By Kireth Sandhu in Television 📺 — Aug 30, 2023

Star Wars Rebels: The Best Episodes

Visuals and short thoughts on the high points of Ezra's journey with the rebellion.

With the live-action Ahsoka show finally releasing on Disney+, I decided to get around to watching Rebels after hearing a lot about it in the Star Wars community. I can confidently say that the show's high moments features some of the best Star Wars content I have seen, but admittedly there is some middling and child-friendly ground to get through across the 4 seasons.

Putting this list together of the episodes I gave 5/5 and 4.5/5 stars to respectively made me realise where the show's high points were - flashes of Season 1 and 3, a lot of Season 2 and the conclusion of Season 4. Scroll down to see images and my immediate thoughts following what I thought were the best episodes.

Note: episodes are listed in viewing order under each rating (5/5 and 4.5/5).

5 Stars ⭐️

S2E12: Legends of the Lasat

Watched on June 16th, 2023
Strong opening, especially in unique planet visuals. Then it looks like we're set for a mediocre episode, until it slowly ramps up into one of the most beautiful third acts of any Star Wars content I've ever seen. The visuals, stakes, tension, combination of mystical/ prophetic and technological is astonishing. The character work on Ezra and particularly Zeb actually moved me. More of this please Rebels!

S2E13: The Call

Watched on June 19th, 2023
Space whales. Star Wars Rebels finds new ways to capture beauty, and Ezra stands out amongst a tired/ cold crew on what seems like a regular mission.

S2E15: The Honorable Ones

Watched on June 21st, 2023
Rebels is on a strong run this season. A beautiful episode about two soldiers in a war. After an opening of fancy upside down space combat viewers are left with a stark landscape and morose discussion, intercut with a threatening new creature. Something that I've long suspected would happen is beginning to happen.

S2E16: Shroud of Darkness

Watched on June 22nd, 2023
What just happened... Star Wars Rebels takes it to a whole new level. What an episode!!! The opening, the separate viewings for Kanan/ Ezra/ Ahsoka, the continuity... astounding. Genuinely one of the best 20 minutes of Star Wars I've had the pleasure and privilege of experiencing.

S2E19: Twilight of the Apprentice

Watched on June 23rd, 2023
AMAZING. Malachor/ a Sith temple, the return of key characters and some amazing lightsaber fights. An ending with real stakes and consequences.

S4E13: A World Between Worlds

Watched on August 27th, 2023
Absolutely enthralling. Adds so much to Star Wars lore by building upon both TV and film content, yet remains self-contained and relevant to our Rebels family. The conclusion was a powerful one, music and lighting adding another dimension to this cosmic journey.

S4E15: Family Reunion - and Farewell

Watched on August 29th, 2023
Floored. What an ending to not this season, but this show. Bringing everything back to Lothal during the majority of the fourth season was a smart way to re-establish Rebels true scope, and bring attention to Ezra's role as protagonist of the series.

It also means we get to feel the impact that this fight has. Thrawn is deadly as ever, a truly ever-looming, effective and personable threat for our crew. Ezra however... surprises me by reminding me of how much he has grown, and the true nature of the Jedi. He shows strength here that would go beyond just making Kanan proud - these may be the most Jedi-like actions taken in this series.

The music, the moving and close-up camera work, the character conclusions... it all surpassed my expectations and was a definite strong note to end Rebels on. This show was by no means perfect but when it knew the Star Wars story it was telling, it delivered in spades.

4.5 Stars ⭐️

S1E3: Rise of the Old Masters

Watched on May 8th, 2023
Wow. I'm absolutely floored at how good this was. From the opening shots of Kanan teaching on The Ghost surrounded by golden clouds to the conversation at the end that genuinely made me tear up. Amazing. The villain in this episode was truly intimidating and I definitely saw the risk to our heroes. Everything except for a little Chopper annoyance and some of the escape was top-notch. This is fine Star Wars content, and there's a link to the Bad Batch episode 1 that I have now understood.

S1E13: Fire Across the Galaxy

Watched on May 20th, 2023
What a finale! One of the best lightsaber battles in Star Wars media - the music, emotions and fighting styles work together to create something special. The characters who appear here brought a smile to my face :-)

S2E17: The Forgotten Droid

Watched on June 23rd, 2023
I thought Rebels would have to balance the amazing last few episodes with a mid-tier kiddie one... then I thought it would be interesting to have a Chopper solo episode. There's so many notable ones out there like Zuko Alone from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Korra Alone from The Legend of Korra, Heaven Sent from Doctor Who and then the highly underrated IMO droid-only episodes from The Clone Wars. But this was something in-between, and highly effective at that.

Beautiful planet visuals for the spaceport, friendship and a droid's perspective between wars.

S3E14: Trials of the Darksaber

Watched on August 6th, 2023
Fantastic, from historical visuals to Sabine's internal guilt-wrought grapple. A meditation on what it means to wield the flashy but significant weapon of a Jedi, whilst overcoming your own self-beliefs and buried traumas.

S3E20: Zero Hour

Watched on August 19th, 2023
Brilliant dark space battle content. Fight the hard battle because it is right. The Bendu arc has been one of the best things from Rebels - starting mystical, becoming almost comedic but showing how humanity/ Jedi can move the forces of the Universe. I found this wrapped up a little too neatly at the end, but had some great action and Thrawn ruthlessness on display throughout.

S4E7: Kindred

Watched on August 25th, 2023
Kanan and Ezra carry a mystical episode... plus DUME. Rukh is a fantastic new adversary - look past his cartoonish gait at his effectiveness as Thrawn's right hand man. Cool hyperspace moment.

S4E9: Rebel Assault

Watched on August 25th, 2023
Such an exciting episode. Space combat, Thrawn's tactical strategem and a real sense of stakes and consequences. The haunting visual of Rebel fighters falling in flames...

S4E10: Jedi Knight

Watched on August 25th, 2023
I have no words. Not a perfect episode, the start drags a bit... but no words for how this made me feel.

S4E14: A Fool's Hope

Watched on August 27th, 2023
Rebels doing what I always want from a long-running TV show - bringing back all the characters for a spectacular finale! Desperation shown from the Empire, and Ezra has one of the coldest moments in the series.

What's Next?

I'll be posting an article about my favourite Clone Wars episodes in the coming days. I'm excited for the galaxy of quality Star Wars content left to watch out there! To Tales of the Jedi, Ahsoka, Bad Batch S2, Andor, I say - I'm counting on you...