Warning: This article contains spoilers from Ahsoka season 1, episode 8, “The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord.
Ever since the Star Wars Rebels series finale aired in March 2018, Ezra Bridger’s fate has been a mystery. Ahsoka finally revealed what happened to Ezra after the heroic sacrifice he made to stop Grand Admiral Thrawn and liberate Lothal from the Empire.
After being found on the planet Peridea in another galaxy through the efforts of Sabine Wren, Ahsoka season 1 ends with Ezra finally returning home to the known galaxy. With the help of a Force push from Sabine, Ezra manages to get aboard the Chimaera, although Sabine chooses to stay behind on Peridea to help Ahsoka.
Ezra quickly disguises himself as one of Thrawn’s Night Troopers, which is a nod to Ezra collecting stormtroopers helmets and going undercover as an Imperial scout trooper throughout Rebels. He is last seen aboard Home One where he has an emotional and long-awaited reunion with Hera Syndulla and Chopper.
What will Ezra do next?
Hera and Chopper are only the beginning of the reunion tour that Ezra needs to go on. He first needs to be reunited with the other surviving member of the Ghost crew – Zeb Orrelios. Ezra and Zeb often got on each other’s nerves, but they developed a close friendship and a brotherly relationship.
Zeb made his live-action debut in The Mandalorian season 3 as part of the Adelphi Rangers alongside Carson Teva. In Ahsoka, Ezra learned from Sabine that Zeb is training New Republic recruits. Since the Ahsoka finale didn’t show Ezra and Hera hugging, a reunion hug between Ezra and Zeb is definitely in order.
Ezra also needs to meet Jacen Syndulla. Jacen wasn’t even born yet when Ezra disappeared into hyperspace with Thrawn and the purrgil. He will undoubtedly be overjoyed to learn that Kanan Jarrus and Hera had a child together. Ezra would be the perfect person to train Jacen in the ways of the Force, especially since Jacen’s father was the one to train Ezra. Jacen already showed a strong connection to the Force in Ahsoka episode 5, and consistently expressed interest in lightsabers and the ways of the Jedi.
The reunion tour should continue with Ezra going to Mon Mothma. They know each other from their time in the Rebel Alliance. Most notably, after Mon Mothma publicly spoke out against Emperor Palpatine and the Empire, Ezra helped escort her to safety, and to Dantooine where the various rebel cells all united.
With both Ezra and Thrawn being presumed dead, Ezra’s return and his testimony can help prove that Grand Admiral Thrawn is still alive, that he has returned, and is a legitimate threat to the New Republic and to the entire galaxy. The New Republic should work closely with Ezra to prepare for Thrawn’s inevitable first strike against them.
Unfortunately, Senator Hamato Xiono and other New Republic leaders will likely still be stubborn and apathetic about creating a defense against Thrawn, even following Ezra’s return and his testimony. They probably won’t accept the situation they’re in until they are directly attacked by Thrawn.
When will Ezra make his next appearance?
Ahsoka season 2 would be the logical next place to see Ezra, but this may not be the case as a season 2 hasn’t been announced yet. There are also other stories in the Mandoverse that will release before a possible season 2.
The next Mandoverse show is Skeleton Crew, an Amblin-style series about a group of children trying to find their way in the galaxy. Since the series is focused on younger characters, there has been speculation that Jacen Syndulla could be in it. If Jacen is in it and Ezra is training him, there is a good chance that Ezra could be in the series as well. Ezra helping a group of children would feel fitting given how the Ghost crew helped him in Rebels (he was only 14 in Rebels season 1).
There is also potential for Ezra to appear in The Mandalorian season 4. Din Djarin and Grogu are now helping Carson and the New Republic fight the Imperial remnants. If Ezra is working with Hera, Chopper, and Zeb, he could definitely cross paths with Din and Grogu as they unite to fight the Imperial remnants and Thrawn. Just as Grogu has learned about the Force from Ahsoka Tano and Luke Skywalker, he can continue to learn more from Ezra.
If Ezra doesn’t appear in Skeleton Crew or The Mandalorian season 4, and if there isn’t an Ahsoka season 2, he may not be seen again until Dave Filoni’s movie, which is still in development and years away from release.
After waiting so long for Ezra’s return, and given Eman Esfandi’s perfect live-action performance as Ezra, hopefully fans won’t have to wait that long.