirmed that it’s more than a quaint spin-off; it’s the glue that connects all the other Star Wars films, shows, and properties.. Many fans wondered how the new Disney Star Wars universe would handle The Clone Wars and the prequels. Would Lucasfilm’s new uber-producer Kathleen Kennedy dismiss those films or would she double down on George Lucas’ creative missteps? Star Wars Rebels is doing neither. The show fully accepts the prequels as canon, but is making massive strides to reclaim characters like Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader as horrifying foes. As Devin Faraci pointed out on birthmoviesdeath.com, Star Wars Rebels has saved Darth Vader as a character:

This is Vader the intergalactic badass. This isn’t the podracer or the murderer of babies, it’s a truly great villain who is at the top of his game and who presents a tremendous and unbeatable opponent for our heroes. In the original Star Wars Darth Vader was scary – Rebels makes Vader scary again. He has the relentless quality of a slasher movie villain, and the show’s version of his helmet, more like the original Ralph McQuarrie concept art, gives him an even more sinister look, if you can believe it.

Well, believe it.
But Star Wars Rebels is fixing more than just Darth Vader — it’s connecting the dots between the fall of the Jedi and the rise of the Rebellion. Season one was all about this ragtag group of rebels who were just sticking it to the Empire, one misadventure at a time. We learned more about the Jedi, how they thrived, and how they fell. And we got to witness the Empire’s cruelty firsthand. Season two is already zooming out and showing us how the Rebellion has grown under the guidance of Anakin Skywalker’s former padawan, Ahsoka Tano, and with the help of friends in the Senate. It’s more than just a grassroots insurrection; it’s a full-scale operation. We see how this jars Kanan and inspires Hera and Ezra. We get a glimpse of how their personal choices could effect the Rebellion. It’s really cool! These cartoon characters we’ve come to know and love are going to have an actual impact on the events that lead us up to Leia hiding the Death Star plans on R2-D2.

Yes, we’re also getting a darker look at Darth Vader, Grand Moff Tarkin, and the Imperial bureaucracy. The second season premiere features a former foe trying to defect to the Rebellion. I don’t want to spoil it, but what happens next is something out of horrifying history book, and not what you typically see on a Disney channel show. Just as Star Wars Rebels is letting Vader be scarier, it’s also letting the Galactic Empire feel like a threat again. Sure, we know that Han, Luke, and Leia will eventually win, but now we’re getting a feel for what the characters in Rogue One will be up against. And maybe we’re also being fed hints about the villainous First Order (aka what the “Empire” will be called in Star Wars: The Force Awakens)?

Star Wars Rebels is worth watching on its own, but it’s also the perfect thing to tie you over while you wait for Star Wars: The Force Awakens to hit theaters. You can buy new episodes on VOD or catch it on Disney XD if you have the Kids Extra package on Sling TV. [Where to Stream Star Wars Rebels]

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