Trailers in Short - The Force Is Strong In This Show Edition (Star Wars Rebel)

Star Wars! Woo!!!

It's been 14 years since the events of Revenge of the Sith. It's still 5 years until Luke will get to fly into history. Now we'll get to see how the Rebellion Against the Empire grew and expanded to become an actual problem for the Emperor. (Of note: The clones are gone, and replaced with volunteers who are zealously loyal to the dream of a Galactic Empire.)

The show has been put together by Executive Producer Dave Filoni, who brought us the previous series, Star Wars: Clone Wars. He's brought much of the team over. It also has Greg Weisman (Gargoyles, The Spectacular Spider-Man, The Batman, Young Justice) on board as another Executive Producer.

This creative team are updating the style for this show. The show reflects a lot of Ralph McQuarrie's original art for Star Wars. You can see it quickly in some of the main character designs. Chewbacca's look was taken into the character of Zeb, for one.

Chewbacca's first look.

Extended Trailer

Honestly, this looks so good to me. It builds some off of Star Wars: Clone Wars. It then borrows nicely from the original trilogy with sounds, music, feel, and effects. In there as well is a feel that takes me back to playing Star Wars role-playing games (RPG's) back in the late 80's and early 90's. Rebel cells. Lone jedi. Force sensitives in training. Smugglers. Old cargo ships. Rag tag crews. Droids. An inquisitor hunting you. Weird fun port of calls.

And how much have I missed a good old fashion TIE fighter, and that roar as they pass the camera? (I may have to go to my fainting coach.) I may need to put the Imperial March on a loop.

It feels so promising, particularly with the last series (Clone Wars) as a pedigree.


A Look Ahead

The look ahead was brief, but a lot is promised. Other jedi, from The Clone Wars, may be alive. Chopper the surly droid will get to meet everyone's favorite R2 unit. Will the rest of the Organa family be nearby?



If you want to learn about some of the characters:

Kanan, our Jedi.

Played by Freddie Prinze, Jr. I keep forgetting that and get re-surprised. Kanan gives us a fallen Jedi. He survived the Great Purge Jedi, and walked away from the Order (about the only way any Jedi survived). While trying to continue the struggle, and keep his head down, he's drawn to reemerge. The Force may have a plan for him.

Looking at his design he has some touched, like the armor on one shoulder, that make his reminiscent of the hero of the Dark Forces game series. Kyle Katarn.

Ready to start a new Dark Forces game,
and have to relearn your powers?

Hera, her ship, her rules.

She runs the ship. She pilots the ship. She doesn't need your guff. But she likes her extended family around, and in one piece.

It's nice to see another Twi'lek in Star Wars. And a ship captain/surrogate parent. Break those stereotypes that build up around species designs.


Zeb, big and techie.

He may be big and strong, but don't underestimate everything else he brings to the table, or you will be in trouble.

I like that they took and tweaked the early Wookie design to bring him to life.


Sabine, the Mandalorian, artist, and badass. 

It's nice to see another Mandalorian. And it's nice that they continue the idea that the Fetts don't define what all Mandalorians are. A bit punk. Youthful. Always looking for a way to express herself, either with a bomb or some paint. It's something new to many fans.


Chopper the surly droid.

The cat among the dogs that most droids are. Surly, grumpy, pissed, but the best droid for the job. I guess he's a little bit of an anti-R2D2. Not eager to please, just eager to survive the mission.

Also, his small beat up look does make me think of Wall-E. He has a fun design, particularly when it's seen in real life.


Ezra is Aladdin. I said it!

Look at him.

This is our viewpoint character. Like Luke, he's been outside the struggle and hustle of the greater galaxy. Unlike Luke, he's had to survive on his own without family. He's a survivor. He's a scrounger. He's a hustler. He's a...He's an Aladdin.

Just translate what you see in the first 10 minutes of the first episode (Disney XD just did a First Look at the first third of the first episode. I added it to the end of this post.). Take that and transplant it to Agrabah, and it's the start of Aladdin. But, hey, this is Disney, so why not. Also, it doesn't make this a bad character. It's an interesting starting point.

"Corellian ni-i-ights!"

The Inquisitor

Played by Jason Isaacs? Awesome. The Inquisitors have been something I've never seen outside the Star Wars RPG's of days gone by. They can tap just slightly into the Dark Side. They are given a taste of the Force by Vader and the Emperor, and in turn, they hunt down any great threat to the Empire. In particular, any remnant of the old Jedi Order.

Also, a nonhuman in the Empire? You won't see that often, unless someone is very dangerous indeed.

But his double blade. You know, I could swear that I saw that circle guard design on a toy lightsaber a year or two ago. I wonder if they saw the toy and had a cunning idea for a new lightsaber design?


Agent Kallus

An ISB agent. Imperial Security Bureau. Again, more of the stuff we haven't seen outside of the RPG's and expanded universe. His job is to hunt for, drive out, and destroy any whiff of rebellion within the Empire.


I am looking forward to this show. Makes me wish I could start up a game of West End Games's Star Wars. I just need to find my bag of d6's.



Here's the 8 minute First Look at the first episode of Star Wars Rebels.