THE REBELLION IS BORN!!! *Star Wars: Rebels | S3 Ep 17+18 | Reaction*

[@benspiller]

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.

[@jasoncaldwell5627]

Gotta say, the score this episode is exceptional. The music where they torch the Star Destroyers in the nebula was amazing.

[@LeChaunce]

Yes, Mon Mothma was in Clone Wars as well as in Return of the Jedi. The actress who voices her here, Genevieve O'Reilly, played her in scenes that got cut from Revenge of the Sith. The original actress in Return of the Jedi was played by Caroline Blakiston; Ms. O'Reilly bears a very close similarity both physically and vocally.

[@brucechmiel7964]

@@LeChaunce do you know now that I think about it I am a big fan of Farscape and I recently learned that Wayne Pilgrim the actor who fantastically played the villain Scorpius was Tarkin in revenge of the Sith. I don’t mind bringing back Peter Cushing’s likeness, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Wayne play him in rogue one. I really do hope that one day the actor does come back into Star Wars you know before he croaks off. I think Scorpy is a better a Thrawn in Farscape than Thrawn is in Rebels.

[@LeChaunce]

@ I remember really being excited by that casting before Revenge of the Sith debuted and was a bit let down when he didn’t have any speaking lines - just that brief cameo at the end.

[@Klaital1]

I am pretty sure she was in A New Hope, even though I don't recall if she was ever named in that one, she was just one of the rebel leaders watching the battle against the death star from the holo table.

[@benspiller]

It’s so good that this character has gotten more to do but it’s even better knowing this actress who was probably ecstatic to get the part in RofS only to have her scenes cut, finally got to play the role even if it was just voicing her!

[@Klaital1]

@@benspiller You get to see her play it in live action in Andor.

[@sodaman8888]

The code word "Rukh" that Thrawn uses to shut down his training droids is the name as the bounty hunter who he sent to test Morgan Elsbeth's abilities in Tales of the Empire.

[@benspiller]

Ahh, love that call back as I was wondering what that man was referring too!

[@brucechmiel7964]

Thrawn’s passion for art is a key part of his entire character going back to his first appearance in 1991. He could predict an entire bottle fleets tactics, just on the native artwork of the commander species. Naturally, he is an aficionado of art, and has been a prominent collector for decades, even when he was a Lieutenant JG in the imperial navy.

[@brucechmiel7964]

The chimera was the name of Thrawn’s flagship in the classic novels in 1991. 5 years after Endor, she was one of a few remaining ISDs that were fully crewed. Seeing it here in its prime is a very special thing. No the book never mentioned the gigantic depiction painted on the bottom of its hull. This is one of those times. Where are the added touch really sells it. Even the storm troopers that serve a aboard have The Chimera’s symbol on their armor. As far as I know, even in legends, that level of vanity is rarely found anywhere. But it goes to show you the extra strength of loyalty and pride those that serve under Thrawn have as opposed to other post to other postings.

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

Mothma's speech being at Dantooine ties back to how Leia later claims it to be the location of the Rebel base to Tarkin.

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

Kallus spazzing out the moment he saw Ezra let himself get captured, lol.

[@benspiller]

😂😂

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

Mon Mothma is the leader of the Rebellion itself, her voice being the one to unite the broken cells and insurgents as one.

[@benspiller]

Loved that she finally got something to do! She's been around for so long and I know she was important so this was long overdue!

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

During the Death Star meeting of the Admirals in Episode IV, there's one at the table in a white uniform, which was Yularen. All of Yularen's appearances have been him slowly looking like the character's original appearance, hence him always having those distinct eyebrows and moustache. Just like Tarkin, he's among those that die in the Death Star explosion.

[@benspiller]

Such a shame that his character ends there, after all his time with the Jedi it feels like it'd be fairly easy to turn against the Empire if exposed to its evil.

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

Thrawn's Star Destroyer being named the Chimera is also due to the bottom of the ship being a Chimera design.

[@DarthRevan8976]

Little Easter egg but you can see Yularen at the table in A New Hope. Unfortunately, he's one of the many who dies on the Death Star

[@benspiller]

Shame he went out like that as he really feels like a character who could be turned fairly easily if exposed to the Evil of the Empire with how he fought with the Jedi.

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

Gold Squadron was the fighter force that led the main attack on the Death Star, they were all killed by Vader before they could fire on the weak point, Captain Vander included. Luke, Wedge, Biggs and their squadron then had to make the attack.

[@darthroden]

"Stay on target....stay on target...."

[@benspiller]

Ahh so all these characters die very soon 😬😬

[@brucechmiel7964]

@@benspiller Only one Gold Squadron fighter makes it out of the battle.

