SPOILER WARNING!!! I am watching all Star Wars in Chronological order; I have seen the Original Trilogy but nothing else beyond the Kenobi so please be careful of spoilers in the comments.
Ahsoka not wanting to open the Jedi Temple is belief that she'd anger something, that the Temple is sacred. Yoda acknowledging her at the end is Ahsoka realizing it's okay.
Ahsoka's journey through this was so interesting, love that she was actually afraid to try as she doesn't know her place anymore but then Yoda's acknowledgement means she's always welcome she can try and start to define what she is now.
@@benspillerHey Ben i am new to your really cool Reaction Channel 😊 Do u think u can start a new Reaction Series 😊 To another badass cartoon show called Transformers Prime 😊
To add to Kallus' feelings, the writers confirmed the Empire never looked for him, he had to hitch a ride on several ships until he reached an Imperial Checkpoint. The Empire, those he's supposed to protect, those that he killed for, left him for dead without question... while those that are fighting against the Empire, that speak of dark secrets, don't leave each other behind.
This is honestly so sad! Loved that the writers did confirm this as it wasn't made super clear but this just adds to the idea that he must be dissatisfied with the Empire.
Not only does it hurt Ahsoka to realize the truth about Anakin being Vader, but there is a second blow...she also has to accept that Maul was RIGHT. That Maul told her the truth, that Anakin would turn.
@@ARandomInternetUser08 one I’m talking about the final season of the clone wars put together with rebels, it makes sense. And two with the other one comment like I said added it to the pile and it’s kind of sad Which is why I said tell me about it .
The Grand Inquisitor's disillusionment from the Jedi Order began that day at Ahsoka's trial, he was the guard who escorted Barris in, and heard her speech. As a result, he was among those that abandoned the Order and embraced the darkness when the Temple was attacked, or in his case, unlocked all the doors upon realizing what Anakin had come to do.
Anakin's outfit in the recordings is instructor gear for schooling Younglings. After which, the recordings were added to the Holocron database, same as Obi-Wan's warning years later.
It's nice to see Ezra holding his own a lot better against the inquisitors in a lightsaber duel. It's great to see his skills in lightsaber combat improving throughout the rest of the show.
Ahsoka still isnt 100% certain. She still just in denial and you probably already know but that temple scene was inspired by an unfinished clone wars arc where Anakin was upset and asked Obi-Wan what if he failed him as foreshadowing. Malachor was the site of the mass shadow generator superweapon that Revan ordered fired during the Republic/ Mandalorian Wars around 4100BBY and turned the world into a graveyard
Wow her denial is strong! Actually didn’t know this was based on an unfished Clone Wars arc, this show just keeps giving me more reasons to love it with how much they’re able to pull from not only unfished arcs, and old concepts but also video games!!
I was saving this essay since the Siege of Lothal. Going back to Minister Tua's death. Imagine for a moment Alasander Kallus and Maketh Tua where either related or had some other close relations. I'm and not a shipper by nature nor am I a fan of "Fridging" (look it up). But her death was a tremendous opportunity to mean a great deal more than the implied repercussions we don't see since season 2 is set far from Lothal. And the planet is only shown to us a total of three times in as many episodes. And we barely see any of the civilian population's reaction to it. Kallus could be even more motivated (and Deadly) as a result of her death at the hands of the rebels. Imagine if he was not in on the plan to kill her and instead was serious about escorting her to the capital and had some lines about regretting to not being able to escort her the whole way. The line "YOU DID THIS!?" could have a lot more weight to it. We know that the loss of Lassan was a huge battle and dialogue here shows Kallus has some regrets and some justifications too after the battle. But having Zeb explain to Kallus the Rebel's innocence and Tua's intention to defect can be a bit of a gut punch to a soldier that had tunnel vision on his objective for his entire career. Not to mention give him a chance to use some of his investigative skills that he's supposed to have but is never shown to figure out the truth in Zeb's words. Don't get me wrong I love the Enemy Mine story here. But there could be more to it than The Empire is cold and uncaring even to their own. Cause we already knew that.
So... The Grand Inquisitor is still dead... It's possible this was more so the Force manifesting a version of him into this in order to teach Kannan an important lesson. It's also possible that much like Revan in the old Republic, the Grand Inquisitor's "soul" became fractured in the force between light and dark. The dark side version of his soul continue to serve Vader, while the light side version is manifesting itself via the Force for purposes such as these. Or maybe as long as the dark side version of the Grand Inquisitor is around, his light side version can't functionally move on to become one with the force. Who knows? The Force is weird and difficult to understand, it works in mysterious ways after all. Much of what happens doesn't really have much in terms of a viable explanation. Also. The reason why Ahsoka "can't" open the temple on Lothal, is likely because she is respecting that it's only for Jedi to open. She was removed from the order and as such, she is respecting her position, and therefore choses to respect the temple by not opening it herself, leaving that task to Ezra and Kannan. So Ahsoka probably COULD open up the temple too, but she refuses out of respect for the order. When 5th Brother and 7th Sister tries opening the temple, first of all, they are obviously struggling, because they are FORCING it open. The temple is a Jedi creation, thus inherently connected to the light side, and will therefore most likely try to prevent dark siders from getting in. The ground outside lighting up in red seem unnatural, it feels wrong, which helps solidify this theory further.
Ah yes the Kallus episode. I always thought wouldn't it be smarter to stay IN the escape pod with the heater? That would be a more shielded area from the cold, instead of using the small heater to heat up a wide open ice cave....
Great reactions! Kanan being knighted was such a rewarding feeling, especially how it was written, with him bowing to the will of the Force. How much sorrow cam Ahsoka withstand, now?? Oh, poor girl, at least her heart has been steeled by the Force itself, so connected to the Light as she is...
Absolutely loved seeing a Jedi getting knighted finally and it couldn't have been better with Kanan being the one to get it, it's long overdue and it was just done so well with his trial ultimately being to surrender to the Will of the Force instead of trying to control both his fate and Ezra's. Ahsoka just has to keep going through more and more trauma 😂 When is she ever going to be happy!? At the very least she got confirmation but it was the very last thing she wanted to be true.
Thank you for the analysis Ben, all very keen observations. Again, I am really happy with all the things you are asking :) I am sure you have your answer by the time you watch the finale. 48:20 Like the prophecy says the Child will save the Warrior
Glad you're continuing to enjoy these 😁 Good to know I'm on the right track with all my questions and I didn't even realise this episode proved that prophesy true 😂😂
I love the ending of episode 17, the contrast in how Zeb and Kallus get rescued is great. Zeb gets rescued by the Ghost crew, his found family who he knows will do anything to get him back! Compare this with Kallus; first off, they don't specify this in the episode but Kallus wasn't even rescued by the Empire, he was rescued by a trader ship that just happened to pass by. And when he does get back to the Empire, he's greeted by Admiral Konstantine who barely even acknowledges him and then enters his dank room where he sits alone. No one in the Empire likely even cared if he had perished on that moon. I've heard some people complain that this episode is supposed to redeem Kallus but I disagree. I think instead it's supposed to give Kallus a chance to reexamine his actions and open the door to redemption if he wants to take that path. Sure, you can give a character a chance to be redeemed but they still have to make the active decision to take it. Then we have Episode 18, I love how Kanen acknowledges that he can't protect Ezra forever, only train him the best he can. It's basically like being a parent. As much as many parents want to, they can't protect their child forever or from everything. So, the best you can do is teach them how to navigate the world so they can make the best decisions when you're no longer in the picture. Beautiful message!
Could not agree more and I love that Kallus is most likely thinking the same thing, he sees how welcoming the Rebels are to Zeb, yet he wasn’t even saved by the Empire and when he returned, they couldn't care less. And I completely agree, this episode was not redemption for Kallus in any sense, but it allowed him to view the Empire from another perspective by providing a contrast with it, he can now compare the Rebellion to the Empire with his own perspective rather than the one he got from the Empire and can now examine his place in all of it. Love this! So many points of development for Kanan is him learning to be a parent and this is another perfect example, loved that he learned to let go and leave Ezra’s fate up to the Will of the Force as that’s the only way either of them can grow.
You know as many times as I’ve read the comic and watched the show I had never thought to correlate how Vader got the Grand Inquisitor spirit was from the Lothal temple. Got say good eye on that one. To add to that point it could be the Grand Inquisitor became one with the force when he fell into the reactor. Seeing as he went willingly and didn’t try to fight his fate. Idk just a theory but theorizing part of fun when it comes to Star Wars, especially the smaller details.
Really like this idea now with Vader finding the Inquisitor's spirit here and then torturing it 😂 It can’t be a coincidence that Vader gets the spirit in the comics and managed to be in its presence here but you’re so right it’s so much fun to theorise about these things! 😁
Fun fact: Malacore is actually where Palpatine trained Maul when he was a kid, he forced him to inhale the Ash of dead Sith to feel their Pain, this is why maul sey, at last we wil have Revenge, bc of What the jedi did to the sith there.-its from the comics
Oh this is such a terrifying detail! Thought Malacor would have Sith vibes and connections and it's now just gotten way more dangerous with having a direct connection to Palpatine, but that is some really messed up training for Maul, not sure what I expected really 😂
Ohh that was all Yoda's doing, that would explain why the Grand Inquisitor seemed very consious rather than him actually being here through the Force, but love that he was the one to actually knight Kanan.
The little flrting exchange between Kanan and the Seventh Sister in the beginning of Ep 18 is funnier than you think. The VAs of the two are married. Can't wait for your reaction to the Season 2 Finale, because I know it's gonna be a wild ride. It's amazing how much the first two seasons of Rebels were able to do, and the best part is we haven't even gotten to the best villain in the show.....and then things get PEAK
Heard about this! So happy they did do something with it and added a little joke about them being married in real life 😂 The finale of this season 2 was insane and I cannot wait to get everyone’s thoughts on it, all I know is that I wasn’t prepared for everything it was going to do!!
Loved your reaction/analysis. Two very different but both excellent episodes. Always liked Kallus as an antagonist and as you note the episode makes one wonder about his future path. Jedi Temple episodes are always enjoyable and this one is no exception. Love when Kanan becames a Jedi Knight.
These two episodes were both just so amazing! Can't believe how well it flips around Kallus's character from pure evil to actually understandable and the Temple was just so much fun to watch! Ahsoka finally gets confirmation on Anakin, Ezra gets to meet Yoda and Kanan finally gets knighted!!
Ahsoka represents everything the Jedi should be and not what they became, she’s closer in line with Qui Gon in terms of how the Jedi should be on a belief system level. For example, if he ended up training Anakin and not obi he would’ve had no issue with Anakin marrying Padmé as long as when it was time he had to let go. Ahsoka not opening the temple was more of a personal choice. Yoda is actually the one Jedi who’s always respected her, you see that even more when he thinks he’s seen her die during his training about how to appear when you become part of the cosmic force. Even up to when they have that hologram conversation during the siege of Mandalore.
Think the same way, honestly, I’m pretty convinced most of the Jedi council wouldn’t be able to get into the Temple while if Ahsoka did try she’d have to problem, but I also love that this continues her story from Clone Wars in a way that tells us she doesn’t know what she is. She clearly doesn’t feel like she’s a Jedi so what else is there? Having Yoda node to her and see her again was so sweet and I think it did as much for Ahsoka as it did for Yoda, he’s seen that his vision has not fully come to pass and that Ahsoka survived by leaving the order. It’s amazing how much respect he has for her, and I do wish they’ll see each other again even if the chance for that is slim.
@@benspiller part of that stems from the fact that all she was from the time she was a Padawan was a soldier, if you wanna talk about her unsure on who she is. Not to get into specifics but this may or may not get addressed at some point, I’ve probably already said too much Without saying not much.
