Star Wars Rebels Recap: “Holocrons Of Fate”

Maul is back again with a dangerous plan to unite the Sith and Jedi holocrons in Kanan and Ezra’s possession. Their friends are the bait for Maul’s trap. Read our recap of Star Wars Rebels “Holocrons of Fate.”

Star Wars Rebels “Holocrons of Fate” drops us and the rebels right back into the action. This time, though, the danger is on a more spiritual, even mythological scale.

Darth Maul is back, and he wants to use the Sith and Jedi holocrons in Kanan and Ezra’s possession for a dark and dangerous purpose. His plan: capture the rest of The Ghost crew and hold them for ransom to get the Jedi to give him what he wants. The resulting unification of the Sith and Jedi holocrons becomes a source of untold power which Ezra struggles to resist.

The episode opens with Kanan and Ezra on a rendezvous mission. They enter the bridge of their ship arguing about how and if they should use the Sith holocron. Ezra wants to know where it is, but Kanan won’t tell him. Ezra wonders if they weren’t supposed to use the Sith holocron they discovered on Malachor, what they were supposed to gain from going there. Kanan says they wanted a chance to destroy the Sith. They were given that chance, and they failed.

Upon rendezvousing with a rebel ship, Kanan and Ezra discover the latter has been ambushed. They find a survivor on board from whom they learn a being with a red lightsaber blade is after The Ghost. Kanan and Ezra quickly make contact with Hera and warn her that an Inquisitor is after her ship. But they are too late. Moreover, they discover it is no Inquisitor they are up against. It is Darth Maul who has taken over The Ghost and captured all the crew members. In exchange for their friends’ lives, Maul wants the Sith holocron Ezra found on Malachor and the Jedi holocron Kanan owns. Kanan and Ezra agree to the Zabrak’s terms, realizing they have no other choice.

The Jedi holocron is on board The Ghost in Kanan’s chambers. Maul is quick to discover its whereabouts after probing Hera’s mind for the location. The Sith holocron will not be so easy for Kanan and Ezra to obtain, however. The Bendu – the Force creature Kanan met in the season 3 premiere “Steps Into Shadow” – still has it.

Back on Chopper Base, Kanan directs Ezra to the spot where he first met The Bendu. Ezra doubts Kanan’s story and becomes even more skeptical of their being out in the middle of nowhere when the “walkers” (giant white spiders) begin to swarm them. Kanan learned how to deal with them in his last encounter with The Bendu by controlling his fear. But Ezra has not learned how to control his fear yet.

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Fortunately for Ezra, The Bendu reveals himself and the walkers, startled by his presence, run away. Ezra has no choice but to believe Kanan’s story now. Kanan tells the Bendu they need the Sith holocron. When the Bendu asks why Ezra tells him they need to give it to a Sith named Maul who is holding their friends hostage. Kanan also mentions Maul wants the Jedi holocron, as well. The Bendu’s memory is stirred by that admission. He tells the Jedi Knight and his Padawan about what happens when two sources of great knowledge like the Sith and Jedi holocrons are united. The Force users participating in the unification may ask a question about anything past, present, or future. But The Bendu warns the Jedi to beware: Once a secret is known, it cannot be unknown.

The Jedi’s next task is to find the Sith holocron. The Bendu has hidden it in the tunnels beneath the planet’s surface. Ezra insists on going in alone because he thinks Kanan’s blindness would put him in danger. Kanan decides to direct Ezra towards the holocron from the surface using a comlink and the Force. He takes Ezra’s lightsaber from him before he goes and says his Padawan needs to learn to face challenges without his precious weapon.

Back on The Ghost, Darth Maul tries to open the Jedi holocron without success. Meanwhile, Hera, Sabine, Zeb, and Chopper decide to take advantage of Maul’s absence to take down his droids. They do so and free themselves from their manacles. Their plan is to lure Maul into the cargo hold of The Ghost and magnetize the ceiling. Maul’s droid legs will attach to the ceiling, rendering him immobile.

Maul quickly discovers the rebels’ escape and follows them, playing right into their hands. They activate the magnetized ceiling and try to shoot Maul down. But Maul is too skilled with his lightsaber and the Force to be taken down by such tricks. He deactivates the magnetic field and disarms his opponents. Then he tells them they will remain alive only as long as they remain useful.

