Summary
- The best Star Wars Rebels episodes include action, emotional scenes, and big reveals that changed the Star Wars universe forever.
- Each Star Wars episode develops characters further, making the show better as it progresses.
- Every Star Wars Rebels season has at least one instant-classic episode.
The best Star Wars Rebels episodes include action-packed entries, emotional farewells, and big reveals that changed the Star Wars universe forever. Whereas Star Wars: The Clone Wars was almost an anthology featuring multiple different characters across the galaxy, Rebels followed the same set of protagonists throughout the whole show. As a result, each Star Wars Rebels episode develops the characters a bit further, which explains why the show only got better as it advanced.
With several Ahsoka, the 2014 animated series has never been more important to the Star Wars universe. While Rebels has some filler episodes that are not too special, the show as a whole is always adding something to either its characters or the Star Wars canon. Here are the 10 best Star Wars Rebels episodes, ranked.
10 Star Wars Rebels Season 2, Episode 18, “Shroud of Darkness”
On one hand, “Shroud of Darkness” was quite similar to another Star Wars Rebels episode, season 1’s “Path of the Jedi.” On the other hand, Rebels season 2, episode 18 was full of parallels to the first time Kanan and Ezra entered a Jedi Temple together. By recreating one of the very first important moments Kanan and Ezra shared, Rebels’ “Shroud of Darkness” highlighted how much those two characters had changed since the beginning of the show. While Rebels’ Yoda character model takes time to get used to, seeing the classic Jedi Master appear to Ezra was special. Finally, Kanan’s Jedi knighting ceremony was very cathartic.
9 Star War Rebels Season 1, Episode 4, “Rise of the Old Masters”
One of the earliest Ezra Bridger adventures is still one of the best Star Wars Rebels episodes. Rebels season 1, episode 4, “Rise of the Old Masters” perfectly explored how Kanan was the perfect Jedi master for Ezra, even though Kanan himself never completed his own training. Rebels season 1, episode 4 raises the question of what it means to be a Jedi master, and it even references one of Star Wars’ most iconic lines. Yoda’s “Do or do not, there is no try” from The Empire Strikes Back to set the tone for an episode that also saw the Grand Inquisitor in action for the first time.
8 Star Wars Rebels Season 3, Episodes 21-23, “Zero Hour”
Rewatching Star Wars Rebels years after it premiered reveals how much the series changed throughout its run. Whereas Rebels season 1’s finale sees the crew of the Ghost trying to infiltrate an Imperial base to save Kakan, Rebels season 3’s finale was a war between the Empire and the rebels. Now part of a larger, more organized rebellion, the Phoenix Squad saw themselves cornered by the mighty power of Grand iral Thrawn’s fleet. After several episodes in which the Ghost had to run away from Thrawn, the Imperial strategist brought the fight to their home. With incredible action sequences and high stakes, “Zero Hour” is an essential Rebels episode.
7 Star Wars Rebels Season 4, Episode 13, “A World Between Worlds”
Star Wars Rebels season 4 avoided a complaint about the previous two seasons by focusing on the crew of the Ghost and the relationships among the show’s main characters. The focus shifted back to Ezra and the rest of the crew, which does not mean that Rebels stopped expanding the Star Wars universe. In fact, Star Wars Rebels season 4, episode 13 changed the Star Wars universe forever by introducing the World Between Worlds. “A World Between Worlds” added time travel into the Star Wars lore, but it did so in a self-contained way that brought the series full circle with Ahsoka Tano’s return from Malachor.
6 Star Wars Rebels Season 3, Episode 15, “Trials of the Darksaber”
The Ahsoka show is not the first time Sabine Wren uses a lightsaber. In Star Wars Rebels season 3, episode 15, “Trials of the Darksaber,” Sabine began to Kanan in lightsaber training. Now carrying the legendary Mandalorian Darksaber, Sabine had to learn how to connect herself to the special blade, not just how to use a sword in combat. The differences between how a Mandalorian fights – weapons and gadgets – compared to the Jedi’s more elegant fighting style made for a fantastic training sequence that only elevated Sabine’s character. In addition to increasing her skills with the Darksaber, Sabine also faced her demons in one of the best Rebels episodes.
5 Star Wars Rebels Season 1, Episode 1, “Sparks of Rebellion”
Star Wars Rebels season 1, episode 1, “Sparks of Rebellion” is a perfect first episode. Twice as long as the usual Rebels episode, “Sparks of Rebellion” only needed a few minutes to introduce its characters and make viewers care for them. After Clone Wars was canceled, Rebels had the difficult mission of being the “Clone Wars replacement”, now without the popular Star Wars movie characters. Combining the original trilogy’s aesthetic with creative, rich new characters, Rebels’ premiere episode proved that the show would be much more than just a Clone Wars replacement. As Rebels becomes essential to Star Wars’ universe, “Sparks of Rebellion” is now even more special.
4 Star Wars Rebels Season 3, Episode 10, “Twin Suns”
A return to Tatooine, a long-awaited rematch between two of the most famous Star Wars characters, and a series of beautiful shots made Star Wars Rebels season 3, episode 10 into an instant classic. “Twin Suns,” which concluded the first half of the season, saw Ezra Bridger finding Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi in the desert of Tatooine. After bringing Maul back in season 2’s finale, Rebels continued to tease the former Sith’s Lord plan for revenge against Kenobi. Instead of a long lightsaber duel, the Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Maul rematch was poetically brief. Obi-Wan was at peace with himself, whereas Maul tragically never found his purpose.
3 Star Wars Rebels Season 4, Episode 15,” Family Reunion – and Farewell”
Rebels’ ending is a perfect finale for a series that introduced so many beloved characters. The greatest Star Wars Rebels battles had already happened and the most tragic Rebels’ death had already taken place. Still, Rebels season 4, episode 15 managed to deliver a high-stakes, intense finale in which Ezra Bridger sacrificed himself to stop Grand iral Thrawn. What happened to Ezra Bridger after Rebels’ finale is setting the tone for the Ahsoka series and perhaps the Star Wars universe’s future as a whole. Rebels’ epilogue was a fitting ending for what was technically a prequel series, revealing what happened to each character after Return of the Jedi.
2 Star Wars Rebels Season 2, Episodes 21-22, “Twilight of the Apprentice”
“Twilight of the Apprentice,” perhaps the most popular Star Wars Rebels episode, has some of the best moments in all of Star Wars’ television history. An argument can be made that Rebels season 2’s finale focused too much on “non-Rebels” characters, namely Ahsoka Tano, Maul, and Vader. Hera, Sabine, and Zeb were barely in “Twilight of Apprentice.” That said, what Rebels season 1, episodes 21-22 delivered cannot be overlooked. Ezra trusting this "Empire Strikes Back Yoda"-like figure that was actually Maul, the Inquisitors failing to capture the lost Sith, and the Vader vs. Ahsoka duel made “Twilight of the Apprentice” into a Star Wars event rather than just an episode.
1 Star Wars Rebels Season 4, Episode 10, “Jedi Night”
Star Wars Rebels season 4, episode 10 is not a very action-packet episode like “Twilight of the Apprentice” or “Zero Hour.” Likewise, it does not feature any big Star Wars cameo like “Twin Suns,” nor does it bring a major lore addition like “A World Between Worlds.” Still, by making one of the saddest Star Wars deaths into an emotional 22-minute journey, “Jedi Night” became the best Star Wars Rebels episode. An introspective episode centered on Caleb Dume, “Jedi Night” bids farewell to the Jedi Knight viewers had followed since the beginning of the show. Kanan’s final scene summarized what a Jedi should be and made him an unforgettable character.