50 Most Memorable Moments from Star Wars Rebels

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14. The Grand Inquisitor was once a Jedi Temple guard

 Season 2 Episode 18: Shroud of Darkness

The Moment: Kanan, Ezra, and Ahsoka journey to the Jedi temple on Lothal, seeking answers on how to deal with the threat of the Sith. The three go on their own journey within the temple, with Ahsoka seeing a vision of her former Master Anakin, Ezra seeing and communicating with Yoda, and Kanan having a vision of three Jedi temple guards.

Kanan duels the three guards after they state that they are going to kill Ezra due to his pull to the darkness. After Kanan concedes that fighting is not the answer to this dilemma, through this vision, which is brought on by Master Yoda come to find out, is officially knighted as full-fledged Jedi. In the vision, the temple guard reveals himself to be the Grand Inquisitor, who reveals to Kanan that he was once a Jedi Knight himself.

Why It’s Memorable: The fact that Kanan was promoted to Jedi Knight was not lost on me. Kanan was still technically a Padawan or a failed Jedi student and even viewed himself that way. The fact that Master Yoda gives him the title of an actual Jedi speaks volumes. It shows that Kanan has succeeded as an instructor to Ezra and it also gives him the confidence moving forward to press on as both a teacher and to face the coming struggle that is ahead.

Kanan being knighted is also a nod to the 2003 Clone Wars micro-series when Anakin Skywalker was promoted to Knighthood. The Grand Inquisitor was a Jedi? And not just any Jedi, but an elite temple guard. WOAH! This was a shocking moment and explains why he knew so much about the Jedi arts, especially lightsaber forms. The origins of his fall to the Dark Side are soon going to be released in the Darth Vader comic series and I am totally stoked.