The Essential Mandalore Episodes of Star Wars: Rebels

My being put off by the animated Clone Wars series meant that I was an extreme latecomer to Star Wars: Rebels. The show had long ended by the time I started watching in 2020.

But as I watched the first season of The Mandalorian and began to dive into the Mandalore-specific episodes of Clone Wars, it became clear that Rebels would also have an important bearing on the overall narrative.

Beyond that, though, Rebels is a genuinely good show. I was hooked from the first narrative arc, namely when Jedi-in-exile Kanan Jarrus says to the young Ezra Bridger, “Kid, I’m about to let everyone in on a secret” and takes out his lightsaber for the first time.

In crafting this show, it’s clear that Dave Filoni had matured as a storyteller and showrunner. The episodes often deal with complex themes related to war, family, and loss, and they eschew the more childish elements that initially soured me on Clone Wars.

Much as I did in my other blog entry, this post will serve as a primer on the essential episodes needed to best understand the events leading up to The Mandalorian.

Really, though, I would encourage readers to watch Rebels in its entirety. For one thing, it’s shorter than Clone Wars by almost half. For another, it has a Mandalorian as one of its main characters: the young warrior Sabine Wren.

Here is the episode list, followed by recaps and analysis. Note that after the list are spoilers! I would also strongly recommend reading the Clone Wars Mandalore primer first.

Season 2: Episodes 8, 13, 21-22

Graphic Novel - Star Wars: Kanan Omnibus*

Solo: A Star Wars Story*

Season 3: Episodes 3, 7, 11, 15-16, 20-22

Season 4: Episodes 1-2

* = optional

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S2E8: “Blood Sisters”

Much like Clone Wars, there are no season 1 episodes of Rebels dealing with Mandalore, and this one is only somewhat related.

On the planet Garel, Sabine and Ezra are sent on a mission to rendezvous with a mysterious courier who has something vital for the rebel cause. They aren’t the only ones looking for the courier, though. A bounty hunter named Ketsu Onyo is also on the hunt for the rebel informant.



Ketsu and Sabine have history, and this is the important part of the episode. Ketsu and Sabine escaped together from the Imperial Academy on Mandalore. Afterwards, they became bounty hunters and even had plans to join the Black Sun crime syndicate. But things didn’t go exactly to plan when Ketsu double-crossed Sabine.

By the end of the episode, Ketsu and Sabine have mended their friendship, and Ketsu even considers helping the rebellion. Moreover, the back story we glean about Sabine serves as essential building blocks of her character.

S2E13: “The Protector of Concord Dawn”

Finally, a true Mandalore episode!

The rebels are looking for a new hyperspace route and decide to ask for assistance from the Mandalorian sect living on the planet Concord Dawn. Although Mandalore was officially neutral during the Clone Wars, this sect, known as the Protectors, helped train clone troopers for the Republic. Their leader, Fenn Rau, also engaged in several battles against the separatists.



After the rise of Emperor Palpatine, Concord Dawn began trading favors with the Empire in exchange for its independence. This means that the rebels aren’t exactly welcome when they come to negotiate passage. Rebel leader Hera Syndulla and her squad are gunned down by Rau, with Hera suffering serious injuries. When Kanan and Sabine return to Concord Dawn to finish the job, we learn a lot of critical information:

1.) Sabine’s last name refers to her clan, Clan Wren, which is part of House Vizsla. If the name “Vizsla” sounds familiar, it’s because it featured heavily in Clone Wars. Tarre Vizsla was the first Mandalorian ever admitted to the Jedi Academy, and he wielded a unique black-blade lightsaber known as the Darksaber. The Darksaber became an heirloom in House Vizsla, later held by Tarre’s descendant, Pre Vizsla of the Death Watch sect.

2.) Since Clan Wren is part of House Vizsla, it was also a member of Death Watch. During the Clone Wars, Pre Vizsla and Death Watch tried to overthrow Mandalore with the help of Darth Maul. After Maul killed Pre Vizsla in single combat, Death Watch split in two factions: those loyal to Maul and those who followed Bo-Katan Kryze. Maul led his faction with the Darksaber he claimed from Pre Vizsla.