Down in the tunnels on Chopper Base, Ezra deviates from Kanan’s instructions on where to go. He quickly discovers his blind master knew what he was talking about when he stumbles onto a bed of walkers. He can’t conquer his fear enough to handle the giant spiders. So Kanan decides to go in and rescue him. Kanan uses the Force to project a sense of peace and calm that deters the spiders from attacking them.

Together again, Kanan and Ezra continue their journey through the tunnels. Ezra tells Kanan he is sorry for what happened to him; he blames himself for Maul striking his master blind. Kanan says he never blamed Ezra and that Ezra shouldn’t blame himself, either. The two share a hug and the tension lingering between them since the season 2 finale is finally eased (for now, at least).

Finally, Kanan and Ezra find the Sith holocron resting atop a nest of sleeping walkers. Working together, they lift the holocron towards them using the Force. The walkers begin to stir and Ezra gets nervous again, but Kanan is steady as a rock. They get the holocron, and Kanan uses the Force to once again project a peaceful feeling onto the spiders. The spiders retreat and Kanan and Ezra are able to return to the surface unharmed.

With the Sith holocron in hand and The Bendu’s warnings in mind, Kanan and Ezra meet Maul on an abandoned mining ring where The Ghost and Maul’s personal starfighter are docked. Maul continues to call Ezra his apprentice but has nothing but disdain for Kanan. He tells his droids to take Ezra to the mine’s command center. He adds aloud that if his droids are deactivated or Ezra attempts to escape, Hera, Sabine, and Zeb will die.

Ezra leaves with the droids, and Maul bids Kanan to follow him. Kanan does so. As they are walking together, Maul tells Kanan he never meant to blind him. Kanan points out what the Sith lord wanted to do was kill him. Maul then shoves the Jedi Knight forward and says “If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again.” He then activates an outer door which sucks Kanan out into the vacuum of space.

Kanan is caught off guard, but he manages to use the Force to propel himself toward the energy field protecting the docking bay. He lands on the floor of the bay, frost covering him from head to toe. But he is alive.

With Kanan out of the way (or so Maul thinks), Maul is ready to enact the main part of his plan. He heads to the command center where Ezra is. Before he confronts the Padawan, he surreptitiously tells the droids guarding Ezra to execute The Ghost crew. Alone together, he and Ezra exchange items: Maul now has the Sith holocron and Ezra the Jedi holocron. The two reveal that they know what unifying the holocrons will do and also what they want to gain out it. Ezra wants to know how to defeat the Sith. Maul is looking for something deceptively simple: “Hope.” Having exchanged goals, the former Sith and the Jedi Padawan begin the unification process.

“Once a secret is known, it cannot be unknown” – The Bendu

Meanwhile, Kanan reaches The Ghost just in time to save his friends from being shot by Maul’s droids. The entire crew heads to the command center of the mine to rescue Ezra. They reach the bridge, only to find the holocron unification process has begun. The room is flooded with a blinding light as Maul and Ezra look to discover the answers to their questions.

Kanan tells Ezra not to look into the light, reminding him that a secret once known cannot be unknown. But Maul needs Ezra to maintain his concentration if he is to learn what he wants to learn, so he goads the Padawan to keep looking. Ezra sees flashes of different things, one of them being “twin suns.” Maul grows more excited as his vision continues and at one point cries out, “He lives!”

In the doorway of the command center, The Ghost crew cannot see what is going on beyond the light. But Kanan can see because of the nature of the Force inherent in the light. He walks toward Ezra and breaks the connection between the two holocrons. Everyone in the room is thrown off their feet and the bright light vanishes. When everyone comes to, they realize Maul is gone. The Zabrak fled to his starfighter, feverishly repeating the words, “He lives!” He escapes the carrier and lives to fight the rebels another day.

Back in the command center, Kanan asks Ezra what he saw. Ezra says he saw lots of different places, but he doesn’t know how it all fits together. Kanan tells him not to worry and that they will figure it all out. Together.

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That’s it for “Holocrons of Fate”! What did you think of this episode? Who do you think Maul is referring to when he says, “He lives”? Tell us in the comments below, and tune in next week for our recap of Star Wars Rebels: “The Antilles Extraction.”