Star Wars Rebels

Disney’s Star Wars Rebels has made no secret of its influence from the original designs of artist Ralph McQuarrie, but multiple designs have escaped even sharp-eyed viewers. No longer, as the latest Season 2 Blu-ray featurette spotlights everything from Kylo Ren’s lightsaber to Leia’s familiar costume.

Star Wars Rebels has gifted us similarly high-profile big bads each year, from beating Rogue One to James Earl Jones’ Darth Vader return, to this year’s reemergence of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Don’t expect Vader to have any significant role going forward, however, as Rebels boss Dave Filoni says there’s been “an elected decision to not have Vader around.”

Those unable to attend Star Wars Celebration in London missed out on the chance to see Star Wars Rebels Season 3 early, but at last, we have a end date for our despair. Star Wars Rebels Season 3 sets an official September premiere, along with a new synopsis teasing the arrival of Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Star Wars may be using Rogue One to introduce a few ship designs we’ve yet to see from the original trilogy, but even at a nearby point in the timeline, Star Wars Rebels wants to earn back some of the classic designs. So while we may not see the iconic X-Wing flanking the Ghost anytime soon, supervising director Dave Filoni says they have big plans for the famed four-wing fighter.

Just as this morning announced the grand return of Admiral Thrawn to the Star Wars universe via Rebels Season 3, new images from the fall premiere bring an even closer look at our returning big bads. Check out the full Star Wars Rebels Season 3 poster, along with some new photos and a Maul-worthy clip from today’s big premiere!

Just when you thought Star Wars Rebels couldn’t get any bigger than to include Vader himself, Season 3 gets expanded in a major way. Not only does the first official trailer confirm Grand Admiral Thrawn as a our new villain, but also a host of Star Wars favorites like Wedge Antilles, the darksaber, what looks to be the Outrider and more!

It wasn’t too long ago that Star Wars Rebels fans eagerly theorized the arrival of Clone Wars vet Ahsoka Tano in Season 1, while the Season 2 finale left it rather vague that she survived her showdown with Darth Vader. Dave Filoni downplayed the notion thereafter, but may since have found a way to return Snips for a role in Star Wars Rebels Season 3.

Anyone who watched the the second season of Star Wars Rebels knew changes were in store for Season 3, and ahead of Star Wars Celebration, already we have our first look. An old friend returns (and can’t help notice Ezra’s major makeover) in the first official clip from the new season!

The animated arm of Star Wars got a major pat with news that Rogue One would feature Forest Whitaker as a character created for The Clone Wars cartoon, further brightening prospects for current series Rebels to tie in with the films. Things are looking good on that front for Season 3 as well, at least according to executive producer Simon Kinberg.

If Marvel has taught us anything, management of a shared universe between TV and film is a dicey prospect, one even Star Wars struggles to make a two-way street. That seemed to change with news that Forest Whitaker’s Rogue One character would move from animated Clone Wars beginnings to live-action, but what does supervising producer Dave Filoni have to say?