I will alway like "The Honorable Ones" for giving us a more relatable and honorable Kallus. But man, i love "Shroud of Darkness" for Ezra and Kanan growth in their respective role, mirroring the first steps taken in "Path of the Jedi". Kanan being knighted give me chills every time.
Absolutley! It's amazing what this episode was able to accomplish with Kallus and turn him from a genocidal villain to a misunderstood antagonist. But yeah Shroud Of Darkness was insane with everything it did, it was great to see Ezra talk to Yoda and get guidance plus Kanan getting Knighted was long overdue!
ep 17 ends up being one of if not the biggest moments for zeb and kallus both in lore drops and character development. its shows zeb has finally moved on and accepted what happened in the past. for kallus we see just how good the propaganda of the empire is at persuading minds. he really believed that the empire was a force for good. which with his past on onadroan with him facing Saw's rebels and seeing not just the lasat gunning down wounded men but those who probably begged for mercy does help especially since those would be screams he would hear for a long time after surviving. The comment on having an open mind and that not all lasats were like the mercenary was something kallus probably linked to in his mind to Rebels as a whole so when he said does that extend to imperials he was pretty much saying if not all rebels or lasats are as bad that one or saw's group then maybe think that not all imperials are as bad as you think either. by the end of the ep we see kallus back on board and realizing no one seems to care or acknowledge that he has returned or even has a limp. though they don't show it or say it kallus was rescued by a trading ship not even the empire came to look for him. that in itself must have broke something in him considering he thought that the empire was something to fight for compared letting the galaxy fall into the hands of from his point of view murderous and merciless rebels. while the last time we see geonosis was in the clone wars ep where anakin obiwan and luminara drop a ceiling on a queen that doesn't mean they killed all the geonosisans as there were other fighting across the planet when that happened. what we do know through the comics is that the Death Star's construction did begin above it before moving. and they used geonosisans to help supply the forced labor for it while above their home planet before moving it. considering how the empire reacted when ezra's family's friend managed escape with imperil data its not that hard to imagine what they would do to the planet after it helped build it. on to 18 Ashoka declining to be a part of opening the temple is more of her not only trying to be respectful to the jedi culture but also because she isn't sure how the temple might react for all she knew it could collapse or just not work anyway. and we see ashoka finally accept who anakin has become. ashoka seeing yoda was probably a little reward for her after realizing her old master is now Vader. she still won't tell anyone that because of the damage it would deal to moral. especially to kanan since he whole deal now is trying to keep ezra away from the dark side telling him that would only put more stress on him. on the Grand inquisitor he was a jedi temple guard who grew disillusioned with the jedi after ashoka's trial and was there for it. he had also helped during order 66 by killing the other temple guards in hopes of joining palpatine. this is the second time one screen we see a padawan become a jedi knight the other time was in the 2003 clone wars and that one was for anakin. Malicore is known by many names in legends and canon.(something they make a nod to later)Its is probably one of if not among the most important place's in galactic history.
Absolutely loved episode 17! It did such an amazing job with Zeb and Kallus, especially with just changing Kallus from a pure evil villain to someone understandable, as you said it gives us a great inside into the propaganda that’s prevalent within the Empire as Kallus’s belief in it is so strong. It’s so sad what Kallus went through as well and how that shaped his views on all Lasats which again is understandable. This ending gives me so much hope for Kallus, he can finally see the Empire with some perspective and realises how little he matters to it. Really looks like he could change after this which would be so amazing after everything, we learned about him. Honestly starting to think both the Empire and Anakin and Kenobi caused the extinction of these people, Anakin and Kenobi killed the Queen so the species was doomed and then the Empire destroyed what was left since they knew too much about the Death Star. Ahsoka’s journey in this episode was so good, loved that we got to see her uncertainty about her place in this and she just doesn’t know where she stands with the Force stuff. She finally understands who Vader is and it was so painful to watch but I also really like that she got to see Yoda again as it felt like he was acknowledging her and letting her know that she’s welcome in this place. Heard this about the Grand Inquisitor, it was so cool to see him like instead of his regular scary self, and I think it was so fitting that he was the one to knight Kanan and I’m just still so happy to finally see that happen. Can’t wait to see what Malachor ends up being, the name alone makes it sound super evil so I’m expecting plenty of Sith or Darkside-related stuff!
I think the grand inquisitor, and the other temple guards, were all just illusions created by the temple, just like the grand inquisitor Kanaan fought when he was in the temple in season 1.
Thinking that too now, it's definitely symbolic having this guy be the one to knight Kanan but it would have been too much to have the guy actually be there.
@@benspiller My favorite part of the Kanaan side of the episode was that when he was fighting the grand iquisitor essentially to protect Ezra, the second light saber he picked up during the fight was red, indicating that if he insists on clinging on to Ezra and gets too obsessed with protecting him, it will lead him to the dark side.
These were both so amazing! Loved what Zeb's episode did for Kallus and I can easily see how this is a favourite, taking him from such an evil person to someone you can empathise with is insane! Then the Jedi Temple, Wow! Finally giving Ahsoka confirmation on Anakin, Ezra getting to meet Yoda and best of all Kanan getting knighted!!
The subtle detail that Ahsoka's moment in the Temple was purely her mind breaking down, Anakin's words were all in her head. The Temple simply brought Anakin to her, and she fell apart, all her guilt and regrets came crashing out, forcing her to accept that her question on who Vader is, is an answer already known. At the same time, making her realize she never considered how Anakin felt when she left.
Absolutely love how the Temple is used, it's all Ahsoka's thoughts and fears and the Temple just manifests it so she can face it. She finally knows how Anakin felt when she left and can start to believe what he became because of it.
Yay, the Kallus episode!!!, it is one of the best for me. Remember how Geonosis had rings?, well, those construction spheres were sent there for a particularly massive project (wink) and now the rings are gone. Strip mined until nothing remained. Most of this was explored in the Catalyst novel (it is one of my favourite canon novels). Edit 1: because the Death Star was a massive confidential project, even within the Empire, they had to keep a low profile (or as low as possible). The construction began over Geonosis, with the geonosians being enslaved and forced to work on it, afterwards (and to keep it a secret), the Empire wiped out the entire population in one of the first all-out genocides it perpetrated, afterwards the Death Star was moved to Scariff where (I believe) it was finished by 0 ABY. Edit 2: Malachor is another callback to the EU. A location of huge importance in Knights of the Old Republic II. It was a Force Nexus in the Dark Side (and later a place completely dead in the Force), and a Taboo planet for Mandalorians. Now, in canon, the backstory is a hit more... Limited and different, but still VERY interesting.
Loved Kallus’ episode, it’s so insane how they managed to flip the character from pure Evil to misunderstood and it’s just given me so much hope for his future! Ah so that could add to what the Empire probably did to the species, first they took away its resources and then exterminated since they’d know too much.
Episode 17 is an interesting one as it pays homage to the 1985 movie Enemy Mine. Who could have imagined we would see Callus and Zeb being forced to work together. It works beautifully as it develops Callus’ character, which I didn’t know I needed at the time. Rebels adds so much lore to the Force and Episode 18 is a prime example. It is steeped in mystery and offers different interpretations of what Kanan, Ezra and Ahsoka are experiencing. To this day, I’m not sure what exactly happened to the Inquisitors when the light surrounded them. Having said that, making the viewer contemplate what they've witnessed is an aspect of the story telling I really enjoy. When Darth Vader appears, you know things are about to get real. Great reactions, Ben! I’m excited for you to see the next episodes.
It’s so cool that this episode pays homage to Enemy Mine, it does such a good job at developing Kallus and his relationship with Zeb, it’s so impressive how they were able to flip him from pure evil to understandable. Completely agree!! It’s so cool that they don’t give an answer to what happened to the Inquisitors when they get surrounded as it keeps the Force mysterious and completely up to the viewer on what it actually did. Vader showing up is always terrifying 😂 it’s just a shame that Palpatine will get his hands on this place now and probably destroy every bit of Jedi essence in it.
These episodes are some of my favourites of the whole show. especially on rewatch. They act as a fulcrum point (ha see what I did there) for these characters and impact their journeys going forwards. Especially for our Villans, Kallus, and the Grand inquisitor. For our heroes, it shows that the empire and its Lackeys are not just pure evil for evil's sake. they are people, people who could've been good, people who the heroes could become if they are not careful. Them performing evil acts out of their pasts is a tragedy and pitiable, not just because that's just what they do.
Love what you did here 😂 and couldn’t agree more! Both of these episodes were so pivotal for so many characters. I actually have hope now that Kallus could change after he’s seen a contrast to the Rebellion, and it allows for the Rebels to see these guys as people who have their reasons for joining the Empire, giving them another method to fight but understanding what causes them to join in the first place.
So... Turns out, as shown in a comic, the Death Star construction area WAS at Geonosis. Vader traveled there to help figure out who was sabotaging the construction effort. Geonosians had been turned into slaves for the labor and stuff as well. And Vader found a Geonosian queen that had hooked itself up to a droid factory part and was actively producing Battled droid/Geonosian hybrids, which is anything if not terrifying as a concept. Vader though, he went in, burned the queen and her weird half mechanic, half organic offspring, and seemingly ended the capability for the Geonosians to reproduce right there and then. Vader had also found out that the Geonosians had sent a ootheca, a egg if you will, to one of the Death Star builders, in order to try and garner some sympathy from them. However Vader was able to find this out and brought the egg back before this Imperial could even look at it. Regardless. What happen next, well... The Death Star construction site were moved elsewhere and the Geonosian population was executed on mass, probably in an effort to silence them. Leaving only the construction debris field left. It'll be interesting to see Kallus going forwards too, now that he is more of a sympathetic villain. Adds layers to his character.
Oh wow you’re right this concept is terrifying 😂 😂 The Geonosians were already creepy enough and now they go and make mechanical hybrids! Interesting that they had more than one Queen after all then, but this definitely would definitely explain what happened to their species. Can’t wait to see where Kallus goes from here, I might be naive, but I have so much hope for a change now!
@@benspiller Well, I didn't say they had more than one queen. It's possible this other queen was an offspring of the one we see in the clone wars. So there may still only be one Geonosian queen at a time... Well... At least in the past...
24:41 You can have the same species on multiple planets... It's a different planet. They'd be insane to try to have their base on an important Imperial controlled world.
Geonosis Construction: The construction site of the death star was actually moved multiple times. The Geonosians are a hard working people and the empire actually made them work on the death star for some time. The station that we saw over Geonosis was a construction station that can assist when larger structures are built nearby, so it might acually have been linked to the death star. If you would like to know more about the early years of death star construction, you can read the Tarkin novel by James Luceno. This is novel is about him overseeing the construction process, when Seperatist remnants get suspicious and he works with vader to get controll of the situation. Since you enjoyed him as a villain in Rebels, you will love his role in this novel and even learn about his past pre clone wars and how he became who he is. I love when stories are told from the perspective of the bad guys, this is very refreshing.
It’s becoming more and more evident that the Empire wiped out this species, forcing them to work on the Death Star and then moving it away from their planet would have made them redundant and since they knew all about it, they were wiped out. I’ll absolutely check this out, as annoying as Tarkin is he’s been great in Rebels now that he is a villain on the villain’s side unlike Clone Wars, I imagine it’ll be super interesting to see how he became who he is while also getting to know the early years of the Death Star.
Kallus is Imperial Security, so he's never been in a position to question or know things about the higher ups. Similar to the lower ranks, just normal people enlisted in the "military". His feelings about the Lasat wiping out his comrades, lead to him taking credit for what happened, and nobody in the Empire would question that.
Love the depth this episode brought to Kallus, it's awesome to see a lower-position person get to see what the Empire is doing after there was just an ordinary person, and his Lasat story makes you really empathise with him in a way that doesn't justify his views on things but it explains clearly why he thinks that way.