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

The beginning of the Kallus episode being in first-person was based off the original idea of the episode being entirely in first-person.

[@benspiller]

I would have loved that! Would have been such a cool change in perspective and could have been done really well with more time and could have been used to properly reveal Kallus being a traitor to the Rebellion by following an unknown Imperial through their eyes and watching to see what they do.

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

The ship ruins where the Crew met with Mothma is the debris field of an old Separatist warship.

[@Mis7erSeven]

This was the day when the rebel alliance was officially formed. From now on, the galaxy is at war again, 17 years after the clone wars ended.

[@benspiller]

This was such an epic moment, I’ve been waiting to see the Rebellion form for so long and this was so worth the wait!

[@jasoncaldwell5627]

Mon Mothma is the leader of the Rebel Alliance. A pretty bold move, having a strong woman leading the Rebellion back in the mid 1980's. The Y-Wing shows off it's ion capabilities this episode. They also use Ion Torpedoes which can disable even large starships. We see the TIE Defender kicking butt here- she's got six laser cannons, two Ion Cannons and missiles- plus shields, a hyperdrive and a surprisingly good espresso machine in the cockpit.

[@benspiller]

Love that Mon Mothma finally got more to do here, she’s such an important character in the OT but got so little screen time so this was long overdue. This TIE is an absolute nightmare, I’m really hoping the Rebels can deal with the factor quickly as I can’t imagine them betting many more of them let alone a potential army of them.

[@jasoncaldwell5627]

@benspiller Mon Mothma gets more screentime later on in your cinematic journey. Age eventually takes up the creed and gets armor and two pistols- then uses her jetpack to fly around and pew! Pew! Pew!

[@kronos327-1]

To think, we could possibly see portions of "Secret Cargo" in live action as soon as April 2025.

[@ARandomInternetUser08]

Thrawn is scary smart. Yularen was the Admiral (I don't know the correct galactic army ranking for him for sure) that served under Anakin. He was voiced by Tom Kane who also voiced Yoda and the narrator for The Clone Wars, the movie and the show. Cool to see Yularen again, but not because he's imperial now. 😅 I searched up the type of memory you were thinking Thrawn might have if he remembered the exact location of a planet that was deleted and then replaced...that would legitimately be undefeatable. About that prototype TIE defender, I still think Thrawn is responsible for creating it. Disney looked like they shifted it to Elsbeth for some unknown reason that doesn't make sense. 34:12 "We're not gonna be able to break free, I'm sorry senator but I'm going to have to shut her down" Sounds similar to what Han said when the Falcon was caught in the Death Star's tractor beam in ANH. I loved that whole sequence with the nebula. Astronomy has been a rising interest of mine.

[@benspiller]

Each scene with Thrawn seems to make him even more terrifying! 😂 It was cool to see Yularen again even though he’s with the Empire now, but I guess he just represents what happened to most people after the Clone Wars with how they got swept up in the lie and just went along with the new order of things. I know right!! I’m so glad he doesn’t have it otherwise he could literally just watch and learn in the moment rather than having to take time to study an opponent which would make him so much more difficult to deal with than he already is. I think Thrawn is heavily involved with the TIE with how Morgan’s TofE heavily involved the two of them and this ship. Love these callbacks, makes you realise how similar a lot of the situations the Rebels get into and make them all feel so connected. Star Wars has done an amazing job of exploring Space stuff and this Nebula was amazing! The sequence was so beautiful to watch and I love how they incorporate the physics of it into the combat.

[@brucechmiel7964]

Thrawn’s override code Rukh is a reference to his bodyguard and assassin from the novel trillogy. His people, the Nogri were saved by Anakin Skywalker during the clone wars, and their people pledged themselves to him, even after he became Darth Vader. In exchange for their service, the Empire promise to help restore their world from the catastrophes that were caused by the fighting during the war. But the reality they were being manipulated, the empire was working slowly or not at all to cure the poisoned soil and the bad air, so that the Nogri would continue to serve them forever. It was Leia that broke the cycle. The Nogri leaned to trust her. She was the first outsider envoy. In later novels, Leia and her children would have Nogri bodyguards. The Thrawn novels were also as far as I know the first time Leia being the daughter of Vader and a Force user was a focus on the story.

[@Thundertron5]

Senator Mon Mothma of the planet Chandrila. A personal favourite character of mine. You are correct, she was in Return of the Jedi as the leader of the Rebellion in the briefing about Endor and the Death Star II. She also was in the Clone Wars as a minor character as you yourself mentioned. Here she is played by Genevieve O'Reilly who also played her in a bunch of scenes in Revemge of the Sith cut they were unfortunately cut for time. Amongst those ships that arrived at the end was *Phoenix Nest*, the Carrier Flagship of Phoenix Squadron and the *Home One*, Admiral Ackbar's Mon Calamari Cruiser from Return of the Jedi - Its the long, bumpy one just above the left side of the Ghost.

