The D23 Expo gave us a brief glimpse of the slate of live action Star Wars series coming to Disney+. One of the most exciting reveals was from the upcoming Ahsoka series. A production still brought to life one of the final scenes of the animated series, Star Wars: Rebels. Sabine Wren stands in front of a mural depicting the crew of the Ghost, with a few loth-cats thrown in for good measure.

Sabine Wren?

Ghost?

Loth-cats?

For fans unfamiliar with the animated Star Wars projects, this is uncharted territory. So let’s jump into a deep dive on just who these rebels are, starting with Sabine.

Rebels 101

Star Wars: Rebels begins five years prior to Episode IV. Jedi are hunted throughout the galaxy by Inquisitors under the direct order of Darth Vader. The Empire rules with an iron fist, its presence particularly damaging to the small outer rim planet of Lothal.

It’s on Lothal that we find a small band of (you guessed it!) rebels. The band of insurgents consists of:

• Former Jedi padawan and survivor of Order 66, Kanan Jarrus (voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr)
• Fearless Twi’lek captain of the Ghost, Hera Syndulla and her trusty droid companion, Chopper (pictured below).
• Last of the Lasat race, warrior Garazeb Orrelios.
• Force-sensitive teenager and Lothal native, Ezra Bridger.
• Mandalorian ex-Imperial cadet, Sabine Wren.

The Other Mandalorian: Who is Sabine Wren?

Din Djarin and Bo-Katan aren’t the only Mandalorians we can expect to see in the live-action Disney+ universe. Sabine Wren will make her debut in the 2023 series, Ahsoka, played by Natasha Liu Bordizzo. In Rebels, Sabine is voiced in spectacular fashion by Tiya Sircar (The Good Place.)

Born to Madalore’s Clan Wren, Sabine’s journey to the rebel alliance started with the Imperial influence on her home planet. With a gifted mind and knack for explosives, Sabine flourished in the Imperial Academy and aided in designing weapons that would later go on to be used against her own people. 

It was with that guilt and sense of shame that Sabine deflected to the rebel alliance. Though trust didn’t come easy, Sabine eventually found a home on the Ghost with Hera.

Artist of the Rebellion

When Rebels begins, Sabine is 16 years old and already infamous among the Stormtroopers of Lothal for her particular brand of sabotage: art. This is not just because the Mandalorian armor she wears is covered in distinctive spray paint. Sabine is known for leaving her personal tag of a phoenix as an unofficial calling card for the Ghost crews’ rebel actions. 

It is this phoenix symbol that evolves into the famous symbol of the rebel alliance known throughout the Star Wars franchise. 

A Quick Mandalorian History Lesson

The second season of The Mandalorian introduced the legendary darksaber to the live action world of Star Wars. On the show, the titular Mandalorian, Din Djarin, finds himself in possession of the famous weapon. 

The darksaber is exactly what it sounds like: a lightsaber with a dark black blade. In Mandalorian tradition, the right to the darksaber must be won in battle. Only then can the wielder be worthy of leading Mandalore. 

Why The Darksaber is Important

You may be wondering how a plot point from The Mandalorian relates to a character that has yet to be introduced outside of the animated series.

The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: Rebels and season 2 of The Mandalorian.

In Season 3 of Rebels, Sabine discovers the darksaber displayed in Darth Maul’s lair. Understanding its significance to her people, Sabine takes the weapon back and trains under her teammate and former Jedi, Kanan.

However, Sabine does not want the responsibility of leading Mandalore, nor does she believe she deserves such a role. She passes the mantle to fellow Mandalorian, Bo-Katan Kryze, who goes on to lead the proud race of warriors.

So Many Mandalorians. So Little Time.

Bo-Katan made her live action debut in season 2 of The Mandalorian, played by Katee Sackhoff.

(Fun fact: Sackhoff has voiced Bo-Katan since she was introduced for the first time ever in Star Wars: The Clone Wars).

In The Mandalorian, Bo-Katan is on a mission to find Mof Gideon and take control of the darksaber back from him. Though it is never explicitly confirmed that the plot point in Rebels regarding the complicated past of this weapon is canon in the live action universe, it can be inferred that a not-yet-seen Sabine Wren is the reason Bo-Katan had possession of the darksaber in the first place. 

With Din Djarin accidentally becoming the rightful wielder of the Darksaber and de-facto leader of Mandalore, it is interesting to see how fellow Mandalorian and previous Darksaber owner Sabine will feel about these turn of events.

Where Will Sabine Come In?

Again, spoilers for Rebels up ahead!

The series finale of Rebels left off on a cliffhanger: Ezra disappears into an unknown region of space, taking Grand Admiral Thrawn with him. But not before Sabine promises that she will find her friend and bring him home.

An unspecified amount of time later, we find Sabine standing in front of the mural of the Ghost crew. Ahsoka approaches and the two set out for parts unknown to find Ezra.

With the recent reports of Eman Esfandi being tapped to play Ezra, as well as leaked footage showing a brief glimpse of Hera Syndulla beside Ahsoka, the likelihood of a continuation of Rebels in Ahsoka seems all the more likely.

In season 2 of The Mandalorian, Ahsoka is hunting for information about Grand Admiral Thrawn’s whereabouts. Though Sabine is not seen or referenced, we can assume that Ahsoka’s questioning is part of her and Sabine’s shared mission.

Ahsoka is set to premiere in 2023.

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