Anakin blaming Ahsoka for what he has become: I don't think that this is meant to be showing Ahsoka what Anakin thinks of her, but what she fears Anakin would think of her. She is blaming herself for what happened to Anakin because she wasn't there for him when he needed her. This is what she has to overcome.
True, this adds to the Temple just using what’s already inside her own head to manifest her worst fears so she can consider that Anakin being Vader is actually possible.
The Last Geonosis trip: Luminara was captured, and Obi-Wan was entertaining the Queen while she was demonstrating how to control people. Anakin freed Luminara while Obi-Wan and the Clones dropped the ceiling on the Queen.
About Ahsoka's place as a "non-Jedi": (EDIT: you mention it in the episode, that's cool. I guess I'm keeping the comment up anyway) I've always interpreted it as her own way to separate herself from the Order's issues. She's still not a Jedi because, for her, being a Jedi is closely tied to all the things that brought their downfall: the stoicism, the lack of empathy, the rigidness when it came to rules. She is a light-side user, but since she saw the Jedi's failings first-hand, she's just not comfortable with the label. It's interesting that one can contrast this with Luke, who grew up on _stories_ of the Jedi and wasn't alive to see their flaws. So he basically redefines the term, giving it a new meaning that was based on his own experiences as a light-side user. Their paths are similar, but while Ahsoka abandoned the term "Jedi", Luke gave it a new meaning.
Those creatures are able to travel through space! You saw them in TCW they are called Neebray. Plo Koon talked about them when he escorted Anakin, Ahsoka, and their Y-Wing squadron to intercept the Malevolence though the smugglers route. Neebray can travel freely in nebulas and such. So NO. its not Stygian Prime.
3:05 Geonosians living and knowing about a top-secret Imperial project would definitely be considered a threat to the Empire… and we know what the Empire does with species or peoples they identify as threats!
Ahh true! Feels pretty even that the Empire could have wiped them out or Anakin and Kenobi with the whole Queen situation, but I like that it could be either one or probably both.
When it comes to the Geonosians, there were many queens, but we witnessed the death of the most important one and, more crucially, the destruction of a vast number of eggs containing future queens - the potential future of their species. (Other queens also fell victim to the Republic, especially during the occupation.) This posed a lethal threat to their species. Imagine that, out of, say, 50 queens, only 10 survived. This would immediately reduce the Geonosian population and significantly lower the chances of producing ideal, healthy future queens. We can speculate that the Geonosians might have had a chance to recover after the war, but... well, designing the Death Star clearly didn’t work out in their favor. They simply knew too much. Jedi and the Republic started it, and the Empire finished it. As for Zeb, you're absolutely right. Zeb has rebuilt his hope and is no longer blindly driven by revenge against Kallus. He may still disagree with what Kallus has done, but for the first time, we see him trying to understand the other side. (And honestly, should we really be surprised that Saw Garera always seems to mess things up?) Regarding Kallus, this episode revealed a lot about him. Primarily, it showed that he is essentially the Imperial counterpart to Zeb. He isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, which is why he’s part of the ISB, but he also has a deep sense of respect for others. Kallus has repeatedly shown that he respects and understands his enemies. For instance, he acknowledged Ezra’s talent by telling an officer that the boy would escape them. He also demonstrated that he has scars from his past but can still act honorably, especially toward someone who shows him honor. This raises an important question: Does the Empire show Kallus any respect, honor, or anything beyond their expectations of him? The answer is simple: no. To them, he’s just a replaceable pawn, and Kallus is now beginning to realize this. He lived in an idealistic bubble, wanting to be an honorable warrior fighting for the Empire. Yet, his enemies respect him more than his own allies. And events like the aforementioned genocide only raise further questions in the context of honor. 27:40 It seems Ahsoka’s stubbornness comes into play here. She doesn’t want to identify as a Jedi and just respects the idea that the Jedi Temple belongs to the Jedi. It's a bit silly logic but it fits Ahsoka. That's why fans say she's a Gray Jedi but in the sense that she's a light side user but doesn't necessarily follow the rules of the Jedia code. (But by that logic, the same could be said of Qui-Gon. So she’s either a Light Side user or simply a Jedi who doesn’t want to be called a Jedi.) Regarding Kanan and his lesson, everything about this scene is significant. Let's start with the fact that probably this is not the real Grand Inquisitor. the temple materialized him for Kanan's lesson. The real Grand Inquisitor was "suspended in limbo" by Vader. (Or maybe it's some strange form of communication similar to communicating with Yoda, it's hard to say.) But here’s also the answer to why the Temple was practically defenseless during Order 66: the Grand Inquisitor had killed nearly all the Temple Guards because he was one of them. If not for this, there might have been even a potential chance to stop Vader. The massacre at the Temple would certainly not have been such a significant success, as the Guards could have alert everyone, organized an effective defense and even a partial evacuation. And it must be said that for the temple guard, the safety in the temple is a priority, even above the Jedi Code. If any of them had seen the 501st Legion and Anakin marching on the Temple, they would have reacted immediately because they would understand and recognize the threat. (Instead, one of the Jedi who saw that approached Anakin and asked what is going on. Anakin asked: Where is Shak Ti? When he found out, he killed him and entered unprepared and defenseless temple.) Next, there’s the quote: "Try to fight, and you will fail. The rebellion will be destroyed, you will die, your apprentice will become a servant of evil." Conclusion: If Kanan chooses to fight, he will lose control over his fate, potentially leading to catastrophic events. We see the prophetic nature of these words play out in the finale. Kanan tried to fight, and if Maul’s strategy had been different, Kanan would almost certainly have died, and Ezra would have a new master. "You will never be strong enough to defend your people, and you will perish for your failure." Additionally, Kanan holds both a blue and a red lightsaber. The lightsaber colors symbolize Ezra’s future, which rests in Kanan’s hands. Kanan fears failing as a master, but if this fear continues to dominate their relationship, it will crumble under greater weakness/difficulty. Kanan will lose Ezra permanently and die trying to fight to get him back. "Even now, the servants of the Dark Side come to your apprentice. You cannot fight forever." The lesson: Let this relationship not be built on the foundation of your fear. Guide him and help him, but Trust Him. He understood this and was knighted Now for Ezra’s conversation with Yoda: Ezra’s perspective is one-sided. He can’t grasp what Yoda is trying to tell him. Ezra only wants information on how to ensure a successful confrontation and destroy all his enemies. In response, Yoda speaks about the Clone Wars, warning Ezra against this approach by explaining that the path to destruction leads to self-destruction. Ezra questions Yoda’s words, insisting that what he’s doing is right and continuing to seek key information for confrontation. Seeing that he cannot teach Ezra anything at this moment, Yoda sends him to Malachor. We might ask why Yoda sent Ezra to a planet so heavily tied to the Sith. If Yoda wanted Ezra to confront his darkness and fear, as he did in the Clone Wars, he could have sent them to Korriban, a place whose Dark Side aura can break even the strongest. So that’s clearly not the reason. Yoda didn't know Maul was there and absolutely didn't want a confrontation. So what? Yoda wanted Ezra to understand that confrontation through destruction would lead to his own destruction. The battlefield that was ignored by them was part of that lesson. The holocron that told him the Sith philosophy was also supposed to be part of this lesson. Yoda's perspective for this lesson: Ezra sees where his current approach leads and begins to understand it. After understanding the holocron and the path of destruction, he rejects it. And finally, Ahsoka. If we interpret this as the temple connecting with others minds or something like that, to create an illusion for communication, this is exactly what Vader is thinking about her right now: "You are selfish, you abandoned me, this is your fault." For Ahsoka, this is a terrifying lesson. She can no longer hide it from herself.
Good to know that wasn’t the only queen, makes what Kenobi and Anakin did feel less like the cause of their destruction, but they definitely still played a part in it. Definitely makes sense that the Empire would do this, the Geonosians would have known too much as a species. Loved getting to see a more healed Zeb here where he can actually hold a conversation with Kallus before the truth even got revealed that he was even responsible. It was so good to see him talking to the other side to as this could add a lot more perspective to him in how he views people working in the Empire. Also really hoping Saw might show up soon with everything he’s messed up, The last time I saw him was at the start of Bad Batch I think, and he was just starting out. Absolutely loved everything this did with Kallus, taking him from a pure evil villain to someone understandable and that ending just gives me so much hope for a potential change for him, it feels like he might have realised how much the Empire doesn’t care about him, he is someone with a deep sense of honour and respect which is completely opposite to the Empire and as you said he’s Zeb’s counterpart, only the Rebellion much more aligns with these kinds of qualities. I love how confusing Ahsoka’s position is here, she fully chose to leave the Jedi but in doing so has become closer to a true Jedi than any of them, I truly believe if she tried to open the Temple it’d work and if few from the old council tried it they’d fail miserably! Even though this wasn’t the real Gran Inquisitor, I think it was so fitting that he was the one for Kanan to face and also be knighted by. But yeah, reading all this he truly was an evil individual for being sly like this, it’s such shame that these small things are what made Palpatine’s victory possible and without it, it could have all been different. Kanan’s lesson was absolutely phenomenal, and I love how much detail was put into it, it not only feels fitting for Kanan but also how I’d expect a Knighting trial to happen. The imagery it uses is incredible for how it sets up all that’s to come as well and I’m just glad Kanan was able to pass as now he can be a better mentor for Ezra and bring him back from what he ends up doing. Yoda’s approach to Ezra is really interesting and I love how long it takes for it all to truly sink in for him, Yoda realises that Ezra isn’t being receptive and that he’s adamant in his path, the only way is to send him to the belly of the beats and give him the solutions he’s looking for. Only then can he make up his mind and see everything for what it is as he simply hasn’t experienced anything Yoda is trying to explain to him. Ahsoka’s part is so heartbreaking, and I think this could be interpreted as either connecting minds or just manifesting her inner thoughts but it still gives her the same answer so at least she got that out of all this!
33:28 one of the most powerful scenes in all of star wars in my opinion And that likely wasn't actually Anakin. It was the temple projecting Ahsoka's guilt Also for context Malachor is a planet that was prevalent in the Knights of the old republic games. Some people were shocked to hear that because most assumed everything from those games was pushed out of the canon
Loved this scene so much, definitely agree with you now, this was all Ahsoka’s thoughts manifested by the Temple to allow her to face the possibility of Anakin being Vader. It’s so cool how much stuff in this show is pulled from other things, can’t wait to see what Malachor is like but from the name alone I’m sure it’s going to be quite evil!
Good to know but I'm starting to think It's probably both the Empire wiping out what was left of the species because of what they knew plus Anakin and Kenobi destroying their Queen which started their extinction.
Good to know that'll be answered, though I'm starting to think Anakin and Kenobi doomed the species by destroying the Queen then the Empire wiped them out since they knew too much.
Her denial is certainly strong 😂 But at least this gave her the opportunity to consider this possibility so when she learns the truth she isn’t caught off guard.
Hi, Ben! Hope you are well! Glad I caught this one early. =D 4:40 - OH! Right...... THIS episode...... Ben.... I know I say this in every video you release...... but "Pay VERY close attention here". This episode is more important than you think, off the bat. 33:00 - Good call, Ben. It is indeed the Grand Inquisitor..... however, this is him when he was indeed a Temple Guard, prior to turning to the Dark Side. You see (and I've been holding this back, waiting for this episode), he was one of many Jedi who turned and became Inquisitors, because they would have been killed otherwise. This is an important scene, though. As you'll figure out in a minute or so.