[@benspiller]

Absolutely loved that Mon Mothma finally got more to do and I'm so glad I remembered her 😂 She always felt like a pivotal character but got so little screen time so this was long overdue! I thought there would be details like this and I'm so happy that they included his ship, it's nice to know that these important characters were hear for these moments.

[@ImpossibleCaseEdits]

I was glad when Mon Mothma was brought into Rebels. Her appearances here and in The Clone Wars stay in line with the two “Birth of the Rebellion” deleted scenes, which I maintain should have been kept in, from Revenge of the Sith. I love the sound of those Y-Wings in flight. The nostalgia is just strangely comforting. Over this run of episodes, the stakes have risen higher and higher. You want to be hopeful, but then you’ve got Thrawn painting the Rebellion into a corner. One of my favorite things about your reactions is watching you work out what’s happening onscreen and seeing the enthusiasm light your eyes up.

[@benspiller]

So happy to get more Mon Mothma! She’s such an important character in the OT yet got so little screen time so this was long overdue! The sound design is so amazing, it’s these types of details which creates an atmosphere closer to what the OT created rather than the Prequel trilogy, slowly bridging the gap between the times. I just love how these episodes handle everything, especially the ending of the second one where the Rebellion actually forms for the first time which should be an incredibly hopeful thing, which it still is, but it gets balanced with the looming threat of Thrawn in the background who’s working against it all!

[@abthedragon4921]

Yeah, Mon Mothma was in Return of the Jedi (though she was played by s different actress) and Clone Wars. She also was supposed to show up in Revenge if the Sith but sadly all her scenes got cut. Which is a shame because it was really cool seeing her, Padme, Organa and others basically plant the seeds of what would become the Rebellion even before the Empire was officially declared. It's cool seeing her voice begin to unite the various Rebel cells, but alao a little worrying considering what's coming... 😬

[@benspiller]

Absolutely loved that Mon Mothma finally got more to do, she’s such a pivotal character yet got so little screen time, this was long overdue and the scene with the Rebellion forming was both awesome and worrying with what’s coming!

[@hehu4025]

Let’s start with Thrawn. His goals? - Confirm that Kallus is the spy and gain another tool for his strategy. - Ensure the spy belongs to the Rebel group he’s targeting. - Identify the location of the Rebel base. How did he achieve this? As with the episode on Ryloth, this entire scenario was orchestrated by Thrawn. The only direct action he took was informing the Rebels that the Empire was monitoring the spy’s movements. This forced the Rebels to act and warn the spy. Additionally, Thrawn revealed his progress to the spy (Kallus was the only one consistently aware of this progress). Faced with the severity of the situation, the spy decided to sabotage the map to buy the Rebels more time. Notice that the first thing Thrawn did upon entering his office was check the map. After the droid attack, he already knew that the map had been sabotaged, confirming that his plan was working. He was potentially prepared to sacrifice the map to gain something more valuable. At this point, he already had confirmation of his suspicions, but to maintain his game, he needed proof for Yularen, who “just happened” to be there-and, coincidentally, Yularen is the head of ISB, to which Kallus belongs. The ultimate proof was Ezra’s helmet, left behind in the cell. But even if that weren’t the case, Thrawn would have found another way to confirm that for Yularen, as he already knew. What did Thrawn gain? - Full confirmation that Kallus is the spy, along with ISB’s full support for his actions. - Confirmation that the Rebels know about his progress and that the map was sabotaged. (Rebels have lulled their own vigilance) Regarding Yularen: This will be the only time we see him in Rebels. It’s fair to say that after the Empire’s rise, he got swept up in the wave of militaristic nationalism, so his views became quite radicalized. Surrounded by the military elite who saw him as a war veteran, Yularen quickly rose in rank like Tarkin and became the leader of the ISB. It’s also worth noting that Yularen with Tarkin on the Death Star (he appears in a New Hope). (This emphasizes the massive losses the destruction of the Death Star caused. Many Clone Wars veterans perished, leaving their positions to either incompetent or unprepared replacements.) After Bail Organa’s death, Leia became the de facto face of the Rebellion, but Mon Mothma could be considered her political right hand. Leia wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty, and Mon Mothma was preparing the ground for a new political power that would replace the Empire. I won’t say much about her now, as there will be more opportunities to discuss her later. As a tidbit from books I can say that her planet will become the new capital of the New Republic-at least for a while, because the New Republic decided on a “brilliant” system of changing capitals. (This is why I always voted for Palpatine, and trust me, you’ll miss the Empire.) Regarding Thrawn in the second episode: Thrawn saw that it was a lost cause no matter what he did. The mistake had already been made and Mon Mothma had already fulfilled her mission: she began rallying the Senate against Palpatine, encouraging rebellion. However, Thrawn saw an opportunity even in this failure. He sent the TIE Defender after them to test his new weapon. He wasn’t particularly interested in capturing Mon Mothma. If captured, she would become a martyr; if not, she would continue rallying the galaxy to rebellion. Either way, the result was the same. Thrawn’s main focus was testing his new TIE. Speaking of the TIE Defender, let’s look at the bigger picture: What would be more effective-a single Death Star or thousands of TIE Defenders? The answer is obvious, and Thrawn’s strategy for the future of the Empire was correct. The Death Star is nothing more than megalomania and can be destroyed at any time and what then? Thrawn used the fact that the Empire had a great pilot training program and used it to introduce something that would dominate the battlefield. One TIE Defender might be destroyed, but ten more would take its place.

