Editor's note: The following contains spoilers about the sixth episode of 鈥淎hsoka,鈥 鈥淔ar, Far Away.鈥
A long-awaited moment finally arrived for 鈥淪tar Wars Rebels鈥 fans in the sixth episode of 鈥淎hsoka,鈥 marking the live-action debut of two fan favourites from that animated series.
The extended search for a villain and hero exiled in another galaxy, Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen, also the character鈥檚 voice in animation) and Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), set up what promises to be a major battle and payoff in the final two episodes, and perhaps beyond.
Thrawn, after all, was a central villain in 鈥淩ebels,鈥 and serves as a sort-of bridge in the 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 timeline between the remnants of the Empire and the evil forces that would coalesce into the First Order, the martial threat in the most recent film trilogy.
Moreover, 鈥淩ebels鈥 mastermind Dave Filoni鈥檚 expansion into these live-action series, including 鈥淭he Mandalorian鈥 working with Jon Favreau, is expected to lead into a 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 movie featuring characters culled from this quadrant of the galaxy. Given that, there might not be much urgency to completely wrap up these storylines with the fertile possibilities that they provide.
The search for Ezra has motivated the heroes throughout 鈥淎hsoka,鈥 though it fell to Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) to locate him. With Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) riding to the rescue, the combatants appear set for major fireworks over the final installments, with the side note that the good guys look conspicuously outnumbered.
鈥淎hsoka鈥 started off slowly, and after solid fourth and fifth episodes, moved a bit more sluggishly again in this chapter. All told, though, the season has offered plenty to delight fans, including a detour involving Hayden Christensen reprising the role of Anakin Skywalker, for the first time encountering his former padawan in a live-action setting.
Ezra nobly sacrificed himself at the end of 鈥淩ebels鈥 to banish Thrawn and save his friends, and like Ahsoka, he migrates into the live-action realm with high expectations and considerable built-in enthusiasm.
After 鈥淪olo: A Star Wars Story鈥 became a box-office disappointment, Disney began steering 鈥淪tar Wars鈥 concepts, including 鈥淥bi-Wan Kenobi,鈥 to streaming to lure subscribers to Disney+. In that sense, 鈥淎hsoka鈥 might help open not just a pathway to another galaxy, but more pragmatically, a logical portal back to the movies.