Doing good! Hope you’re well too. Absolutely loved this episode so I’ll try my hardest to remember everything they did here, my main thoughts are that it gives me so much hope in Kallus possibly turning against the Empire while also talking about the whole Geonosis thing. It was so cool to see the Grand Inquisitor like this!! Think I got told before though that he once was a Temple Guard so this didn’t come as much surprise to see him like this but I thought it was so powerful that he or at least his image was the one to knight Kanan.
@@benspiller I'm doing alright at the moment, thank you for asking. I will mention that you DID see the Grand Inquisitor during the Clone Wars, you just didn't know it. He was one of the ones who escorted Baris Ofee to the council trial chambers when Anakin outed her as the person behind the bombing that Ahsoka was blamed for. How's THAT for a "plot twist"? About Kallus..... I can't give away things you haven't seen yet.... however, you've seen the seeds planted, so I'll only say "trust your instincts". But it remains to be seen if the seeds planted will bloom into a flower, or take over as a weed does. While I still love Clone Wars and Bad Batch as shows.... Rebels in still my favorite animated series of the bunch. You're slowly learning why. I truly DO enjoy going down this journey with you. It reminds me of the first time that I watched the series. The storytelling is amazing, and I would go full on "Wayne and Garth meeting Alice Cooper" if I ever came face to face with Dave Filoni...... I would drop to my knees, bow and yell "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!" (sorry, MINOR spoiler for the Wayne's World movie... in case you haven't seen it) Dave Filoni truly IS George Lucas' Padawan, who has earned the title of Knight. I fully expect him to earn the level of Master, at some point, because he's well on his way.
I never understood how Yoda appears as a vision in this temple if Yoda is not dead right now, Luke has not been trained yet, this takes place before episode 4, Could it all be a hallucination produced by the temple?
It's definitely confusing, my thoughts are either it's the work of the Temple to provide a wise and trusted face for the Jedi involved or Yoda's training with the Force Priestess granted him more powers with a higher understanding of the Force.
Ahsoka… Yeah, but to be honest part of her still denying it or rather doesn’t know how to take it I mean when any of us this man was basically the best of us and for him to become something like that a cyborg monster… To be honest, like her, I would give anything to have Anakin back.
It was so painful to see Ahsoka go through this denial again and I guess she still hasn’t fully accepted it, at least this manifested her worst fear so she could face it making any actual confrontation less surprising. Same, wish Anakin could come back, miss the Clone Wars era a lot 🥲
Death Star definitely wasn't built over Geonosis. Right about that. 3:19 the war criminal karate-kicks the droid. 😂 "Yes, we want tim back"...Chopper really wants Zeb gone. 🤣 The funny thing is they could've killed that creature on the ice moon because cutting open a killed animal was even shown in ESB when Han used Luke's lightsaber on Hoth. Kallus is definitely having second thoughts about the Empire. It's mirroring Crosshair's arc perfectly. Technically Crosshair's arc mirrored Kallus' though because The Bad Batch was made after this, but still. Even the shots of Kallus and Crosshair sitting alone in a depressing room and also being left alone by choice before that to be found by the Empire is identical. Idk if the planet they were on in the beginning of the 2nd episode was the same one Fortress Inquisitorious is on. No way they'd go there. Who knows though. I'd have to look it up. 25:26 Ahsoka's theme played when Kanan said they need advice. I wonder who that is. 😉 Ahsoka's only in denial. She doesn't want to associate herself with the Jedi anymore with what the council did to her (said later on). She'd have to go through a lot to want to be associated with being a Jedi again. 🥲 Ahsoka's "NO" scream at the Anakin-revealed-to-be-Vader vision...tear-jerker. You could feel all of the pain of her past in that one moment. The vision was definitely not Anakin/Vader. It was a guilt-trip vision. Ahsoka has went through so much. 😭 I honestly have no clue if the temple guard is actually the grand inquisitor. It might be a vision of the past that the force is trying to show him, or it legitimately might be him and he was redeemed when he fell into the fire, and fast. I don't know at all. I'll have to look that up too. Liked Yoda's theme playing as he waved bye to Ahsoka. I hope they're on good terms now. I feel like Ahsoka really does love some people involved with the Jedi. 🥲
Glad I was right about the Death Star being built elsewhere 😂 😂 😂 Nothing beats Chopper in combat! Exactly! If they were so desperate to get warm, they could have just cut those things open and the best bit was that there were two of them, one each so they don’t have to be next to each other! It’s incredible what this episode does for Kallus, and it’s given me so much hope for an eventual turn for him, this turned him from a pure evil villain to someone actually understandable. Probably not the same planet but it’s insanely similar in appearance. Ahhh, love details like this! It’s so sad that Ahsoka views it this way, she’s closer to a Jedi than a lot of the council were, and I imagine she’d have an easier time getting into this temple than a lot of them. Poor Ahsoka just can’t stop being put through so much trauma! The vision was so cruel but at least it gets her closer to learning the truth even if she’s still trying to deny it. Yoda and Ahsoka’s scene was so sweet, they’re definitely on good terms now, feel like his node was letting her know that she’s always welcome as a Jedi but also understanding it’s her choice what she ends up being.
@@benspiller yeah. It does kind of look like that planet. Hopefully Ahsoka eventually looks at herself as a true Jedi some day. Yoda still thinks of her that way I feel like. 🥲
Its less Ahsoka not being able to open the temple and more so that the Temple is sacred to the Jedi and she doesnt see herself as a Jedi. At least, thats how i always view it.
Completely agree, I love that this episode really shows off that she doesn't know what she is right now, she thought she'd be unwelcome in this place and didn't want to try, then at the end, she gets acknowledged by Yoda meaning she's okay to be there, now she has something to go off of when trying to define what she is.
Without spoiling anything Malachor isn't something you're likely to have heard unless you played the Knights of the Old Republic games by Bioware. That was pre-Disney so not canon to Rebels anyway, but was an interesting thing to hear referenced by those of us who had played the games.
Love how much this show uses from other media! Cannot wait to see whatever Malacor is but with a name like that I'm sure it had major significance to the game so the reaction of people who knew about it must have been amazing!
Zeb and Callus are good now. Ahsoka is a Force Wielder at this point in her story and that's okay for her. There were 3 Jedi that didn't vote to eject her from the Jedi Order, Yoda, Obi-Wan and Kloon.
It's crazy how well this episode flipped Kallus' character from pure evil to actually understandable, love what's going on with Ahsoka and how this defined that she doesn't know exactly what she is yet and she's trying to figure it out, and thank you so much for this reminder! 😂 Could not rest easy with the thought of Plo Koon turning against her!
Are all Imperials the same? Most people in the empire are just normal people that work for example as troopers to protect their home and earn some money to feed the family at home. The Propaganda makes the empire seem like the good guys for most people in the wealthy core worlds. When it comes to the mid and outer rim, the empire presents itself as less friendly, but whenever information about something bad happening there does reach the core, they have some kind of cover up story. For the officers and troopers who start off wealthy and manipulated, it isn't easy to see through how bad it is, what they actually do. They are told, that their opponents are ruthless terrorists which, for them, would justify extreme measures. And when they act against civilians, who knows if those aren't undercover Terrorists as well? Who would disobey imperial orders, when the Empire comes to safe them? They must be in cahoots with the rebels... And what is the reason for why the people in these regions suffer? From back home, they know that the empire stands for prosperity, so when people somewhere else where, this can't be the fault of the empire, but it must be the fault of the insurgent groups in the area. When you never meet a rebel face to face, it is hard to convince someone of the truth...
I would honestly love to see what’s going on in the core planets right now as I feel we're only seeing the Empire in the Outer Rim which is clearly bad, but it’d be so interesting to see it where it presents itself as good. I can imagine the Empire would have a million ways to cover up bad things happening, after all, they were able to build a second Death Star and destroy Alderaan and still managed to remain in power.
WE GOT KALLUS DEVELOPMENT! Shame he had to watch his whole squad get killed, and obviously we know what happened to Zeb, so its nice for them to start to understand one another. They definitely aren't friends, but i dont think they completely hate one another either. A lot more to unpack with Shroud of Darkness. Its nice to see Kanan and (especially) Ezra holding their own against inquisitors. Both are becoming more skilled and more powerful. The community use to discuss what lightsaber form Ezra uses. We now know his style is a blend of Forms III, IV, and V. Very cool. Oh and KANAN GOT KNIGHTED!! He absolutely deserved it too. I still like to wonder what a red lightsaber is doing in a Jedi Temple, but its probably there for the same reason the temple can be opened by Dark Side users. Whatever that is...
I’m still a little in shock with how well they were able to turn around his character from pure evil to misunderstood, this episode was just amazing at developing not only him but also his relationship to Zeb with them bending over their traumas and no longer hating each other. It was so good to see Ezra and Kanan more competently taking on the Inquisitors, love that we get to see it progress so naturally. Love the detail with Ezra’s forms, I half expected him to make his own up but it’s very cool that Kanan was able to teach him a whole lot And YES!!! Kanan being knighted was long overdue and it was so good how they did it!
Ahsoka is not a Jedi. She is simply a Force User now. To be a Jedi means you follow the Jedi Order and teachings of the Jedi. Ahsoka is just a Force User who helps people. Opposite of Ventress who was not a Sith but a Dark Force User. At least till Bad Bad when she too became simply a Force User.
I like how this episode finally makes the distinction, it's going to be interesting to see what Ahsoka actually becomes as it feels like she doesn't know what she is herself at the minute.
Kallus lying about what happened on Lasan, remember back to how rather... theatrical he was when he first claimed to have been the one who wiped them out in Season 1. Kallus has always been professional and matter of fact, except when Lasat are mentioned, like a performance... to look good in front of the Empire.
This is so true! Such a good detail for him to act out of character whenever this was brought up as he wasn't the one who actually did it. Gives me so much hope for his character as I could not see a redemption arc or something for a person who actually ordered a genocide 😂
Hey Ben i am new to your really cool Reaction Channel Content 😊 Can u start a new Reaction Series to another badass cartoon show called Transformers Prime 😊
SPOILER WARNING!!!
I am watching all Star Wars in Chronological order; I have seen the Original Trilogy but nothing else beyond the Kenobi so please be careful of spoilers in the comments.
Ahsoka not wanting to open the Jedi Temple is belief that she'd anger something, that the Temple is sacred. Yoda acknowledging her at the end is Ahsoka realizing it's okay.
Well, that’s not sure.
Ahsoka's journey through this was so interesting, love that she was actually afraid to try as she doesn't know her place anymore but then Yoda's acknowledgement means she's always welcome she can try and start to define what she is now.
@@benspillerHey Ben i am new to your really cool Reaction Channel 😊
Do u think u can start a new Reaction Series 😊
To another badass cartoon show called Transformers Prime 😊
To add to Kallus' feelings, the writers confirmed the Empire never looked for him, he had to hitch a ride on several ships until he reached an Imperial Checkpoint.
The Empire, those he's supposed to protect, those that he killed for, left him for dead without question... while those that are fighting against the Empire, that speak of dark secrets, don't leave each other behind.
This is honestly so sad! Loved that the writers did confirm this as it wasn't made super clear but this just adds to the idea that he must be dissatisfied with the Empire.
Not only does it hurt Ahsoka to realize the truth about Anakin being Vader, but there is a second blow...she also has to accept that Maul was RIGHT. That Maul told her the truth, that Anakin would turn.
Guess”I told you so” really flew right into the face
She also feels responsible for it too. What if I had stayed? What if I hadn't abandoned him? What if I'd been with him like he was for me?
@@DarthRevan8976 add that to the pile.
And honestly, I’m telling you about it
@@darthdracul8372 ?
@@ARandomInternetUser08 one I’m talking about the final season of the clone wars put together with rebels, it makes sense.
And two with the other one comment like I said added it to the pile and it’s kind of sad
Which is why I said tell me about it .