[@brucechmiel7964]

@@hehu4025 I don’t think the prototype was destroyed. The defendant was heavily damaged, but it recovered and flew out of the stellar nursery, tho the Hall was severely compromised. I do not care for Morgan being the one to design defender, it just makes so much more sense that Admiral Thrawn would be the tie defender off of the Chiss claw craft. A far superior starfighter from beyond the outer rim.

[@benspiller]

Thrawn’s plans are just proving to be more and more brilliant, he laid this whole episode out from start to finish and got exactly what he wanted from it. I feel so bad for Kallus being in this position as he also has this sense of security like the Rebels do think Thrawn is off their trail. This entire plan was just nuts and makes me so scared to see what he’ll do when he wants to end the Rebellion as this was just to get information. It was good to see Yularen again even in the Empire, he’s a great reminder that the vast majority of the Galaxy doesn’t see what the audience is seeing and just gets swept up in the new order of things, plus his presence in the Death Star really emphasis how bad it was for the Empire since he was one of many high-level Imperials that dies there. This has made me so scared for what comes after the Empire 😂 Definitely sounds odd that they move capitals after how advanced Coruscant is, but I am glad Mon Mothma finally got more to do but she definitely isn’t the perfect leader of the Rebellion, she only has the talking side of Padme and not the willingness and readiness to fight for what she speaks for, which is why Leia is perfect as she has these traits from her mother. Yet again Thrawn can turn any situation into a benefit for him 😂 😂 This ship seems so insane and such a pain to deal with and I only hope the Rebels can deal with the factory soon, so they never have to face an army of them. Oh absolutely! The Death Star’s main purpose is to strike fear, the picture of it and its reputation is where its true power lies but ultimately it’s ineffective, an Army of these TIEs would be unstoppable and far more efficient for the Empire which does make me wonder if Thrawn might want to use this to over through Palpatine at some point, like he lets Palpatine go really far with the Death Star only to divide the Empire on the best course of action which could mean they chose Thrawn over the corrupt Emporer.

[@willfanofmanyii3751]

It's funny how you can entirely blame Ezra and Sabine for Kallus being found out, irresponsibly painting armor disguises.

[@benspiller]

I know 😂😂 The pain work was damming and it's such a shame since his plan was brilliant!

[@IggyStardust1967]

Hot damn! Less than a minute since it uploaded!! WOOT! Thanks for making my day, Ben! 4:27 - Remember that name.... Chimera. That's the name of Thrawn's Star Destroyer. It will come into play later on. 4:43- Of course. Remember, droids are basically the "slave" class in Star Wars. They are seen as "lesser beings" with no real independent thought. They are paid next to no mind at all by "sentient" beings. Remember how, in Episode IV, it was so easy for 3PO to "bluff" his way past stormtroopers on the Death Star, but claiming he needed to take R2 down to maintenance? 5:15 - Remember, what turned Callus was how he was treated upon his "rescue". He's realized that had he been a lower ranking person, they wouldn't even have bothered recovering him from that icy moon. Also, notice how he's being treated kinda coldly, even now. 6:15 - Fun fact: Yularren (spelling) was on the original Death Star during the conference where Tarkin revealed that the Senate has been disbanded, in Episode IV. His character was fleshed out during the Clone Wars, and appears here in Rebels. 9:10 - Remember... Thrawn has an attention to detail that rivals damned near anyone. 26:00 - You're right. Mon Mothma WAS in Return of the Jedi. She had the famous line, 'Many bothans died, bringing us this information." 33:08 - Yes. Just like the TIE Interceptor, it's got 2 laser canons on each "wing". Yeah, this was the actual "formation" of the Rebellion. Until now, they'd only been "random cells" acting independently of one another. IIRC, you haven't watched Andor season 1 yet, which takes place during the first season of Rebels. I'll give you ONE minor spoiler: Mon Mothma is in that series (same actor who played her in the Prequels). I won't say in what capacity, but remember, you're in season 3 of Rebels (which is basically 2 BBY). Season 2 of Andor has wrapped filming, and is currently in Post Production. It will "time jump" from 4 BBY to 0 BBY over the course of its run. I really think you're going to love that show, even though (talking about season 1 here) it goes in a slightly different format. But I'll talk about that when you get there. Season 4 of Rebels is the run up to Rogue One/A New Hope. Also, when you finally DO get to Rogue One, I'm going to want you to rewatch your own video on it, as I will point out some Easter Eggs you can easily miss.

