As Star Wars Rebels prepares to dive into its second season on Oct. 14, the show is taking an unusual step to make its universe larger by incorporating characters we’ve already seen.
I’m not just talking about Ahsoka Tano, who was revealed as the secret rebel agent Fulcrum at the end of last season. I’m referring to the surviving clone troopers who are set to appear in the season opener, and who we’re slowly learning more about ahead of the episode’s premiere.
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A new video that features interviews with showrunner Dave Filoni and voice actor Dee Bradley Baker, who plays all the clone troopers on the show, sheds some light on how the show’s creators approach writing for the clones and how they’ll be portrayed on the show.
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According to Filoni, once they revealed Ahsoka last season, fans were clamoring for the return of clones like Rex and Echo, but luckily, the Rebels team already had plans to bring them back.
However, these aren’t exactly the same clones we saw in The Clone Wars. These clones are not so much warriors anymore as they are survivors. Although it’s not clear how they survived the Jedi Purge without turning on their masters, it’s clear that the experience and the ensuing years in hiding have changed them.
Another interesting dynamic that will likely pop up is the clones’ relationship with the crew of the Ghost. There are some new shots in this clip above that appear to show Ezra bonding with Rex immediately. But Kanan, who was only a padawan when Order 66 was carried out, is distrustful of any clones, a trait that resonates more if you’ve read the Kanan: The Last Padawan comic series.
The clones will officially return in the season 2 opener “The Lost Commanders,” premiering on Disney XD on Oct. 14 at 9:30 p.m. EDT. That episode and another will be exclusively shown at New York Comic-Con on Thursday, Oct. 8.