3.) The Protectors took part in the Mandalorian Civil War prior to the rule of Duchess Satine Kryze. Though it’s not clear yet which side the Protectors fought on, we can theorize that they supported the pacifist government since they view Death Watch as traitors.

As we go through Rebels, there are two threads we need to pursue. The first thread follows the Darksaber (and Maul) while the second follows the events on Mandalore leading up to the so-called Great Purge. This way we can see how things got to be the way they are by the time we reach The Mandalorian.

In “The Protector of Concord Dawn” we get crucial data on both. By the end of the episode, Kanan and Sabine have taken Fenn Rau as a kind of political prisoner, ensuring that the rebels can use the hyperspace corridor near Concord Dawn for the foreseeable future.

Graphic Novel - Star Wars: Kanan Omnibus

This graphic novel is strictly optional and doesn't add anything of huge value to the Mandalore storyline. In fact, it's about Kanan's backstory and takes place sometime before the end of Rebels season 2.

The only reason I'm including it here is because of its ties to "The Protector of Concord Dawn." There's a brief scene in the episode where Kanan and Fenn Rau discuss the Battle of Mygeeto. You can see this incident in the Kanan graphic novel, though it's scarcely two pages long.

Like most of Rebels, I recommend this comic because it tells a good story. But it admittedly has very little bearing on Mandalore.

Film – Solo: A Star Wars Story



Right now you’re asking yourself: What does Solo: A Star Wars Story have to do with Rebels?

The honest answer is: not much. Solo is also optional, but I’m including it here for a very specific reason.

Since the Clone Wars animated series, the fate of Mandalore and the Darksaber are inextricably tied to Darth Maul. After Maul’s escape from Ahsoka Tano in the final season of Clone Wars, the former Sith returns to his criminal enterprises, at one point ascending to lead the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate. Maul’s cameo in Solo provides connective tissue to his whereabouts between Clone Wars and his first appearance in Rebels at the end of season 2.

Notably, Maul has the Darksaber at the end of the Son of Dathomir graphic novel, but does not wield it in the final episodes of Clone Wars or in Solo. Hmmm …

S2E21-22: “Twilight of the Apprentice Part 1 & 2”

The spectacular season 2 finale of Rebels sees the return of a who’s who of famous Star Wars characters. Ahsoka! The Inquisitors! Darth Maul! Darth Vader! It’s pretty much a fan’s dream come true, with several explosive confrontations taking place.

For the purposes of this primer, Maul’s appearance in these episodes is what makes them essential.



Sometime after the events in Solo, Maul journeys to Malachor in search of a Sith holocron. Maul tells Ezra that he has been stranded on Malachor for some time, though we never learn if this is true or a deception. We also learn that the Inquisitors aren’t just hunting Jedi — they’ve also been tracking Maul for years as a “shadow” threat to the Emperor’s rule.

Not unexpectedly, Maul tries to manipulate the young Ezra. Double-crosses occur. By the end of the episode, several of the Inquisitors are dead, Maul has blinded Kanan, and Ahsoka receives confirmation that Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader are one and the same. Their duel leaves Ahsoka missing in action … for now.

Once again, Maul does not wield the Darksaber.

S3E3: “The Holocrons of Fate”

Just three episodes into season 3 and Maul is back. He’s taken the crew of the Ghost hostage and wants the Sith holocron from Malachor in exchange for their lives.

During the hostage standoff, Maul quips to Sabine that she above all should trust him, since he once ruled Mandalore. Her shipmates ask if this is true, and Sabine says that it is.

When Maul finally gets access to the Sith holocron, he unites it with Kanan’s Jedi holocron to gain greater enlightenment. What he learns instead (thought it is not explicitly stated) is that his old nemesis Obi-Wan Kenobi has survived the Jedi purge and is still alive somewhere in the galaxy.

S3E7: “Imperial Supercommandos”

Early in this episode, Ezra exclaims, “I really don’t get this whole Mandalorian thing.” Well buckle in friends, because things are about to move forward at hyperspeed.