[@benspiller]

Absolutely love the name of Thrawn’s ship, I love Greek Mythology so hearing this just makes Thrawn even cooler! It’s a shame that the Galaxy views the droids like this, but it makes them so useful when they need to infiltrate places 😂 It was really good to see Yularren again even if he’s with the Empire, he’s a great reminder that most people got swept up in the change in Order of the Galaxy when he’s not an evil person. Yeah, this terrifies me! Wouldn’t be surprised if he has an eidetic memory or has studied this map so much that he’d notice any change that happens to it. Loved seeing Mon Mothma do more she’s such an important character yet got so little screen time so this is long overdue! I remember being told that Andor runs very close to Rebels in timing and knowing that Mon Mothma gets to do more in it makes me very excited to get to it! It still feels so weird how close I am to the end of this era of Star Wars before moving past the Empire so it’s good to know that there will be a little back and forth before then.

[@OfficialDoggyYT]

POV, when your TIE/DP Defender Prototype is nerfed because of plot armor while fighting:

[@liaml.e.5964]

Ooh, this Kallus episode was one of my favorites. It was a bit sad to see Lyste take the fall for the whole debacle. He might be a dumbass but he's not ill willed nor malevolent. Edit 1: Admiral Yularen was promoted to head of the ISB after the war. Hence why he not only knew Kallus and his skills but was on a friendly basis with him. Edit 2: I believe Thrawn qualifies as a true stoic. He's calm, collected, methodical, rational and level-headed; most importantly, he does not neglect other aspects of himself, he exercises, and is in good health, focuses on training mind body and spirit, it'd seem, and does so knowingly. Edit 3: Senator Mon Mothma, a selfless and caring leader, and one of the three founders of the Delegation of 2000 (a sort of proto-rebellion that Padmé, Bail and Mon formed in the waning years of the Republic to attempt to fight back against Palatine's overreach). While, admittedly, Padmé was the best of the three, Mon Mothma shares a lot in common with Padmé, mostly her caring nature and strong beliefs. She was great in Rebels, but she absolutely SHINES in Andor. You'll love her and understand much of what went through in her life to get to this point in Rebels. Edit 4: The TIE Defender was a marvel of engineering, it has three pairs of blaster canons (one pair below the cockpit and two pairs on the side wings) and a pair of ion canons on the top wing (ion canons, as you may remember from the Malevolence, are designed to disable ships). It also has shielding and a hyperdrive, putting them above and beyond the X-wing and other rebel ships.

[@benspiller]

I couldn’t help but feel bad for Lyste in this, he’s just an idiot who got used but Kallus’ plan was brilliant, shame it was used on Thrawn though as I know it would have worked on anyone else. Cool to see where Admiral Yularen went after the Clone War even if it’s with the Empire. Completely agree, the man is a force to be reckoned with and doesn’t neglect a single part of himself, he sees that his mental, physical and social capacity can all be weapons and are equally useful to him. So happy to see Mon Mothma again, she’s such a pivotal character in the OT yet got so little screen time so this was long overdue, glad to hear she’ll get even more to do in Andor which makes me very excited!! This TIE is a right nightmare to deal with, I’m really hoping the Rebels can deal with the factory soon so they won’t have to deal with one again let alone an army of them.