The Grand Inquisitor's disillusionment from the Jedi Order began that day at Ahsoka's trial, he was the guard who escorted Barris in, and heard her speech.
As a result, he was among those that abandoned the Order and embraced the darkness when the Temple was attacked, or in his case, unlocked all the doors upon realizing what Anakin had come to do.
He was still apart of the order during Order 66 but only to cut down the other temple guards as ordered to by the emperor
Think I've been told this before but I love that we got to see him again here as what I'm assuming would have been him at his best as a Jedi.
All along, the Grand Inquisitors' outfit was just a dark version of his Temple armor.
This is such a good detail in that he's trying to show that he hasn't changed but the Jedi have which is what he got from Barriss' speech.
Anakin's outfit in the recordings is instructor gear for schooling Younglings. After which, the recordings were added to the Holocron database, same as Obi-Wan's warning years later.
It's nice to see Ezra holding his own a lot better against the inquisitors in a lightsaber duel.
It's great to see his skills in lightsaber combat improving throughout the rest of the show.
Absolutely!! I'm loving the progression of his abilities and the fact he;s able to go against Inquisitors now is just insane!
Ahsoka still isnt 100% certain. She still just in denial and you probably already know but that temple scene was inspired by an unfinished clone wars arc where Anakin was upset and asked Obi-Wan what if he failed him as foreshadowing.
Malachor was the site of the mass shadow generator superweapon that Revan ordered fired during the Republic/ Mandalorian Wars around 4100BBY and turned the world into a graveyard
Wow her denial is strong! Actually didn’t know this was based on an unfished Clone Wars arc, this show just keeps giving me more reasons to love it with how much they’re able to pull from not only unfished arcs, and old concepts but also video games!!
I was saving this essay since the Siege of Lothal. Going back to Minister Tua's death. Imagine for a moment Alasander Kallus and Maketh Tua where either related or had some other close relations. I'm and not a shipper by nature nor am I a fan of "Fridging" (look it up). But her death was a tremendous opportunity to mean a great deal more than the implied repercussions we don't see since season 2 is set far from Lothal. And the planet is only shown to us a total of three times in as many episodes. And we barely see any of the civilian population's reaction to it. Kallus could be even more motivated (and Deadly) as a result of her death at the hands of the rebels. Imagine if he was not in on the plan to kill her and instead was serious about escorting her to the capital and had some lines about regretting to not being able to escort her the whole way. The line "YOU DID THIS!?" could have a lot more weight to it. We know that the loss of Lassan was a huge battle and dialogue here shows Kallus has some regrets and some justifications too after the battle. But having Zeb explain to Kallus the Rebel's innocence and Tua's intention to defect can be a bit of a gut punch to a soldier that had tunnel vision on his objective for his entire career. Not to mention give him a chance to use some of his investigative skills that he's supposed to have but is never shown to figure out the truth in Zeb's words. Don't get me wrong I love the Enemy Mine story here. But there could be more to it than The Empire is cold and uncaring even to their own. Cause we already knew that.
So... The Grand Inquisitor is still dead... It's possible this was more so the Force manifesting a version of him into this in order to teach Kannan an important lesson. It's also possible that much like Revan in the old Republic, the Grand Inquisitor's "soul" became fractured in the force between light and dark. The dark side version of his soul continue to serve Vader, while the light side version is manifesting itself via the Force for purposes such as these. Or maybe as long as the dark side version of the Grand Inquisitor is around, his light side version can't functionally move on to become one with the force. Who knows? The Force is weird and difficult to understand, it works in mysterious ways after all. Much of what happens doesn't really have much in terms of a viable explanation.
Also. The reason why Ahsoka "can't" open the temple on Lothal, is likely because she is respecting that it's only for Jedi to open. She was removed from the order and as such, she is respecting her position, and therefore choses to respect the temple by not opening it herself, leaving that task to Ezra and Kannan. So Ahsoka probably COULD open up the temple too, but she refuses out of respect for the order.
When 5th Brother and 7th Sister tries opening the temple, first of all, they are obviously struggling, because they are FORCING it open. The temple is a Jedi creation, thus inherently connected to the light side, and will therefore most likely try to prevent dark siders from getting in. The ground outside lighting up in red seem unnatural, it feels wrong, which helps solidify this theory further.
Ah yes the Kallus episode. I always thought wouldn't it be smarter to stay IN the escape pod with the heater? That would be a more shielded area from the cold, instead of using the small heater to heat up a wide open ice cave....
That's such a good point! 😂
@@benspiller :)
For this episode, Yoda was voiced by his movie actor, and his design was based off a mix of the concept art and the original puppet.
The writers' word on the Temple is a mix, the Force, Yoda, and the Temple itself were all at work there.
Great reactions! Kanan being knighted was such a rewarding feeling, especially how it was written, with him bowing to the will of the Force. How much sorrow cam Ahsoka withstand, now?? Oh, poor girl, at least her heart has been steeled by the Force itself, so connected to the Light as she is...
Absolutely loved seeing a Jedi getting knighted finally and it couldn't have been better with Kanan being the one to get it, it's long overdue and it was just done so well with his trial ultimately being to surrender to the Will of the Force instead of trying to control both his fate and Ezra's. Ahsoka just has to keep going through more and more trauma 😂 When is she ever going to be happy!? At the very least she got confirmation but it was the very last thing she wanted to be true.
Thank you for the analysis Ben, all very keen observations. Again, I am really happy with all the things you are asking :) I am sure you have your answer by the time you watch the finale.
48:20 Like the prophecy says the Child will save the Warrior
Glad you're continuing to enjoy these 😁 Good to know I'm on the right track with all my questions and I didn't even realise this episode proved that prophesy true 😂😂
I love the ending of episode 17, the contrast in how Zeb and Kallus get rescued is great. Zeb gets rescued by the Ghost crew, his found family who he knows will do anything to get him back! Compare this with Kallus; first off, they don't specify this in the episode but Kallus wasn't even rescued by the Empire, he was rescued by a trader ship that just happened to pass by. And when he does get back to the Empire, he's greeted by Admiral Konstantine who barely even acknowledges him and then enters his dank room where he sits alone. No one in the Empire likely even cared if he had perished on that moon. I've heard some people complain that this episode is supposed to redeem Kallus but I disagree. I think instead it's supposed to give Kallus a chance to reexamine his actions and open the door to redemption if he wants to take that path. Sure, you can give a character a chance to be redeemed but they still have to make the active decision to take it.
Then we have Episode 18, I love how Kanen acknowledges that he can't protect Ezra forever, only train him the best he can. It's basically like being a parent. As much as many parents want to, they can't protect their child forever or from everything. So, the best you can do is teach them how to navigate the world so they can make the best decisions when you're no longer in the picture. Beautiful message!
Could not agree more and I love that Kallus is most likely thinking the same thing, he sees how welcoming the Rebels are to Zeb, yet he wasn’t even saved by the Empire and when he returned, they couldn't care less. And I completely agree, this episode was not redemption for Kallus in any sense, but it allowed him to view the Empire from another perspective by providing a contrast with it, he can now compare the Rebellion to the Empire with his own perspective rather than the one he got from the Empire and can now examine his place in all of it.
Love this! So many points of development for Kanan is him learning to be a parent and this is another perfect example, loved that he learned to let go and leave Ezra’s fate up to the Will of the Force as that’s the only way either of them can grow.
You know as many times as I’ve read the comic and watched the show I had never thought to correlate how Vader got the Grand Inquisitor spirit was from the Lothal temple. Got say good eye on that one. To add to that point it could be the Grand Inquisitor became one with the force when he fell into the reactor. Seeing as he went willingly and didn’t try to fight his fate. Idk just a theory but theorizing part of fun when it comes to Star Wars, especially the smaller details.
Really like this idea now with Vader finding the Inquisitor's spirit here and then torturing it 😂 It can’t be a coincidence that Vader gets the spirit in the comics and managed to be in its presence here but you’re so right it’s so much fun to theorise about these things! 😁
Fun fact: Malacore is actually where Palpatine trained Maul when he was a kid, he forced him to inhale the Ash of dead Sith to feel their Pain, this is why maul sey, at last we wil have Revenge, bc of What the jedi did to the sith there.-its from the comics
Oh this is such a terrifying detail! Thought Malacor would have Sith vibes and connections and it's now just gotten way more dangerous with having a direct connection to Palpatine, but that is some really messed up training for Maul, not sure what I expected really 😂
Yes Kanan is a Jedi Knight now. Yoda was the one giving them the visions and thus he was the one who knighted Kanan.
Ohh that was all Yoda's doing, that would explain why the Grand Inquisitor seemed very consious rather than him actually being here through the Force, but love that he was the one to actually knight Kanan.
The little flrting exchange between Kanan and the Seventh Sister in the beginning of Ep 18 is funnier than you think. The VAs of the two are married.
Can't wait for your reaction to the Season 2 Finale, because I know it's gonna be a wild ride. It's amazing how much the first two seasons of Rebels were able to do, and the best part is we haven't even gotten to the best villain in the show.....and then things get PEAK
Heard about this! So happy they did do something with it and added a little joke about them being married in real life 😂
The finale of this season 2 was insane and I cannot wait to get everyone’s thoughts on it, all I know is that I wasn’t prepared for everything it was going to do!!
Loved your reaction/analysis. Two very different but both excellent episodes. Always liked Kallus as an antagonist and as you note the episode makes one wonder about his future path. Jedi Temple episodes are always enjoyable and this one is no exception. Love when Kanan becames a Jedi Knight.
These two episodes were both just so amazing! Can't believe how well it flips around Kallus's character from pure evil to actually understandable and the Temple was just so much fun to watch! Ahsoka finally gets confirmation on Anakin, Ezra gets to meet Yoda and Kanan finally gets knighted!!
Ahsoka represents everything the Jedi should be and not what they became, she’s closer in line with Qui Gon in terms of how the Jedi should be on a belief system level.
For example, if he ended up training Anakin and not obi he would’ve had no issue with Anakin marrying Padmé as long as when it was time he had to let go.
Ahsoka not opening the temple was more of a personal choice.
Yoda is actually the one Jedi who’s always respected her, you see that even more when he thinks he’s seen her die during his training about how to appear when you become part of the cosmic force.
Even up to when they have that hologram conversation during the siege of Mandalore.
Think the same way, honestly, I’m pretty convinced most of the Jedi council wouldn’t be able to get into the Temple while if Ahsoka did try she’d have to problem, but I also love that this continues her story from Clone Wars in a way that tells us she doesn’t know what she is. She clearly doesn’t feel like she’s a Jedi so what else is there?
Having Yoda node to her and see her again was so sweet and I think it did as much for Ahsoka as it did for Yoda, he’s seen that his vision has not fully come to pass and that Ahsoka survived by leaving the order. It’s amazing how much respect he has for her, and I do wish they’ll see each other again even if the chance for that is slim.
@@benspiller part of that stems from the fact that all she was from the time she was a Padawan was a soldier, if you wanna talk about her unsure on who she is.
Not to get into specifics but this may or may not get addressed at some point, I’ve probably already said too much Without saying not much.
I will alway like "The Honorable Ones" for giving us a more relatable and honorable Kallus.
But man, i love "Shroud of Darkness" for Ezra and Kanan growth in their respective role, mirroring the first steps taken in "Path of the Jedi".
Kanan being knighted give me chills every time.
Absolutley! It's amazing what this episode was able to accomplish with Kallus and turn him from a genocidal villain to a misunderstood antagonist.