The episode begins with Sabine playing a strategy game with Fenn Rau. Rau accuses Sabine of being a traitor. Sabine tries to recruit Rau to the rebel cause.



Before long, Sabine and Rau are summoned to the war room. There’s a problem — the rebels have lost contact with the Mandalorians living on Concord Dawn. Suspecting some kind of trap, Sabine, Ezra, and Rau travel there to investigate.

Upon arrival, the trio discovers that the Protectors have been wiped out. The evidence, though, suggests that the attack came from other Mandalorians. This turns out to be only partly right. The base was attacked by other Mandalorians but not because of some inter-clan feud. As Sabine, Ezra, and Rau come to learn, the Protectors were killed by Mandalorians in service to the Empire. Leading these so-called “supercommandos” is Gar Saxon, who announces himself as the imperial viceroy of Mandalore.

This is where we need to take a step back into the Clone Wars era, specifically the Son of Dathomir graphic novel and the animated show’s final season. Saxon was a small but important side character in these stories before stepping fully into the spotlight. It was Saxon who led a group of Mandalorian commandos to free Darth Maul from the Emperor’s prison on Stygeon Prime. It was also Saxon who served as Maul’s commander in the battles that followed.

Saxon’s most defining trait is that he’ll back anyone who will help him advance his own self-interest. Initially a supporter of Prime Minister Almec, Saxon later assassinated Mandalore’s puppet ruler on Maul’s orders. And when Maul betrayed Saxon at the end of the Clone Wars, Saxon was quick to align himself with the emerging Empire. This allegiance apparently put him on the fast track to becoming Mandalore’s governor under the auspices of the Emperor.

Back on Concord Dawn, we learn that Clan Saxon — like Clan Wren — is a member of House Vizsla. Though we never get confirmation that Clan Saxon was a member of Death Watch, it’s not outside the realm of possibility. We also learn that the Protectors were aligned with the throne of Mandalore, confirming which side they fought on during the Mandalorian Civil War.

Perhaps the biggest reveal, though, is about Sabine’s mother, Ursa Wren, whom Saxon says is now serving the Empire. Ursa appeared with Bo-Katan briefly in the final episodes of Clone Wars as a member of the Death Watch splinter group that broke away from Darth Maul. To hear that Ursa is now serving the Empire is indeed shocking.

After fleeing the planet to save his own skin, Rau has a change of heart and comes back to rescue Sabine and Ezra. Once they have defeated Saxon’s men and made their escape, Rau recognizes that Sabine has not forgotten the ways of her people and agrees to join the rebellion.

S3E11: “Visions and Voices”

At first, this episode doesn’t seem to have much relevance to Mandalore apart from an appearance by Darth Maul. But the second half of “Visions and Voices” is where things take another major leap forward.

At the rebel base on Atollon, Ezra begins having visions of Maul from their being joined by the holocrons in episode 3. Kanan takes Ezra to see the Force-sensitive being Bendu, but it isn’t long before they are confronted by Maul in the flesh. In exchange for keeping the location of the rebel base secret, Maul wants to join with Ezra again to finally get the answers he’s been seeking.

Ezra reluctantly agrees, and the two travel to Maul’s home planet of Dathomir followed covertly by Kanan and Sabine. Maul leads Ezra into the former lair of the Nightsisters, which he has been using as a kind of home base / shrine. It is full of what Maul calls “artifacts from my past,” and it is here that Ezra makes an amazing discovery. Situated beneath a Picasso-esque painting of Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore is — drum roll please — the Darksaber.



Let’s take a moment to unpack this. First, this episode provides an answer to where the Darksaber has been since its last appearance in the Son of Dathomir graphic novel. Maul has apparently been keeping it stashed on his homeworld, though we don’t know why he chose to use his red lightsaber over the Darksaber. Equally unclear is why the Darksaber is enshrined beneath a portrait of Duchess Satine. After all, Maul killed the duchess with the weapon way back in season 5 of Clone Wars.

Ezra asks Maul if the Darksaber is a kind of lightsaber. Maul chuckles and replies, “Yes, but not like any that you would know. If your Mandalorian friend was here, she could explain it to you.” He then insists that he and Ezra get on with the ritual that will unite their minds.

