Star Wars Rebels taught us to face our past mistakes by moving on

Of all the wonderful things Star Wars Rebels gave fans, its characters remain one of the most valuable. There’s so much to draw from their experiences and apply to the real world that fans continue to cling to their stories years after they came to an end.

Sabine Wren, for example, may be a Mandalorian, a demolitions expert, a skilled fighter and too young to fight in a war. But she’s also one of the most relatable Star Wars Rebels characters of them all. Not because of her armor, her art or her attitude, but instead because of her imperfect past.

Sabine made mistakes. She built destructive weapons for the Galactic Empire and for a time dedicated herself fully to its dark ideals. Despite her efforts to undo the damage and put that tragic piece of her life behind her, her past eventually caught up to her. She couldn’t hide from it. All she could do was embrace what she had done and turn it into something better.

We’ve gotten plenty of stories in our time about the ways the past can haunt us, how it shapes and molds and so often breaks us down. But Sabine’s story is a prime example of what happens when we let our mistakes drive us to do good. If everyone in the galaxy let their mistakes plunge them into darkness, there would be no hope. There would be no reason to keep fighting for brighter days.

Sabine knew — or rather, in time she learned — that the only way the galaxy could heal was if she allowed herself to do that very thing. Her darkest deeds caused harm to many, and could have destroyed the lives of many more. You can’t erase something like that. But you can move beyond it. You can do better.

If Sabine can learn to forgive herself for her mistakes and use what she has learned to make the galaxy a better, safer place, then we can do the same for ourselves and for our world.

Use the #RebelsRemembered hashtag on March 5 to share your love of Star Wars: Rebels with the fandom!