But yeah Shroud Of Darkness was insane with everything it did, it was great to see Ezra talk to Yoda and get guidance plus Kanan getting Knighted was long overdue!
ep 17 ends up being one of if not the biggest moments for zeb and kallus both in lore drops and character development. its shows zeb has finally moved on and accepted what happened in the past. for kallus we see just how good the propaganda of the empire is at persuading minds. he really believed that the empire was a force for good. which with his past on onadroan with him facing Saw's rebels and seeing not just the lasat gunning down wounded men but those who probably begged for mercy does help especially since those would be screams he would hear for a long time after surviving. The comment on having an open mind and that not all lasats were like the mercenary was something kallus probably linked to in his mind to Rebels as a whole so when he said does that extend to imperials he was pretty much saying if not all rebels or lasats are as bad that one or saw's group then maybe think that not all imperials are as bad as you think either.
by the end of the ep we see kallus back on board and realizing no one seems to care or acknowledge that he has returned or even has a limp. though they don't show it or say it kallus was rescued by a trading ship not even the empire came to look for him. that in itself must have broke something in him considering he thought that the empire was something to fight for compared letting the galaxy fall into the hands of from his point of view murderous and merciless rebels.
while the last time we see geonosis was in the clone wars ep where anakin obiwan and luminara drop a ceiling on a queen that doesn't mean they killed all the geonosisans as there were other fighting across the planet when that happened. what we do know through the comics is that the Death Star's construction did begin above it before moving. and they used geonosisans to help supply the forced labor for it while above their home planet before moving it. considering how the empire reacted when ezra's family's friend managed escape with imperil data its not that hard to imagine what they would do to the planet after it helped build it.
on to 18 Ashoka declining to be a part of opening the temple is more of her not only trying to be respectful to the jedi culture but also because she isn't sure how the temple might react for all she knew it could collapse or just not work anyway. and we see ashoka finally accept who anakin has become. ashoka seeing yoda was probably a little reward for her after realizing her old master is now Vader. she still won't tell anyone that because of the damage it would deal to moral. especially to kanan since he whole deal now is trying to keep ezra away from the dark side telling him that would only put more stress on him.
on the Grand inquisitor he was a jedi temple guard who grew disillusioned with the jedi after ashoka's trial and was there for it. he had also helped during order 66 by killing the other temple guards in hopes of joining palpatine. this is the second time one screen we see a padawan become a jedi knight the other time was in the 2003 clone wars and that one was for anakin.
Malicore is known by many names in legends and canon.(something they make a nod to later)Its is probably one of if not among the most important place's in galactic history.
Absolutely loved episode 17! It did such an amazing job with Zeb and Kallus, especially with just changing Kallus from a pure evil villain to someone understandable, as you said it gives us a great inside into the propaganda that’s prevalent within the Empire as Kallus’s belief in it is so strong. It’s so sad what Kallus went through as well and how that shaped his views on all Lasats which again is understandable.
This ending gives me so much hope for Kallus, he can finally see the Empire with some perspective and realises how little he matters to it. Really looks like he could change after this which would be so amazing after everything, we learned about him.
Honestly starting to think both the Empire and Anakin and Kenobi caused the extinction of these people, Anakin and Kenobi killed the Queen so the species was doomed and then the Empire destroyed what was left since they knew too much about the Death Star.
Ahsoka’s journey in this episode was so good, loved that we got to see her uncertainty about her place in this and she just doesn’t know where she stands with the Force stuff. She finally understands who Vader is and it was so painful to watch but I also really like that she got to see Yoda again as it felt like he was acknowledging her and letting her know that she’s welcome in this place.
Heard this about the Grand Inquisitor, it was so cool to see him like instead of his regular scary self, and I think it was so fitting that he was the one to knight Kanan and I’m just still so happy to finally see that happen.
Can’t wait to see what Malachor ends up being, the name alone makes it sound super evil so I’m expecting plenty of Sith or Darkside-related stuff!
I'm really glad Ahsoka got to see Yoda again at the end 💯🔥
Same!! They needed to see each other after everything that happened and this was so sweet to see!
I think the grand inquisitor, and the other temple guards, were all just illusions created by the temple, just like the grand inquisitor Kanaan fought when he was in the temple in season 1.
Thinking that too now, it's definitely symbolic having this guy be the one to knight Kanan but it would have been too much to have the guy actually be there.
@@benspiller My favorite part of the Kanaan side of the episode was that when he was fighting the grand iquisitor essentially to protect Ezra, the second light saber he picked up during the fight was red, indicating that if he insists on clinging on to Ezra and gets too obsessed with protecting him, it will lead him to the dark side.
Now you saw my favorite Zeb episode in the whole series. And one of my favorite episodes in the series period, with the jedi temple episode.
These were both so amazing! Loved what Zeb's episode did for Kallus and I can easily see how this is a favourite, taking him from such an evil person to someone you can empathise with is insane! Then the Jedi Temple, Wow! Finally giving Ahsoka confirmation on Anakin, Ezra getting to meet Yoda and best of all Kanan getting knighted!!
The subtle detail that Ahsoka's moment in the Temple was purely her mind breaking down, Anakin's words were all in her head.
The Temple simply brought Anakin to her, and she fell apart, all her guilt and regrets came crashing out, forcing her to accept that her question on who Vader is, is an answer already known. At the same time, making her realize she never considered how Anakin felt when she left.
Absolutely love how the Temple is used, it's all Ahsoka's thoughts and fears and the Temple just manifests it so she can face it. She finally knows how Anakin felt when she left and can start to believe what he became because of it.
Yay, the Kallus episode!!!, it is one of the best for me.
Remember how Geonosis had rings?, well, those construction spheres were sent there for a particularly massive project (wink) and now the rings are gone. Strip mined until nothing remained. Most of this was explored in the Catalyst novel (it is one of my favourite canon novels).
Edit 1: because the Death Star was a massive confidential project, even within the Empire, they had to keep a low profile (or as low as possible). The construction began over Geonosis, with the geonosians being enslaved and forced to work on it, afterwards (and to keep it a secret), the Empire wiped out the entire population in one of the first all-out genocides it perpetrated, afterwards the Death Star was moved to Scariff where (I believe) it was finished by 0 ABY.
Edit 2: Malachor is another callback to the EU. A location of huge importance in Knights of the Old Republic II. It was a Force Nexus in the Dark Side (and later a place completely dead in the Force), and a Taboo planet for Mandalorians. Now, in canon, the backstory is a hit more... Limited and different, but still VERY interesting.
You should probably take out the info about them being wiped out. He isn't 100% but it still ruins the surprise later
Loved Kallus’ episode, it’s so insane how they managed to flip the character from pure Evil to misunderstood and it’s just given me so much hope for his future!
Ah so that could add to what the Empire probably did to the species, first they took away its resources and then exterminated since they’d know too much.
Episode 17 is an interesting one as it pays homage to the 1985 movie Enemy Mine. Who could have imagined we would see Callus and Zeb being forced to work together. It works beautifully as it develops Callus’ character, which I didn’t know I needed at the time.
Rebels adds so much lore to the Force and Episode 18 is a prime example. It is steeped in mystery and offers different interpretations of what Kanan, Ezra and Ahsoka are experiencing. To this day, I’m not sure what exactly happened to the Inquisitors when the light surrounded them. Having said that, making the viewer contemplate what they've witnessed is an aspect of the story telling I really enjoy.
When Darth Vader appears, you know things are about to get real.
Great reactions, Ben! I’m excited for you to see the next episodes.
It’s so cool that this episode pays homage to Enemy Mine, it does such a good job at developing Kallus and his relationship with Zeb, it’s so impressive how they were able to flip him from pure evil to understandable.
Completely agree!! It’s so cool that they don’t give an answer to what happened to the Inquisitors when they get surrounded as it keeps the Force mysterious and completely up to the viewer on what it actually did.
Vader showing up is always terrifying 😂 it’s just a shame that Palpatine will get his hands on this place now and probably destroy every bit of Jedi essence in it.
These episodes are some of my favourites of the whole show. especially on rewatch. They act as a fulcrum point (ha see what I did there) for these characters and impact their journeys going forwards.
Especially for our Villans, Kallus, and the Grand inquisitor.
For our heroes, it shows that the empire and its Lackeys are not just pure evil for evil's sake. they are people, people who could've been good, people who the heroes could become if they are not careful.
Them performing evil acts out of their pasts is a tragedy and pitiable, not just because that's just what they do.
Love what you did here 😂 and couldn’t agree more! Both of these episodes were so pivotal for so many characters.
I actually have hope now that Kallus could change after he’s seen a contrast to the Rebellion, and it allows for the Rebels to see these guys as people who have their reasons for joining the Empire, giving them another method to fight but understanding what causes them to join in the first place.
So... Turns out, as shown in a comic, the Death Star construction area WAS at Geonosis. Vader traveled there to help figure out who was sabotaging the construction effort. Geonosians had been turned into slaves for the labor and stuff as well. And Vader found a Geonosian queen that had hooked itself up to a droid factory part and was actively producing Battled droid/Geonosian hybrids, which is anything if not terrifying as a concept. Vader though, he went in, burned the queen and her weird half mechanic, half organic offspring, and seemingly ended the capability for the Geonosians to reproduce right there and then. Vader had also found out that the Geonosians had sent a ootheca, a egg if you will, to one of the Death Star builders, in order to try and garner some sympathy from them. However Vader was able to find this out and brought the egg back before this Imperial could even look at it. Regardless. What happen next, well... The Death Star construction site were moved elsewhere and the Geonosian population was executed on mass, probably in an effort to silence them. Leaving only the construction debris field left.
It'll be interesting to see Kallus going forwards too, now that he is more of a sympathetic villain. Adds layers to his character.
Oh wow you’re right this concept is terrifying 😂 😂 The Geonosians were already creepy enough and now they go and make mechanical hybrids! Interesting that they had more than one Queen after all then, but this definitely would definitely explain what happened to their species.
Can’t wait to see where Kallus goes from here, I might be naive, but I have so much hope for a change now!
@@benspiller Well, I didn't say they had more than one queen. It's possible this other queen was an offspring of the one we see in the clone wars. So there may still only be one Geonosian queen at a time... Well... At least in the past...
24:41 You can have the same species on multiple planets...
It's a different planet. They'd be insane to try to have their base on an important Imperial controlled world.
True 😂😂 It'd have been very stupid to go back to the same planet but it looks remarkably similar.
Interesting to note the Asteroid fields around Geonosis are gone...
Geonosis Construction: The construction site of the death star was actually moved multiple times. The Geonosians are a hard working people and the empire actually made them work on the death star for some time. The station that we saw over Geonosis was a construction station that can assist when larger structures are built nearby, so it might acually have been linked to the death star.
If you would like to know more about the early years of death star construction, you can read the Tarkin novel by James Luceno. This is novel is about him overseeing the construction process, when Seperatist remnants get suspicious and he works with vader to get controll of the situation. Since you enjoyed him as a villain in Rebels, you will love his role in this novel and even learn about his past pre clone wars and how he became who he is. I love when stories are told from the perspective of the bad guys, this is very refreshing.
It’s becoming more and more evident that the Empire wiped out this species, forcing them to work on the Death Star and then moving it away from their planet would have made them redundant and since they knew all about it, they were wiped out.
I’ll absolutely check this out, as annoying as Tarkin is he’s been great in Rebels now that he is a villain on the villain’s side unlike Clone Wars, I imagine it’ll be super interesting to see how he became who he is while also getting to know the early years of the Death Star.
Kallus is Imperial Security, so he's never been in a position to question or know things about the higher ups. Similar to the lower ranks, just normal people enlisted in the "military".
His feelings about the Lasat wiping out his comrades, lead to him taking credit for what happened, and nobody in the Empire would question that.
Love the depth this episode brought to Kallus, it's awesome to see a lower-position person get to see what the Empire is doing after there was just an ordinary person, and his Lasat story makes you really empathise with him in a way that doesn't justify his views on things but it explains clearly why he thinks that way.
