50 Most Memorable Moments from Star Wars Rebels

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3. Kanan’s true identity is revealed

Episode: Season 1 Pilot: Spark of the Rebellion

The Moment:  The Ghost crew aids in liberating a group of enslaved Wookiees on a rescue mission to the planet Kessel. During a conflict with Imperial forces, the group seems all but defeated, until Kanan takes up his lightsaber for the first time in many moons, enabling the group to escape with the freed Wookiees. After the crew safely escapes with the rescued Wookiees, Kanan decides at that point that he is going to take on the role as master, bringing young Ezra under his wing.

Why It’s Memorable: With the Jedi Knights all but extinct and their fire removed from the galaxy, encountering a Jedi is a rare sight. So when the leader of a rebel cell outs himself as being a surviving Jedi, that’s kind of a big deal. Knowing that a Jedi is a leader of their group installs hope in the rebel crew, giving them the strength to carry on.

It is subtly revealed that Hera knows of Kanan’s background in the prequel novel A New Dawn, but everyone else seems flabbergasted with the news. The reveal also forces Kanan to take the next step on his Jedi path, where he decides to take on the Force-sensitive orphan Ezra Bridger as his Padawan.

We also get a glimpse into the Jedi Holocron that Kanan had once acquired from his former Jedi master. For the first time, we see the coded retreat warning that is alluded to in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. When the image of Obi-Wan pops up, I nearly freaked out. Okay, maybe I did actually freak out!