Who Lives, Who Dies (Who Tells Your Story)
So, the trailer for season 4 of Star Wars Rebels has released, and it starts with narration by Hera.
But wait, back up. To put this in context, Dave Filoni, the show's Executive Producer, had just announced that seaon 4 would be the show's last. And then he asks the audience to appreciate the cast's work, all five of whom (minus Chopper) are present. "Focus on what these guys have done, the beautiful work they've done in season 4 ... You guys have performed them brilliantly, all the way, to whatever end they have." And then he adds, "It’s gonna be different, a little dark, a little fun."
And then Hera starts speaking:
It was a simple story. About a boy who was lost, and a girl who was broken. They fought alongside a survivor, a war veteran and a fallen knight. I led them into battle against an evil so terrible it tried to black out the stars. We fought for each other. We fought for those who could not. But we never imagined it would end ... like this.
And considering the frame of mind most people are in after the final season announcement, this sounds unnervingly like an eulogy.
So of course I have to speculate on their fates post season 4. Hera, perhaps not surprisingly, is the one we have the most info on. The Ghost and Chopper have several cameos in Rogue One, and at one point in the movie, someone pages for a General Syndulla (confirmed officially to be refering to Hera and not her father Cham). Further down the timeline, Hera is set to appear in Forces of Destiny, a series of animated shorts to be released on Disney's YouTube channel. And, get this, she's to team up with Princess Leia and Han Solo on Endor, so around the time of Return of the Jedi, though it's currently unclear whether Chopper will be with her at that time point.
Sabine also has mentions in the later timeline. She's stated to be on Mandalore in the Aftermath books. Possibly, she might be trying to avert or end a Mandalorian civil war, what with Gar Saxon's sudden death in season 3 and Bo-Katan attempting to take power with the darksaber as seen in the seaon 4 trailer.
Zeb could go either way, continuing on in the Rebellion with Hera, or making a heroic sacrifice in the finale.
Ezra and Kanan ... Ezra, I think, is safe, even with Yoda's 'last Jedi' statement to Luke. Ezra's the protagonist of the show, and no way will Disney kill off a kid protagonist. On a related note, I think it was Dave Filoni who asked "Who is he (Ezra) and why should we care about his story?" Right now, there are hints of his connection with Luke: born within days of each other, the twin suns/moons theme and now Kanan's statement in the trailer, "We were meant to be Jedi so we could be here now- when Lothal needs us most."
Of course, it's Kanan I'm most worried about. The franchise is utterly enamored with killing off the Jedi teachers, body count including Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Depa Billaba. Kanan's fate seems pretty much set in stone. Even Kanan's voice actor, when asked about his arc in season 4, says the good guys don't always win and someone you love ... and then mentions Kenobi in his next breath. Even Filoni's "performed them brilliantly ... to whatever end they have" seems, in hindsight, to be pointing to Kanan's sacrifice. So yeah, I'm pretty much resigned at this point. I would love for the show to subvert that trope, but I'm not holding out much hope for it.
And talking about tropes, Rukh, Thrawn's bodyguard and eventual killer in Legends, will be introduced next season. Again, I would prefer if Rukh didn't actually kill Thrawn. To bring back a huge Legends character and kill him off after two seasons seems such a waste (and an additional pre-Rebels novel doesn't really make up for it either).
Credit for the title goes to a post on the Rebels reddit speculating on who survives the season, it's the title of a song from the musical Hamilton.
But wait, back up. To put this in context, Dave Filoni, the show's Executive Producer, had just announced that seaon 4 would be the show's last. And then he asks the audience to appreciate the cast's work, all five of whom (minus Chopper) are present. "Focus on what these guys have done, the beautiful work they've done in season 4 ... You guys have performed them brilliantly, all the way, to whatever end they have." And then he adds, "It’s gonna be different, a little dark, a little fun."
And then Hera starts speaking:
It was a simple story. About a boy who was lost, and a girl who was broken. They fought alongside a survivor, a war veteran and a fallen knight. I led them into battle against an evil so terrible it tried to black out the stars. We fought for each other. We fought for those who could not. But we never imagined it would end ... like this.
And considering the frame of mind most people are in after the final season announcement, this sounds unnervingly like an eulogy.
So of course I have to speculate on their fates post season 4. Hera, perhaps not surprisingly, is the one we have the most info on. The Ghost and Chopper have several cameos in Rogue One, and at one point in the movie, someone pages for a General Syndulla (confirmed officially to be refering to Hera and not her father Cham). Further down the timeline, Hera is set to appear in Forces of Destiny, a series of animated shorts to be released on Disney's YouTube channel. And, get this, she's to team up with Princess Leia and Han Solo on Endor, so around the time of Return of the Jedi, though it's currently unclear whether Chopper will be with her at that time point.
Sabine also has mentions in the later timeline. She's stated to be on Mandalore in the Aftermath books. Possibly, she might be trying to avert or end a Mandalorian civil war, what with Gar Saxon's sudden death in season 3 and Bo-Katan attempting to take power with the darksaber as seen in the seaon 4 trailer.
Zeb could go either way, continuing on in the Rebellion with Hera, or making a heroic sacrifice in the finale.
Ezra and Kanan ... Ezra, I think, is safe, even with Yoda's 'last Jedi' statement to Luke. Ezra's the protagonist of the show, and no way will Disney kill off a kid protagonist. On a related note, I think it was Dave Filoni who asked "Who is he (Ezra) and why should we care about his story?" Right now, there are hints of his connection with Luke: born within days of each other, the twin suns/moons theme and now Kanan's statement in the trailer, "We were meant to be Jedi so we could be here now- when Lothal needs us most."
Of course, it's Kanan I'm most worried about. The franchise is utterly enamored with killing off the Jedi teachers, body count including Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Depa Billaba. Kanan's fate seems pretty much set in stone. Even Kanan's voice actor, when asked about his arc in season 4, says the good guys don't always win and someone you love ... and then mentions Kenobi in his next breath. Even Filoni's "performed them brilliantly ... to whatever end they have" seems, in hindsight, to be pointing to Kanan's sacrifice. So yeah, I'm pretty much resigned at this point. I would love for the show to subvert that trope, but I'm not holding out much hope for it.
And talking about tropes, Rukh, Thrawn's bodyguard and eventual killer in Legends, will be introduced next season. Again, I would prefer if Rukh didn't actually kill Thrawn. To bring back a huge Legends character and kill him off after two seasons seems such a waste (and an additional pre-Rebels novel doesn't really make up for it either).
Credit for the title goes to a post on the Rebels reddit speculating on who survives the season, it's the title of a song from the musical Hamilton.