[@TheTrytix]

The Chimaera is the name of Thrawn's personal Star Destroyer, much like how Vader's Star Destroyer in A New Hope was the Devestator, later being replaced by the Executor-class Star Dreadnought, Executor. Or how Tarkin's personal star destroyer was the Sovereign, the one that the Grand Inquisitor died on board of above Mustafar. However, the vast majority of Star Destroyers such as these do not have any iconic design differences from one another, almost all of them look quite identical to one another. However, The Chimaera has a unique design aspect that puts it apart from other star destroyers. The Chimaera has a massive engraving representing a two headed, hydra-like, creature with the same name, painted across the underside of the vessel. Other Star Destroyers with unique appearances includes the Star Wars comic ship formerly known as the Fortitude, renamed "Tarkin's Will" by Tarkin's own protege, Ellian Zahra, who became hellbent on avenging Tarkin's death after the destruction of the First Death Star. The Tarkin's Will was actually nearby when the Death Star was blown up even, causing two massive debris parts to tear into the left side of the Star Destroyer's hull, leaving two massive scars across the ship. Ellian Zahra chose to keep those scars as a symbolic reminder of everyone lost on the Death Star, hell, she even made sure the entire crew of nearly 10'000 people, all had lost someone on the Death Star, turning the Tarkin's Will into a tool fueled by nothing but a burning desire for vengeance. Another Star Destroyer with a unique design includes the Legends ship the "Errant Venture". The Errant Venture is VERY fascinating, it began it's career as an Imperial owned Star Destroyer by the name Virulence. However, one day, the ship was taken over by a smuggler named Booster Terrik. Terrik turned the Virulence into the galaxy's only civilian owned Star Destroyer, and renamed it the Errant Venture. Due to being under civilian ownership, it's weaponry had to be heavily downgraded from it's previous military standard. Booster also got the Star Destroyer painted completely and fully red, which is the unique aspect of this vessel. The Errant Venture would become a well known gambling and casino ship, for any sort of outlaw or smuggler etc. to try their luck at.

[@Josh_Lee_Henderson]

Gold Leader Dutch Vander was a part of the Battle of Yavin, the attack on the death star in A New Hope. So it was cool to see him here and to get some more of his character

[@benspiller]

Love that he’s another character from the OT that got more to do, makes the battle with the Death Star that much better when you get more history to more characters.

[@Josh_Lee_Henderson]

@benspiller If you haven't thought about it, you should consider rewatching the original trilogy when you get there on the timeline, now that you have all the background and extra details from these different movies and shows. I think it'd be worth it for you!

[@msoundg]

Great reaction! Thrawn is so dangerous, Kallus should definitely be more careful! It's so lovely to know that our crew was an integral part of the beginnings of the Alliance. Next time one watches A New Hope, one can proudly picture them amongst all other Rebels!

[@benspiller]

Kallus’ plan was brilliant and it’s such a shame that Thrawn is just that good that he still figured it out! I love this so much about the show, Clone Wars took important characters from the movies and added more to them, this one is taking original characters and making them important to the movies!

[@brucechmiel7964]

Every artifact in Thrawn’s room has some cultural significance in both legends and in canon. But there are also a few more Easter eggs as well. You have a temple guard mask A light saber The holy Grail Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade The Haakskeekah Stone from the Dark Crystal movie made in collaboration between Lucasfilm and Jim Henson productions. You also have Gree’s helmet He was the trooper in command during the battle of Kashyyyk. Yoda beheaded him when order 66 was declared. Of course there the Syndulla Kalikori And, of course, the most interesting and most important of all are the two creatures standing on what looks to be metal branches with the visage of a planet in the center. These are the Ysalamir and the planet is Myrkr. The significance of these creatures are they create a void in the force naturally. The more these creatures are gathered the larger the void. These creatures are permanently attached to their branches. Thrawn would wear one on his shoulder at all times. Because it makes him immune to force attacks like lightning, mind tricks, and telekinesis or any other Jedi or Sith ability. And he had his star destroyer loaded with these things. For a very interesting usage I highly recommend you read the novel to find out what Thrawn was up to. The character was a lot more creative and his tactics and doing more with less than he is in the show and that’s predominantly because it was a kid show. If this was grand Admiral Thrawn from the novel, the show would’ve ended at season two.

[@darthdracul8372]

To be honest, you should not underestimate the grand Admiral anymore than he should not underestimate the rebellion. But I can tell you this things have got more and more in the works for potential of success. And to be honest, the senator is one of the many few I would trust the other being Organa and…Padmé.

[@benspiller]

At this point, I’m just going to assume that if Thrawn wants to know something, he will 😂 I’m so sure now that he knows where the Rebels are with how he stared at the map for a slight second. So happy that Mon Mothma got more to do finally, she’s such an important character and has always had a great presence so this was long overdue!

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

I Wish you all a very happy holiday

[@Darth_Nycta_13]

Thrawn is very capable and very well rounded villain.

[@5353Jumper]

As good as these episodes might be - episode 20 is coming soon!

