Is the missing Jedi still alive?
The fate of Star Wars: Rebels fan-favourite Ezra Bridger looks set to be revealed in new Disney Plus series Ahsoka.
The series picks up with Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) in the time between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, as she aims to track down her longtime rival, Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen).
The sinister imperial figure hasn’t been seen since the Battle of Lothal, when he was transported to a distant corner of a faraway galaxy by the young Jedi Ezra Bridger in a selfless sacrificial act.
Relative unknown Eman Esfandi has been chosen to portray the character in live-action – spotted in a pre-recorded hologram in the Ahsoka trailer – although its yet to be confirmed if he survived his years in exile.
If you need some context on who Ezra Bridger is and why he’s so important, read on for your Ahsoka primer.
Who is Ezra Bridger? Ahsoka’s missing Jedi explained
We were introduced to Ezra Bridger in the first episode of Star Wars: Rebels, when he was fending for himself on the streets of his Empire-occupied home planet Lothal.
Though his parents had lovingly brought him up in his early years, they were imprisoned and ultimately killed by imperial forces as they cracked down on rebels and critics of the regime.
Ezra crossed paths with the ragtag crew of the Ghost when he boldly interrupted a heist they had planned, which caught the attention of Kanan – a former Padawan prior to Order 66, who never completed his Jedi training.
Kanan saw great potential in Ezra and took him on as his own Padawan, although disapproved of his reckless and unpredictable behaviour.
Over time, however, they became an effective partnership and Ezra a powerful force user himself, facing off against a number of Darth Vader’s ruthless Inquisitors and fallen Sith Lord Darth Maul.
Sadly, Kanan later died in an attack by the Empire, with the Ghost crew’s toughest battle still ahead of them.
Their activity had caught the attention of Grand Admiral Thrawn, a cold and high-ranking figure in the Empire, who would not rest until any trace of rebellion was stamped out.
Things came to a dramatic end back on Lothal, where Thrawn and the Emperor confronted Ezra, seeking access to a mystical plain of existence called the World Between Worlds.
When he refused, an epic battle ensued in which the young Jedi and Thrawn became locked in combat.
In a noble final gesture, Ezra called upon the power of hyperspace travelling creatures called the purrgil to transport Thrawn’s ship to an unknown point in a distant galaxy with both of them aboard.
In doing so, he eliminated the threat that the Grand Admiral posed, but became lost to his allies and loved ones forever. Or perhaps not, as Ahsoka will soon reveal.
Ahsoka is available to stream on Disney Plus from Wednesday 23rd August 2023. New episodes weekly. Sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 for a year.
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