To accomplish this, Maul is going to leverage Nightsister magic. What Maul fails to mention is that the use of such magic comes at a cost, namely that the spirits of fallen Nightsisters will want to merge with living hosts. Kanan and Sabine arrive just in time to provide two warm bodies.

A fight ensues in which Ezra is forced to combat his friends. Maul asks Ezra to officially become his apprentice, but Ezra refuses. Maul flees in disgust, leaving Ezra to find a way to save Kanan and Sabine. We see the Darksaber in action when a possessed Sabine wields it against Ezra.

Eventually, Ezra destroys the Nightsisters’ altar, which drives away the spirits. Neither Kanan nor Sabine remember being possessed. Before leaving the planet, Sabine spots the Darksaber on the ground and, intrigued, takes it with her.

S3E15: “Trials of the Darksaber”

This episode is purely optional. Just kidding — it has “Darksaber” in the title for goodness sake!

The story begins with Kanan showing the Darksaber to Fenn Rau. Rau then gives a brief history of the Darksaber and its symbolic meaning, which is so perfect that it defies summary. Instead, here’s the full clip from Disney XD.

Kanan and Rau proceed to ask Sabine if she’ll take the Darksaber. She is, after all, a legitimate claimant to the blade since Clan Wren is a member of House Vizsla. However, Sabine also knows what wielding the Darksaber entails and is reluctant for several reasons. For one thing, she’s estranged from her biological family and has found a new family in the crew of the Ghost. For another, it would require her to take a precarious leadership role that she’s not sure she’s ready for.

In the end, Sabine agrees to begin working with the blade. What follows is, for Star Wars, a fairly typical training sequence. Sabine struggles, reaches a point of crisis, and returns recommitted. In all honesty, this episode would be fairly paint-by-numbers if not for the important subject matter we’ve been following. And we do get to see the Darksaber in action again, so there’s that.



S3E16: “Legacy of Mandalore”

This episode is a direct continuation of the previous one. Kanan, Ezra, Fenn Rau, and Sabine travel to Krownest, a planet governed by Mandalore that serves as the ancestral home of Clan Wren.

At this point, we know a bit about how Mandalorian culture is organized. The smallest unit seems to be extended families or clans, which are organized into houses. Multiple clans make up a house, and houses themselves seem to draw their names from clans. This means that there is “Clan Vizsla” (the family) and “House Vizsla” (a collection of clans that make up the house). There are also groups, which I call sects, that can be made up of multiple clans or families. These include groups like Death Watch or the Protectors.

This leads to an interesting question: Do all clans, which are essentially the smallest unit of Mandalorian society, rule an entire planet? Or is it only certain elevated clans, a la Dune? The former is possible given that the so-called Mandalore sector is made up of nearly 1,000 worlds according to Wookieepedia.

In any case, Sabine receives the exact kind of reception that she expected upon her return home. Her family isn’t happy to see her and only agrees to postpone her arrest when Sabine shows them the Darksaber.

At this point, we are properly introduced to Sabine’s mother, Ursa, and her brother, Tristan. Tristan is working for Gar Saxon as a supercommando in order to rehabilitate Clan Wren’s standing after Sabine defected from the Empire.

Ursa and Sabine argue, as mothers and daughters are wont to do, before coming to an impasse. Ursa asserts that Sabine doesn’t have a right to the Darksaber since she didn’t win it from Maul in combat. Sabine also learns that her father is imprisoned on Mandalore as leverage for keeping Clan Wren in line.

While Sabine and Tristan do a bit of sparring for old time’s sake, Ursa has a secret meeting with Saxon. She agrees to hand over Kanan, Ezra, and the Darksaber in exchange for her daughter’s life. That’s about when all hell breaks loose. Ursa’s own betrayal is turned on its head when Saxon orders Clan Wren eliminated.