Anakin blaming Ahsoka for what he has become: I don't think that this is meant to be showing Ahsoka what Anakin thinks of her, but what she fears Anakin would think of her. She is blaming herself for what happened to Anakin because she wasn't there for him when he needed her. This is what she has to overcome.
True, this adds to the Temple just using what’s already inside her own head to manifest her worst fears so she can consider that Anakin being Vader is actually possible.
Thus, the reason for Ezra's steadily improving skills and developing a combat style... he's been using Anakin's instructions as a basis.
Ohh didn't notice this but it makes so much sense! Love the idea that Anakin's teachings live on after him and help other Jedi!
Obi-Wan also didn't vote Ahsoka out. I guess Plo Koon, also, but I'm not 100% certain.
Obi-Wan definitely would never do it but I just can't bring myself to think Plo Koon would vote against her.
The Last Geonosis trip:
Luminara was captured, and Obi-Wan was entertaining the Queen while she was demonstrating how to control people. Anakin freed Luminara while Obi-Wan and the Clones dropped the ceiling on the Queen.
Yeah their definitely the reason this planet is baren of life now 😂😂
About Ahsoka's place as a "non-Jedi": (EDIT: you mention it in the episode, that's cool. I guess I'm keeping the comment up anyway)
I've always interpreted it as her own way to separate herself from the Order's issues. She's still not a Jedi because, for her, being a Jedi is closely tied to all the things that brought their downfall: the stoicism, the lack of empathy, the rigidness when it came to rules. She is a light-side user, but since she saw the Jedi's failings first-hand, she's just not comfortable with the label.
It's interesting that one can contrast this with Luke, who grew up on _stories_ of the Jedi and wasn't alive to see their flaws. So he basically redefines the term, giving it a new meaning that was based on his own experiences as a light-side user.
Their paths are similar, but while Ahsoka abandoned the term "Jedi", Luke gave it a new meaning.
Inquisitor planet in the 2nd Episode? No, this just looked similar.
The training room Kanan was brought to is the same one from Tales of the Jedi.
Those creatures are able to travel through space! You saw them in TCW they are called Neebray. Plo Koon talked about them when he escorted Anakin, Ahsoka, and their Y-Wing squadron to intercept the Malevolence though the smugglers route. Neebray can travel freely in nebulas and such. So NO. its not Stygian Prime.
3:05 Geonosians living and knowing about a top-secret Imperial project would definitely be considered a threat to the Empire… and we know what the Empire does with species or peoples they identify as threats!
Ahh true! Feels pretty even that the Empire could have wiped them out or Anakin and Kenobi with the whole Queen situation, but I like that it could be either one or probably both.
Kallus is a great character.
When it comes to the Geonosians, there were many queens, but we witnessed the death of the most important one and, more crucially, the destruction of a vast number of eggs containing future queens - the potential future of their species.
(Other queens also fell victim to the Republic, especially during the occupation.)
This posed a lethal threat to their species. Imagine that, out of, say, 50 queens, only 10 survived. This would immediately reduce the Geonosian population and significantly lower the chances of producing ideal, healthy future queens.
We can speculate that the Geonosians might have had a chance to recover after the war, but... well, designing the Death Star clearly didn’t work out in their favor. They simply knew too much.
Jedi and the Republic started it, and the Empire finished it.
As for Zeb, you're absolutely right. Zeb has rebuilt his hope and is no longer blindly driven by revenge against Kallus.
He may still disagree with what Kallus has done, but for the first time, we see him trying to understand the other side.
(And honestly, should we really be surprised that Saw Garera always seems to mess things up?)
Regarding Kallus, this episode revealed a lot about him.
Primarily, it showed that he is essentially the Imperial counterpart to Zeb. He isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, which is why he’s part of the ISB, but he also has a deep sense of respect for others.
Kallus has repeatedly shown that he respects and understands his enemies. For instance, he acknowledged Ezra’s talent by telling an officer that the boy would escape them.
He also demonstrated that he has scars from his past but can still act honorably, especially toward someone who shows him honor.
This raises an important question: Does the Empire show Kallus any respect, honor, or anything beyond their expectations of him?
The answer is simple: no. To them, he’s just a replaceable pawn, and Kallus is now beginning to realize this. He lived in an idealistic bubble, wanting to be an honorable warrior fighting for the Empire. Yet, his enemies respect him more than his own allies. And events like the aforementioned genocide only raise further questions in the context of honor.
27:40
It seems Ahsoka’s stubbornness comes into play here. She doesn’t want to identify as a Jedi and just respects the idea that the Jedi Temple belongs to the Jedi.
It's a bit silly logic but it fits Ahsoka.
That's why fans say she's a Gray Jedi but in the sense that she's a light side user but doesn't necessarily follow the rules of the Jedia code.
(But by that logic, the same could be said of Qui-Gon. So she’s either a Light Side user or simply a Jedi who doesn’t want to be called a Jedi.)
Regarding Kanan and his lesson, everything about this scene is significant.
Let's start with the fact that probably this is not the real Grand Inquisitor.
the temple materialized him for Kanan's lesson. The real Grand Inquisitor was "suspended in limbo" by Vader.
(Or maybe it's some strange form of communication similar to communicating with Yoda, it's hard to say.)
But here’s also the answer to why the Temple was practically defenseless during Order 66: the Grand Inquisitor had killed nearly all the Temple Guards because he was one of them. If not for this, there might have been even a potential chance to stop Vader.
The massacre at the Temple would certainly not have been such a significant success, as the Guards could have alert everyone, organized an effective defense and even a partial evacuation.
And it must be said that for the temple guard, the safety in the temple is a priority, even above the Jedi Code. If any of them had seen the 501st Legion and Anakin marching on the Temple, they would have reacted immediately because they would understand and recognize the threat.
(Instead, one of the Jedi who saw that approached Anakin and asked what is going on. Anakin asked: Where is Shak Ti? When he found out, he killed him and entered unprepared and defenseless temple.)
Next, there’s the quote:
"Try to fight, and you will fail. The rebellion will be destroyed, you will die, your apprentice will become a servant of evil."
Conclusion:
If Kanan chooses to fight, he will lose control over his fate, potentially leading to catastrophic events.
We see the prophetic nature of these words play out in the finale. Kanan tried to fight, and if Maul’s strategy had been different, Kanan would almost certainly have died, and Ezra would have a new master.
"You will never be strong enough to defend your people, and you will perish for your failure."
Additionally, Kanan holds both a blue and a red lightsaber.
The lightsaber colors symbolize Ezra’s future, which rests in Kanan’s hands.
Kanan fears failing as a master, but if this fear continues to dominate their relationship, it will crumble under greater weakness/difficulty. Kanan will lose Ezra permanently and die trying to fight to get him back.
"Even now, the servants of the Dark Side come to your apprentice. You cannot fight forever."
The lesson: Let this relationship not be built on the foundation of your fear. Guide him and help him, but Trust Him.
He understood this and was knighted
Now for Ezra’s conversation with Yoda:
Ezra’s perspective is one-sided. He can’t grasp what Yoda is trying to tell him. Ezra only wants information on how to ensure a successful confrontation and destroy all his enemies.
In response, Yoda speaks about the Clone Wars, warning Ezra against this approach by explaining that the path to destruction leads to self-destruction.
Ezra questions Yoda’s words, insisting that what he’s doing is right and continuing to seek key information for confrontation.
Seeing that he cannot teach Ezra anything at this moment, Yoda sends him to Malachor.
We might ask why Yoda sent Ezra to a planet so heavily tied to the Sith.
If Yoda wanted Ezra to confront his darkness and fear, as he did in the Clone Wars, he could have sent them to Korriban, a place whose Dark Side aura can break even the strongest.
So that’s clearly not the reason.
Yoda didn't know Maul was there and absolutely didn't want a confrontation.
So what?
Yoda wanted Ezra to understand that confrontation through destruction would lead to his own destruction. The battlefield that was ignored by them was part of that lesson. The holocron that told him the Sith philosophy was also supposed to be part of this lesson.
Yoda's perspective for this lesson: Ezra sees where his current approach leads and begins to understand it. After understanding the holocron and the path of destruction, he rejects it.
And finally, Ahsoka. If we interpret this as the temple connecting with others minds or something like that, to create an illusion for communication, this is exactly what Vader is thinking about her right now:
"You are selfish, you abandoned me, this is your fault."
For Ahsoka, this is a terrifying lesson. She can no longer hide it from herself.
SPOILERS!!! Take out the part of Maul, the holocron and the finale. DONT RUIN THIS FOR BEN
@DarthRevan8976 He watched the finale so it's not a spoiler
Good to know that wasn’t the only queen, makes what Kenobi and Anakin did feel less like the cause of their destruction, but they definitely still played a part in it.
Definitely makes sense that the Empire would do this, the Geonosians would have known too much as a species.
Loved getting to see a more healed Zeb here where he can actually hold a conversation with Kallus before the truth even got revealed that he was even responsible.
It was so good to see him talking to the other side to as this could add a lot more perspective to him in how he views people working in the Empire. Also really hoping Saw might show up soon with everything he’s messed up, The last time I saw him was at the start of Bad Batch I think, and he was just starting out.
Absolutely loved everything this did with Kallus, taking him from a pure evil villain to someone understandable and that ending just gives me so much hope for a potential change for him, it feels like he might have realised how much the Empire doesn’t care about him, he is someone with a deep sense of honour and respect which is completely opposite to the Empire and as you said he’s Zeb’s counterpart, only the Rebellion much more aligns with these kinds of qualities.
I love how confusing Ahsoka’s position is here, she fully chose to leave the Jedi but in doing so has become closer to a true Jedi than any of them, I truly believe if she tried to open the Temple it’d work and if few from the old council tried it they’d fail miserably!
Even though this wasn’t the real Gran Inquisitor, I think it was so fitting that he was the one for Kanan to face and also be knighted by. But yeah, reading all this he truly was an evil individual for being sly like this, it’s such shame that these small things are what made Palpatine’s victory possible and without it, it could have all been different.
Kanan’s lesson was absolutely phenomenal, and I love how much detail was put into it, it not only feels fitting for Kanan but also how I’d expect a Knighting trial to happen. The imagery it uses is incredible for how it sets up all that’s to come as well and I’m just glad Kanan was able to pass as now he can be a better mentor for Ezra and bring him back from what he ends up doing.
Yoda’s approach to Ezra is really interesting and I love how long it takes for it all to truly sink in for him, Yoda realises that Ezra isn’t being receptive and that he’s adamant in his path, the only way is to send him to the belly of the beats and give him the solutions he’s looking for. Only then can he make up his mind and see everything for what it is as he simply hasn’t experienced anything Yoda is trying to explain to him.
Ahsoka’s part is so heartbreaking, and I think this could be interpreted as either connecting minds or just manifesting her inner thoughts but it still gives her the same answer so at least she got that out of all this!
33:28 one of the most powerful scenes in all of star wars in my opinion
And that likely wasn't actually Anakin. It was the temple projecting Ahsoka's guilt
Also for context Malachor is a planet that was prevalent in the Knights of the old republic games. Some people were shocked to hear that because most assumed everything from those games was pushed out of the canon
Loved this scene so much, definitely agree with you now, this was all Ahsoka’s thoughts manifested by the Temple to allow her to face the possibility of Anakin being Vader.
It’s so cool how much stuff in this show is pulled from other things, can’t wait to see what Malachor is like but from the name alone I’m sure it’s going to be quite evil!
Damn straight he’s a Jedi Knight now! Great video as always! MTFBWY!
It's so amazing that he's finally gotten this title, long overdue!!
We'll get a definitive answer on what happened on Geonosis eventually, don't worry.
