Opinion: Darth Vader in 'Rebels'

By: Tom Bradshaw

It has been about a week and a half since the season one finale of Star Wars: Rebels aired on Disney XD. Fire Across the Galaxy, the thirteenth episode thus far of this fledgling series, brought on many emotions through the fandom in it’s short runtime of twenty something minutes. Among these feelings were the joy and intrigue at the ending scene, when we not only witnessed the confirmation of the identity of Fulcrum as Ahsoka Tano, but the arrival of her former master, the now Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader on Lothal! Marching forward with no words or sounds (minus his commanding footsteps and the intimidating respirations of his mask), Lord Vader marched past Agent Kallus ceasing with the pleasantries as he is known for, onwards to begin his task unknown to us, which is where the episode ends.

Darth Vader, exiting the shuttle on Lothal.

In regards to characters that have had any significant amount of onscreen coverage in the past, be it from the Prequel Trilogy, The Clone Wars, or The Original Trilogy, there is often a conflict of opinions as to the involvement and/or role of these characters in Rebels. Darth Vader has been no exception in these debates, though his appearance prior to the credits in Fire Across the Galaxy has been a hit among the fans! These mere 16 seconds of no words, only the commanding footsteps and respirations, have set us up for more onscreen time, more action, and simply MORE VADER in Season 2! However, before we continue with this article and these thoughts, it is important to recall to mind: This is not the first appearance made by The Dark Lord in Rebels, for he also appeared briefly in the series premiere Spark of Rebellion , in a hologram message to The Inquisitor. (This brief scene was not inserted into all airings of Spark of Rebellion ).

Darth Vader via Hologram, as he appears in Spark of Rebellion.

A very significant question raised occasionally by observant fans was examined in a recent article from Club Jade; How much does the galaxy know about Darth Vader in the new canon? Without delving into the contents of their article too much, I find it most necessary to agree to the thought that we, the viewers, are not led to believe that the mass majority of the galaxy are aware of the existence of Darth Vader. Think about it: Darth Vader is not portrayed as being(at least currently), a household figure, a dinner table name, a hero of those in Imperial Training Academies; he is a Sith apprentice, answerable only to Darth Sidious. the Emperor himself.

So, how is this relevant to Darth Vader in Rebels?

In reflection of the appearance of cells of other Rebels in the finale, we are led to believe there is some sort of organized Rebellion already in existence. It is my opinion and speculation through observation, that in the minds of the Rebellion (in its current state), Darth Vader is either completely unknown, or known and feared as the Dark Side monster he can be when wielding his Lightsaber. At the risk of making overgeneralizations and jumping to conclusions, I believe that as Darth Vader continues to make appearances throughout Rebels, they will be of a much more significant nature, leading up to and including direct confrontation with the main characters, the crew of The Ghost. This can only positively influence the “new canon”, and provide us with a more solid background to the Pre-ANH timeline, especially regarding the dealings of Darth Vader, whom since the decisions regarding the new canon took place, we now know very little about outside the realm of the movies.

As we eagerly await his further appearances, remember this: The Vader we see now is not necessarily Vader in the same state as we see him in A New Hope. The amount of events and transformations that can take place within the span of the five years that separate Rebels and ANH are countless!


This article is an opinion piece and represents the views of the writer, and not the entire Star Wars Underworld organization.

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Opinion: Where have you been, Ahsoka Tano?

By: Tom Bradshaw

We are now over three days in, having known officially the identity of the secretive mastermind in season one of Star Wars: Rebels-our beloved former Padawan from The Clone Wars-Ashoka Tano! Since the very first mention of Fulcrum, we, the fan community, have been abuzz, forming speculations, creating our own rumors, and overall stirring up a huge ruckus-all in the hopes that the former apprentice of Anakin Skywalker would make some kind of appearance, provide some sort of fanfare-to all of us who were not satisfied with her departure at the conclusion of season 5 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (As if anyone was satisfied! We love our Snips!) After months of endless rumors, what was asked for-has finally been received! Throughout this article, we will examine some food for thought-of the current standing of our beloved Togruta Apprentice from The Clone Wars!

1. Where did she go after season 5?
At the conclusion of season 5 of TCW, Ashoka placed her lightsabers on the mantle, and walked away from the Jedi Order-after becoming dissatisfied with the Order, feeling betrayed and disgusted by the lack of trust they had placed in her. Where did she first go when she departed the Jedi? Where was she when Order 66 went down? We want to know where she’s been, in this big galaxy of dire need!

2. What is her status as a practitioner of the Force?
By leaving the Jedi, Ashoka left behind the most mainstream (and possibly efficient) opportunity at her disposal to continue to be educated and formally trained in the ways of the force. Unlike Kanan, she was not displaced by the execution of Order 66, but willfully walked away from the current path and administration of the Jedi Order, prior to the galaxy-transforming event. It can be clearly seen when she is climbing down the ladder, making her appearance in Rebels (pictured below), that she continues to carry two lightsabers. What has she been doing in relation to being a force practitioner? Does she identify as an rogue Jedi? Does she rarely use these sabers (as Kanan did, prior to the series premiere)? Or perhaps little snips, in her growing-has found other means to continue to study the ways of the force and has continually matured in her training, now being the equivalent of even a Jedi Master?

3. What is the scope of her involvement with The Rebellion?
At the beginning of the scene where Snips makes her comeback, we learn from a hologram transmission of Senator Bail Organa that there is a Rebellion, and that the crew of The Ghost are only one cell of said Rebellion-to the surprise of the crew itself, barring Hera, who was in conversation with Ahsoka via Fulcrum. Is she merely one body who has been supervising The Ghost from afar? Does she hold a much more administrative role? And how big is The Rebellion in this current form? And how did she get involved with The Rebellion?

4. Does she know that Anakin is Darth Vader?
This may seem silly at first thought, but the fact that Anakin Skywalker is the man behind the suit and mask of Darth Vader-is not common knowledge throughout the galaxy. Does Ahsoka realize that her former master is this monster that destroyed all those she knew and loved in her former life as a Jedi Padawan? Have they met-or even sensed each other, since her departure from the order? Will there be a major confrontation between the two in this series?

5.  And where will she go…?
As with the entire crew of The Ghost, it is clear that these are not characters that are featured in the Original Trilogy: Where will she go, Episode V being only a short five years away? Surely, they could just be off running a mission somewhere not covered by the trilogy, but that is of course-wishful thinking.

Whatever the future holds…wherever you have been…and wherever you will go-Welcome back, Ahsoka Tano!

This article is an opinion piece and represents the views of the writer, and not the entire Star Wars Underworld organization.

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