What the Star Wars Rebels connection with The Clone Wars means

The latest Star Wars Rebels trailer dropped a significant Star Wars: The Clone Wars Easter egg.

On the surface, it doesn’t seem like Dave Filoni, and Lucasfilm gave us much with the latest Star Wars Rebels trailer. If you dig deeper, you’ll discover more was revealed in the footage than you realized. Even the first half of the trailer was not a throwaway, which recycled old footage of Ezra throughout the entire series, providing clues on Ezra’s path for the final seven episodes.

Ezra is going to be the primary focus of the final trench run of Star Wars Rebels, with his story arc going full-throttle towards an epic conclusion. We know both he and Kanan are not around during the events of Rogue One and A New Hope, so their journey is coming to an end — in some way, shape, or form. Kanan his likely to meet the Maker in the next few episodes, but Ezra’s future is clouded.

The Jedi Master himself, Dave Filoni, may use a Star Wars: The Clone Wars connection as the method to finish off Ezra’s story — one which involves the MIA Ahsoka Tano. In the Star Wars Rebels trailer, a mosaic painting shows three figures, which Ezra is gazing at while inside of a Jedi Temple — likely the one on his homeworld of Lothal.

The Father, Son, and Daughter; mysterious Force users from the planet Mortis. Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano encountered these unique beings during the Clone Wars era, a moment changing Ahsoka’s life forever. Ashley Eckstein — Ahsoka Tano herself — told us that the Mortis arc is her favorite Clone Wars story. 

But, what does this mean for Star Wars Rebels? 

Mass confusion and the unknown surround this three-episode arc, where it’s unknown if the trio of Jedi visited this planet or if it was a Force vision instead. After watching this storyline, you’ll leave even more confused on Star Wars lore, and that’s a good thing.

The primary goal of this storyline is to dig deeper into the meaning of the “Chosen One” title slapped on Anakin. Mortis itself appears to be a physical manifestation of the Force, with the three Force-wielders representing an aspect of the Force:

1. Father: Keeps balance between the Light and Dark
2. Son: Represents the Dark Side of the Force
3. Daughter: Represents the Light Side of the Force

Anakin Skywalker is tested, where it’s revealed that he is the Chosen One, who will bring balance to the Force. He’s given a vision of his future of Darth Vader, with that information then removed from his memory.

Ahsoka is then killed by the Son, but Anakin uses the power of the Daughter to bring her back, with the Daughter sacrificing herself in the process. The Father then kills himself, hindering the Son’s abilities, leaving him vulnerable — with Anakin destroying the Son.

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In a strange moment, Anakin Skywalker revives Ahsoka back to life, using the life-Force of the Daughter in the process. The trio of Force users all perish, with the Jedi the returning to reality, unsure if all of this was a dream, vision, or reality.

The presence of these Force yielders is still present two decades later, during the events of Star Wars Rebels. The Daughter and Ahsoka even share a bond, with a Light Side convor bird displaying their connection.

After Ahsoka’s duel with Darth Vader in the Season 2 finale of Rebels, her exact fate is unknown to this day, but the legacy of Mortis will play a vital role in Ezra’s story and Rebels as a whole moving forward. In fact, it already has.

When Ahsoka visits the Temple on Lothal, she sees a vision of Darth Vader, much as Anakin did on Mortis years ago. The Mortis storyline is still alive and well, living now through Ahsoka, and likely Ezra.

It’s possible that Ahsoka may have entered the Mortis realm once Darth Vader “kills” her, making her more powerful than she could possibly imagine. Now, she may seek Ezra out, with an invitation for him to join her on Mortis, completing his one last lesson in the process.

Nevertheless, the Mortis arc will tie up loose ends for Ahsoka and possibly give Ezra the satisfying ending Star Wars fans seek, without killing off the character in the process. Plus, it’s a payoff for fans who love Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Next: We dissect the Rebels final trailer in our screencap breakdown

Star Wars Rebels returns on Disney XD, February 19.