Star Wars Rebels Recap: “Heroes of Mandalore”
We return to Mandalore in the Star Wars Rebels season four premiere, two part episode…
Star Wars Rebels season four begins on the Imperial-occupied planet of Mandalore, which has been known for its warfare, ruining the once flourishing culture of time’s past. Sabine Wren, once a member of the Rebel Alliance Ghost crew, has now returned home to clean up the mess she left upon her departure. We learned in season three that Sabine had created a weapon of mass destruction, with the power to disintegrate and penetrate Mandalorian armor — which was thought to be an impossible task. That very weapon is now being used against her own people, once the Empire took over the planet nearly 18 years ago within the canon timeline.
Sabine recruits the help of her former (Ghost) crew, who aid her in liberating her captured father, as well destroying the weapon itself. They are able to accomplish both tasks, but with some trouble, as the group hits some major speed bumps on the way. A company of Mandalorian warriors were painfully and ruthlessly destroyed by the weapon, leaving Sabine in tears of remorse. Sabine makes up for it, by destroying the agent of terror with the Darksaber, the symbol of hope for the Mando people.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
Speaking of that ancient weapon, the Darksaber was once in possession of the Jedi Order — constructed by Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian Jedi in the history of the galaxy. The weapon was then stolen by Mandos during the Jedi/Mandalorian War, where it was then passed down generation to generation over a thousand years, where it later surfaced into the hands of the Death Watch leader, Pre Vizsla, during the Clone Wars era. The weapon changed hands once again, when Maul defeated Vizsla in hand-to-hand combat, after being called out by Maul with the clan’s code of honor. The Darksaber stayed with Maul for about 17 years, until Sabine snatched it up when she visited Maul’s homeworld of Dathomir in season three.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
More from Dork Side of the Force
- The High Republic Adventures (2023) 1 review
- Daniel José Older named a High Republic Adventures character after someone special
- How animation changed Star Wars: Ewoks and Droids
- Kelleran Beq comes to Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
- The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal becomes No. 1 on IMDb’s Starmeter for 2023
Now with the weapon in Sabine’s possession, she’s now looking for the rightful ruler of Mandalore, which she is trying to delegate that responsibility to someone besides herself. She tracks down, or really vice versa, Lady Bo-Katan, a former member of Death Watch, who Sabine believes is the rightful heir of the Darksaber. With some reluctance at first, Katan wields the saber, finally claiming the leadership mantle of Mandalore.
This episode was a ton of fun, with Ezra providing much of the comic relief, where he had issues working the Mandalorian jet-pack, which was frequent throughout the show. On the other hand, the episode displayed the depth of Sabine, where we meet her father for the first time, who also happens to be an artist of his own. Unlike her mother, who is more of a serious type, Sabine’s father displays more of a nurturing and caring attitude towards his daughter.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
We also get the reappearance of Gar Saxon, who aided Maul during the Clone Wars, which we read in the canon comic Son of Dathomir. Sabine as able to defeat Saxon, letting him live for some reason. Maybe Sabine is finally incorporating some of Kanan’s Jedi teachings into her violent tendencies of her culture and past?
Next: 50 Most Memorable Moments from Star Wars: Rebels
Star Wars Rebels continues this Sunday, with another two part episode: In the Name of the Rebellion, where we will travel to Yavin IV, jumping right in the middle of a conflict between Saw Gerrera and Mon Mothma.