Good to know but I'm starting to think It's probably both the Empire wiping out what was left of the species because of what they knew plus Anakin and Kenobi destroying their Queen which started their extinction.
@benspiller Yeah they were basically silencing witnesses on mass but I won't spoil how they did it.
You will find out what happened to the Geonosians in season 3.
Good to know that'll be answered, though I'm starting to think Anakin and Kenobi doomed the species by destroying the Queen then the Empire wiped them out since they knew too much.
Yeah, she doesn’t know yet… she has an idea but still doesn’t believe it …will become obvious at some point you’ll see
Her denial is certainly strong 😂 But at least this gave her the opportunity to consider this possibility so when she learns the truth she isn’t caught off guard.
Hi, Ben! Hope you are well! Glad I caught this one early. =D
4:40 - OH! Right...... THIS episode...... Ben.... I know I say this in every video you release...... but "Pay VERY close attention here". This episode is more important than you think, off the bat.
33:00 - Good call, Ben. It is indeed the Grand Inquisitor..... however, this is him when he was indeed a Temple Guard, prior to turning to the Dark Side. You see (and I've been holding this back, waiting for this episode), he was one of many Jedi who turned and became Inquisitors, because they would have been killed otherwise. This is an important scene, though. As you'll figure out in a minute or so.
Doing good! Hope you’re well too.
Absolutely loved this episode so I’ll try my hardest to remember everything they did here, my main thoughts are that it gives me so much hope in Kallus possibly turning against the Empire while also talking about the whole Geonosis thing.
It was so cool to see the Grand Inquisitor like this!! Think I got told before though that he once was a Temple Guard so this didn’t come as much surprise to see him like this but I thought it was so powerful that he or at least his image was the one to knight Kanan.
@@benspiller I'm doing alright at the moment, thank you for asking.
I will mention that you DID see the Grand Inquisitor during the Clone Wars, you just didn't know it. He was one of the ones who escorted Baris Ofee to the council trial chambers when Anakin outed her as the person behind the bombing that Ahsoka was blamed for. How's THAT for a "plot twist"?
About Kallus..... I can't give away things you haven't seen yet.... however, you've seen the seeds planted, so I'll only say "trust your instincts". But it remains to be seen if the seeds planted will bloom into a flower, or take over as a weed does.
While I still love Clone Wars and Bad Batch as shows.... Rebels in still my favorite animated series of the bunch. You're slowly learning why. I truly DO enjoy going down this journey with you. It reminds me of the first time that I watched the series. The storytelling is amazing, and I would go full on "Wayne and Garth meeting Alice Cooper" if I ever came face to face with Dave Filoni...... I would drop to my knees, bow and yell "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!" (sorry, MINOR spoiler for the Wayne's World movie... in case you haven't seen it)
Dave Filoni truly IS George Lucas' Padawan, who has earned the title of Knight. I fully expect him to earn the level of Master, at some point, because he's well on his way.
I never understood how Yoda appears as a vision in this temple if Yoda is not dead right now, Luke has not been trained yet, this takes place before episode 4, Could it all be a hallucination produced by the temple?
It's definitely confusing, my thoughts are either it's the work of the Temple to provide a wise and trusted face for the Jedi involved or Yoda's training with the Force Priestess granted him more powers with a higher understanding of the Force.
Ahsoka…
Yeah, but to be honest part of her still denying it or rather doesn’t know how to take it I mean when any of us this man was basically the best of us and for him to become something like that a cyborg monster…
To be honest, like her, I would give anything to have Anakin back.
It was so painful to see Ahsoka go through this denial again and I guess she still hasn’t fully accepted it, at least this manifested her worst fear so she could face it making any actual confrontation less surprising.
Same, wish Anakin could come back, miss the Clone Wars era a lot 🥲
Death Star definitely wasn't built over Geonosis. Right about that.
3:19 the war criminal karate-kicks the droid. 😂
"Yes, we want tim back"...Chopper really wants Zeb gone. 🤣
The funny thing is they could've killed that creature on the ice moon because cutting open a killed animal was even shown in ESB when Han used Luke's lightsaber on Hoth.
Kallus is definitely having second thoughts about the Empire. It's mirroring Crosshair's arc perfectly. Technically Crosshair's arc mirrored Kallus' though because The Bad Batch was made after this, but still. Even the shots of Kallus and Crosshair sitting alone in a depressing room and also being left alone by choice before that to be found by the Empire is identical.
Idk if the planet they were on in the beginning of the 2nd episode was the same one Fortress Inquisitorious is on. No way they'd go there. Who knows though. I'd have to look it up.
25:26 Ahsoka's theme played when Kanan said they need advice. I wonder who that is. 😉
Ahsoka's only in denial. She doesn't want to associate herself with the Jedi anymore with what the council did to her (said later on). She'd have to go through a lot to want to be associated with being a Jedi again. 🥲
Ahsoka's "NO" scream at the Anakin-revealed-to-be-Vader vision...tear-jerker. You could feel all of the pain of her past in that one moment. The vision was definitely not Anakin/Vader. It was a guilt-trip vision. Ahsoka has went through so much. 😭
I honestly have no clue if the temple guard is actually the grand inquisitor. It might be a vision of the past that the force is trying to show him, or it legitimately might be him and he was redeemed when he fell into the fire, and fast. I don't know at all. I'll have to look that up too.
Liked Yoda's theme playing as he waved bye to Ahsoka. I hope they're on good terms now. I feel like Ahsoka really does love some people involved with the Jedi. 🥲
Glad I was right about the Death Star being built elsewhere 😂
😂 😂 Nothing beats Chopper in combat!
Exactly! If they were so desperate to get warm, they could have just cut those things open and the best bit was that there were two of them, one each so they don’t have to be next to each other!
It’s incredible what this episode does for Kallus, and it’s given me so much hope for an eventual turn for him, this turned him from a pure evil villain to someone actually understandable.
Probably not the same planet but it’s insanely similar in appearance.
Ahhh, love details like this!
It’s so sad that Ahsoka views it this way, she’s closer to a Jedi than a lot of the council were, and I imagine she’d have an easier time getting into this temple than a lot of them.
Poor Ahsoka just can’t stop being put through so much trauma! The vision was so cruel but at least it gets her closer to learning the truth even if she’s still trying to deny it.
Yoda and Ahsoka’s scene was so sweet, they’re definitely on good terms now, feel like his node was letting her know that she’s always welcome as a Jedi but also understanding it’s her choice what she ends up being.
@@benspiller yeah. It does kind of look like that planet.
Hopefully Ahsoka eventually looks at herself as a true Jedi some day. Yoda still thinks of her that way I feel like. 🥲
Its less Ahsoka not being able to open the temple and more so that the Temple is sacred to the Jedi and she doesnt see herself as a Jedi. At least, thats how i always view it.
Completely agree, I love that this episode really shows off that she doesn't know what she is right now, she thought she'd be unwelcome in this place and didn't want to try, then at the end, she gets acknowledged by Yoda meaning she's okay to be there, now she has something to go off of when trying to define what she is.
Without spoiling anything Malachor isn't something you're likely to have heard unless you played the Knights of the Old Republic games by Bioware. That was pre-Disney so not canon to Rebels anyway, but was an interesting thing to hear referenced by those of us who had played the games.
Love how much this show uses from other media! Cannot wait to see whatever Malacor is but with a name like that I'm sure it had major significance to the game so the reaction of people who knew about it must have been amazing!
Zeb and Callus are good now. Ahsoka is a Force Wielder at this point in her story and that's okay for her. There were 3 Jedi that didn't vote to eject her from the Jedi Order, Yoda, Obi-Wan and Kloon.
It's crazy how well this episode flipped Kallus' character from pure evil to actually understandable, love what's going on with Ahsoka and how this defined that she doesn't know exactly what she is yet and she's trying to figure it out, and thank you so much for this reminder! 😂 Could not rest easy with the thought of Plo Koon turning against her!
Are all Imperials the same? Most people in the empire are just normal people that work for example as troopers to protect their home and earn some money to feed the family at home. The Propaganda makes the empire seem like the good guys for most people in the wealthy core worlds. When it comes to the mid and outer rim, the empire presents itself as less friendly, but whenever information about something bad happening there does reach the core, they have some kind of cover up story. For the officers and troopers who start off wealthy and manipulated, it isn't easy to see through how bad it is, what they actually do. They are told, that their opponents are ruthless terrorists which, for them, would justify extreme measures.
And when they act against civilians, who knows if those aren't undercover Terrorists as well? Who would disobey imperial orders, when the Empire comes to safe them? They must be in cahoots with the rebels...
And what is the reason for why the people in these regions suffer? From back home, they know that the empire stands for prosperity, so when people somewhere else where, this can't be the fault of the empire, but it must be the fault of the insurgent groups in the area. When you never meet a rebel face to face, it is hard to convince someone of the truth...
I would honestly love to see what’s going on in the core planets right now as I feel we're only seeing the Empire in the Outer Rim which is clearly bad, but it’d be so interesting to see it where it presents itself as good.
I can imagine the Empire would have a million ways to cover up bad things happening, after all, they were able to build a second Death Star and destroy Alderaan and still managed to remain in power.
WE GOT KALLUS DEVELOPMENT! Shame he had to watch his whole squad get killed, and obviously we know what happened to Zeb, so its nice for them to start to understand one another. They definitely aren't friends, but i dont think they completely hate one another either.
A lot more to unpack with Shroud of Darkness. Its nice to see Kanan and (especially) Ezra holding their own against inquisitors. Both are becoming more skilled and more powerful.
The community use to discuss what lightsaber form Ezra uses. We now know his style is a blend of Forms III, IV, and V. Very cool.
Oh and KANAN GOT KNIGHTED!! He absolutely deserved it too.
I still like to wonder what a red lightsaber is doing in a Jedi Temple, but its probably there for the same reason the temple can be opened by Dark Side users. Whatever that is...
I’m still a little in shock with how well they were able to turn around his character from pure evil to misunderstood, this episode was just amazing at developing not only him but also his relationship to Zeb with them bending over their traumas and no longer hating each other.
It was so good to see Ezra and Kanan more competently taking on the Inquisitors, love that we get to see it progress so naturally.
Love the detail with Ezra’s forms, I half expected him to make his own up but it’s very cool that Kanan was able to teach him a whole lot
And YES!!! Kanan being knighted was long overdue and it was so good how they did it!
Love Is in the air...
Ahsoka is not a Jedi. She is simply a Force User now. To be a Jedi means you follow the Jedi Order and teachings of the Jedi. Ahsoka is just a Force User who helps people. Opposite of Ventress who was not a Sith but a Dark Force User. At least till Bad Bad when she too became simply a Force User.
I like how this episode finally makes the distinction, it's going to be interesting to see what Ahsoka actually becomes as it feels like she doesn't know what she is herself at the minute.
@@benspiller I don't think Ahsoka cares for a label...it's not really needed. She's just Ahsoka Tano.
You are getting closer to Thrawn.
Kallus lying about what happened on Lasan, remember back to how rather... theatrical he was when he first claimed to have been the one who wiped them out in Season 1. Kallus has always been professional and matter of fact, except when Lasat are mentioned, like a performance... to look good in front of the Empire.
This is so true! Such a good detail for him to act out of character whenever this was brought up as he wasn't the one who actually did it. Gives me so much hope for his character as I could not see a redemption arc or something for a person who actually ordered a genocide 😂
Was waiting for this one
Kallus has lot to think about now...
And with only the stone in his room and no distractions, his thoughts will be consumed with this experience and it gives me so much hope for change!!
💙
46:41 here I disagree. I will develop later my though
Interesting...
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Hey Ben i am new to your really cool Reaction Channel Content 😊
Can u start a new Reaction Series to another badass cartoon show called Transformers Prime 😊