[@willydadog2]

ep 17 gives us calls backs to old legends thrawn books in the from of his ship the chimaera and his off switch for the droids being rukh is a nod to his bodygaurd assassin from those books. rukh's species had been saved by anakin and later pledged their loyalty to him as vader. and later on due to that also thrawn. later on they would break free from their cycle thanks to leia saving them and freeing them. in legends and in canon though not as mentioned often thrawn was kind of exiled by his own people before joining the republic/empire near the end of the clone wars. so he was probably all ready fairly good at combat but joining them realy helped his hone in on his skills. even officers have some training. its just that by the time they become officers they don't think they'll ever be near the front lines often thinking at most its a office job and at worst them getting into a fight is often tied to blasters instead of hand to hand combat. so again thrawn is kind of an outlier as he is keeping up his training. Yulareen was the narrator and admiral for anakin during the clone wars. and is among those in the death star with tarkin and vader when talking getting the death star plans back. one of the main reasons why the destruction of first death star is such a major rebel victory is beyond it being used to as propaganda to rally more people to the rebellion is that it nearly decapitated the empire's most competent leaders. one could argue that had everything still happened the same but instead palpatine was on the first death star when it blew up vader would likely be the next emperor. after probably choking out anyone who tried to argue against it. you can hear the shock and disappointment in yulareen's voice when thrawn tells him kallus is the spy. almost like a father hearing that their son did a crime that seems to be unbelievable unlike them. kallus being one of his top students probably made it harder for him. kallus meeting yulareen at any point before his adventure with zeb would have probably had him excited to meet his mentor then it did now. lyst like bromtitus are the only lower rank imperial officers we see have a mini arc in rebels. Ep 18 this is birth of the rebellion we see in the OT. if there were others rebels it was primary just cells with minimal contract with each other at most like we see with Saw. Bail is pretty much still in the good graces of the empire officially unofficially they probably have an idea but no evidence. it isn't until Leia becomes the senator of alderan that they star looking more into it and ANH which allows them actually take action. Mon mothma ends up doing what ezra did in the end of season 1 making not just a call out post but also a rallying cry for other cells to unite. and we are only just 2 years away from ANH. she was pretty much 1 of 2 political friends we are either told or implied she had during Padme's time as a senator. in ROTS there is a deleted scene where padme bail mon mothma and a couple senators talk about a full on rebellion if palpatine doesn't give up his powers after the war is over and there is a moment someone brings up the comparison that they are sounding like the CIS they backtrack but it pretty much lays the ground work for the rebellion. they also make sure everyone knows its supposed be a secret meeting which prevents padme from bringing anakin in. which if you think about means to a degree beyond luke and Leia both anakin and padme both help give birth to two very different forms of rebellion. anakin had Saw rebellion since he trained him while padme had the rebelion that would be lead by mon mothma and bail. anakin's rebellion once again being aggressive and emotional while padme's is left in the care of her friends just like leia was and far more level headed. in some ways this ep calls back to the clone wars malevolence arc. it starts off with the ghost hiding in the remains of a separatist ships as we can see the old CIS sings on some of the ruins. when the droid is looking for them. next they are in a nova like with ball moras run except they don't have a jedi leading them so they are pretty much flying by ear which is what also leads to their ships burning up. they make mention that running in a nova was a old smugglers trick which anakin mentions he heard about while on tatooine. the only difference in nova this time is that unlike in clone wars where they had to worry about hungry whales eating them or crashing into them they have to worry about imperils shooting them while proabbly fighting the urge to use the torpedoes. it wouldn't surprise me if the opening place where the ghost was resting was originally planed be the remains of the malevolence.

[@benspiller]

I was wondering what the Rukh thing was referencing, cool that it’s a node to the comics and has so much information and lore behind it! Love how even through combat, Thrawn proves to be different to the rest of his colleagues, makes it even more interesting that he sticks out this much from the monolith of the Empire yet still is so loyal to it. It was good to see Yularen again even though he’s with the Empire, he serves as a good reminder that most people in the Galaxy aren’t aware of everything that happened and just go swept up in the changing order of the Galaxy. This scene was so cool to see, the Rebellion has finally formed, and it does feel hopeful even with the looming threat of Thrawn in the background. Glad to know Organa is safe for now and he’ll stay safe until Leia takes the stage. Wish they kept this scene as Mon Mothma does feel very neglected as a character, she’s really important to some major stuff yet gets very little screen time and this would have helped a lot. I thought this felt familiar to Clone Wars! So cool to see all these connections so clearly now and it’d be so cool if the wreck they were hiding in was that of the Malevolence.

[@grdoxsme]

Im so glad you got this point

[@BalletStrong-cl6cb]

I feel for Lyst. Dude's life is officially wasted and it's not even his fault

[@benspiller]

Same, couldn’t help but feel bad for him, he was just an idiot that got used and probably executed so Kallus would believe his plan worked.