Now facing the death of their whole family, Ursa and Tristan fight on the side of the rebels against Saxon’s supercommandos. This faceoff culminates in a duel between Saxon, wielding the Darksaber, and Sabine, fighting with Ezra’s lightsaber. Let me just say that this moment is one to rival some in the films. John Williams’ classic theme soars as Sabine and Saxon battle across an ice lake. Sabine defeats her opponent to legitimately win back the Darksaber but refuses to kill Saxon outright. This is handled by Tristan, who shoots Saxon in the chest as he lunges at Sabine’s back.

As the episode comes to a close, Sabine decides to stay with her family for a while to try and rally the Mandalorians against the Empire. For now, at least, she’s leaving the crew of the Ghost.

S3E20: “Twin Suns”

As I mentioned earlier, the fate of Mandalore and the Darksaber has been inextricably tied to Darth Maul since the period of the Clone Wars. So while this episode doesn’t have anything to do specifically with Mandalore, it does close out one of the threads we’ve been following. It’s also considered one of the very best episodes in all of Rebels.

On Atollon, things are gearing up for the rebel assault on Lothal, but Ezra is once again having visions. He hears the voices of both Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi calling out to him and becomes convinced that he must seek out Obi-Wan to aid the rebel cause.

Of course, Hera is reluctant to let Ezra go because he’s needed for the upcoming battle. But Ezra, being the headstrong young Jedi that he is, sneaks into a shuttle and makes straight for Tatooine.

Once there, Ezra is attacked by Tusken Raiders and his ship destroyed. He wanders aimlessly into the desert in search of Obi-Wan, only to be further beset by sandstorms and thirst. At the end of his strength, he finally collapses on the hardpan.

When Ezra awakes, he has been found by Obi-Wan — exactly as Maul planned. The former Sith appears out of the dark desert to challenge his old foe. Obi-Wan sends Ezra on his way before squaring off against Maul.



What follows isn’t the epic duel that you might have been expecting in the lead up to this confrontation. On the contrary, the fight between Maul and Obi-Wan is short and quiet, with Obi-Wan dealing a killing blow almost at once. It could almost be considered anticlimactic if not for how bombastic Maul has become in his rage and near-madness. In this regard, the circumstances of Maul’s death seem almost appropriate. Obi-Wan cradles his one-time nemesis before closing his eyes for good.

And with that, Maul’s part in the story of Mandalore and the Darksaber comes to a close. The point of Sabine never having won the Darksaber from Maul is made moot, especially since she bested Gar Saxon in single combat to reclaim the blade. Furthermore, we won’t have to wait very long for the Mandalore thread to continue.

S3E21-22: “Zero Hour Part 1 & 2”

The assault on Lothal is endangered when Imperial Agent Kallus is finally outed as a rebel spy by Grand Admiral Thrawn. Eager to strike a crushing blow against the rebellion, Thrawn orders an attack on the newly discovered base on Atollon.

With an imperial blockade surrounding the planet, including an interdictor that prevents hyperspace travel, the rebels expend terrible resources to make an opening for Ezra to escape in Maul’s old ship. While the remaining rebel fighters go to ground on Atollon, Ezra is charged with finding reinforcements. And who better to ask than a certain Mandalorian who exited the crew of the Ghost just a few episodes prior?



Returning to Krownest, Ezra beseeches Ursa, Sabine, and Tristan for help. It is here that we learn that Clan Wren is now locked in a civil conflict with Clan Saxon. It’s unclear yet how much of Mandalore has been consumed by this conflict, but Ursa Wren is reluctant to grant Ezra any troops. Sabine, however, insists on helping her friends and is given permission to go with whatever volunteers she can round up.

There’s no need to summarize the battle that follows, except to say that the Mandalorian reinforcements from Clan Wren succeed in damaging the interdictor enough for the rebels to escape. As we close out the third season of the show, Ezra and friends are on route to Yavin with a few new allies.

S4E1-2: “Heroes of Mandalore Part 1 & 2”

In exchange for helping the rebels escape Atollon, Kanan and Ezra open the fourth and final season of Rebels repaying the favor for their Mandalorian allies. Specifically, they’re on a mission to free Sabine’s father, who is scheduled for execution.