[@mikhaillisovoy3055]

I have a question for Mon Mothma. Why would the Rebel fleet be openly assembled over one of the Empire's most important agrarian planets in a sector where they would be instantly spotted?

[@miquelcanosasanteularia1678]

Late Merry Christmas! Happy holydays. Great Thrawn episode

[@benspiller]

Late Merry Christmas to you too!

[@corgiluver9718]

Thanks Ben. Love these Thrawn episodes. By this time, like you, I was fully rooting for Kallas and very worried about his chances of survival.

[@benspiller]

Glad you enjoyed! Kallus had me so scared, his plan was brilliant and it’s such a shame he’s been found out and now I can only hope he can escape with his life!

[@ogTryhard21]

Thrawn likely was trained in the Chiss Ascendancy, which means that he got HANDS. God forbid someone has to fistfight him, they'd have a rough time 😂. Thrawn's override code is a reference to his personal bodyguard and assassin, Rukh, from the comics. This was his first reference in Star Wars Canon. Lyste is so comically foolish I honestly feel bad for him. First he lost the the prisoners to Ezra on Lothal who was only trying to get some fruit for Hera, then it was that whole experience with Princess Leia where he looked like an absolute bafoon, and now he gets double crossed and framed by Kallus. I don't like Mon Mothma. The only thing we see from her is words. Ironically, in a day full of strategy logic, and betrayal, it's art that gives Thrawn exactly what he wants. Because of course it is. Those words are important and all, but I wish we got something that showed that she genuinely understands what she goes on to put the soldiers of the rebellion go through in battle. Which is why I much prefer Hera. Remember that instructor from the flight academy Sabin recruited Wedge and Hobbie from earlier this season? Vult Skerris? That's him in the TIE Defender. Ezra's skills as a star pilot impressed me so much that I'm kinda jealous. Clearly Hera's talent extends beyond the yoke on the Ghost. He lasted longer than most of Gold Squadron with one of the empires absolute best pilots in their best Starfighter giving it everything to shoot him down, and then knocked him out with a brilliant double team maneuver.

[@benspiller]

It’s just nuts that not only does Thrawn have a great mind but is also insanely capable in physical combat! I was wondering what Rukh referred to, cool to know it comes from the comics. I couldn’t help but feel bad for Lyste here, at the end of the day, he’s just an idiot who got used and probably was executed after this so Kallus would believe his plan worked. I actually agree with this, her words remind me a lot of Padme, but she was always ready to fight for what she believed in, hopefully, this is only the start for Mon Mothma and she’ll learn to not just talk but also fight. Hera is proving she really is above and beyond as a pilot as she not only can amazingly pilot the Ghost or any ship, but she can also pass these talents on to others, Ezra was doing great and it’s awesome to see him gain more skills but it’s such a testament to Hera’s abilities.

[@AidanB-mp9fb]

Really looking forward to seeing your andor reactions, I think you’ll find that era of early rebellion very interesting. Love these rebels reactions too, as a series it just gets better and better.

[@dirtyhawkstv1575]

I guess you haven't seen Andor yet? Great show. My favorite.

[@benspiller]

Not yet but it is the show I'm watching after this one.

[@0LadyV0]

Don't focus too much on Thrawn with the larger Rebellion. Gold Leader was in ANH.

[@Eva_H]

My favourite episodes are almost here. The end of this season is fantastic as is thestart of 4. I really enjoy the animation style for this show also, it just so happens to be my favourite animated show. I’m really glad you’ve continued to enjoy Ben. I remember the first time I saw Yularen when I watched rebels for a second run after watching clone Wars, it was one of those watching the show again and finding new things moment and my mouth just dropped. Anyway, I hope you’re okay like?

[@benspiller]

The animation style of this show has grown on me so much, I remember at the start I wasn't sure about it but it has continued to get even more beautiful and I'm actually glad they switched it up from the Clone Wars style. It was good to see Yularen again even if he's with the Empire, he's a good reminder that the average person has no clue what's going on in the Galaxy and just got caught up in the new order of things. I'm good, hope you're good too!

[@sentios5593]

Thrawn is one of the best villains because hes very intelligent and capable, but not overpowered beyond reason. Thrawn can be outsmarted like they did with the planet erase. That makes him a cool antagonist. Hes not perfect

[@benspiller]

Completely agree and this is the reason I’m loving him so much, he feels like a villain that could exist in reality unlike Vader and Palpatine who have their ‘magic powers’ but Thrawn has gotten to the same level as those two in terms of what a threat he can pose.

[@Flirtz420]

💙

[@ariel2179]

Been waiting for this ones

[@PabloAlvestegui]

@benspiller - It's THRawn, not THORn. Just sayin'