Mandalore is now in the midst of a second, full-blown civil war as Clan Wren and its allies struggle against the clans aligned with the Empire. Leading the imperials is Gar Saxon’s brother, Tiber, who assumed governorship of Mandalore after Gar’s death. Tiber Saxon is, somehow, even more ruthless than his brother. He completely buys into the imperial cause to the extent that he is willing to sacrifice his own Mandalorian heritage in the pursuit of power.



Helping Tiber achieve his goals is a new weapon that we’ve heard whispers about for almost two seasons of the show. Sabine has mentioned several times that one of the reasons she left the Imperial Academy was because she had developed a weapon that was meant to be used against her own people. We didn’t know anything else about this weapon — until now.

In “Heroes of Mandalore” we finally meet The Duchess, a modified walker than can specifically target Mandalorian beskar armor without inflicting damage to anything else around it. In effect, The Duchess can fry Mandalorian warriors while safely bypassing stormtroopers.

In the first part of this duology, Sabine, wielding the Darksaber, leads an unsuccessful strike to rescue her father. She is aided at the last minute by Clan Kryze, led by Bo-Katan in her first appearance in Rebels. We learn that Bo-Katan briefly served as regent of Mandalore at the end of the Clone Wars but was deposed by Clan Saxon when Bo-Katan refused to recognize imperial rule.

Before long, the group receives intel that Sabine’s father is being transported to the capital. With Bo-Katan’s help, they launch a new rescue against the prisoner convoy and succeed in freeing Alrich Wren.

In part 2, Sabine finally has to face the consequences of her role in creating The Duchess years ago. The clans she has rallied to her cause are justifiably angry that Sabine had a hand in making a weapon that could wipe out her people. Bo-Katan reassures everyone that Sabine has not only realized the gravity of her mistake, but is also willing to risk her life to undo the damage.

The rebels launch a two-prong assault on Tiber Saxon’s star destroyer, where The Duchess is being held. Half the team is tasked with erasing all records of the weapon while the other half destroys the existing prototype.

Sabine and Bo-Katan are almost captured before turning the tables on Tiber. Sabine modifies The Duchess to target stormtrooper armor instead of beskar armor and is tempted to take possession of the weapon for the rebels’ fight against the Empire. But Bo-Katan sees where this path will lead and urges Sabine to make the honorable decision and destroy The Duchess once and for all.

When Clan Wren returns to base, they find that warriors from several other clans have chosen to join their cause. Sabine, having seen Bo-Katan’s natural wisdom and leadership during the assault, urges Clan Kryze to take possession of the Darksaber. Bo-Katan agrees to wield the weapon in her sister’s memory as the clans opposed to the Empire fight to reunite Mandalore once and for all.



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Even though we’ve come to the end of our list, there are a few unanswered questions that have not yet been addressed by the current Star Wars canon.

First, we leave the story of the Darksaber with Bo-Katan during the height of the second Mandalorian civil war. This takes place approximately two years before the Battle of Yavin. The Darksaber next appears at the end of season 1 of The Mandalorian, which takes place approximately nine years after the Battle of Yavin. That gives us a span of 11 years in which we know nothing about its whereabouts.

Another thing we know relatively little about is the Great Purge of Mandalore. This event is referenced several times during season 1 of The Mandalorian, but we don’t have many details. All we know is that it took place sometime during the span of 11 years between the second Mandalorian civil war and the fall of the Empire. Did Bo-Katan win the civil war on the side of Mandalore only to have the Empire respond with terrible retribution? Did the Empire punish Mandalore for being aligned with the Rebel Alliance? We don’t know. With Katee Stackhoff having been cast as the live-action Bo-Katan in season 2 of The Mandalorian (she also voiced the animated character), there’s the possibility we’ll get answers soon.

Finally, we know from the series finale of Rebels that Sabine Wren survived both the Great Purge and the Galactic Civil War. Did she survive the purge because she was fighting with the Rebel Alliance and wasn’t on Mandalore? Again, we don’t know. If Bo-Katan and Ahsoka appear in future episodes of The Mandalorian, it’s not outside the possibility that Sabine may show up as well. For all we know, we may even learn the final fate of Ezra Bridger.

So how did I do? Did I miss any? Let me know in the comments. Otherwise, happy watching, and may the Force be with you!