Star Wars Rebels this weeks features a homecoming for Hera that doesn’t turn out quite the way she hopes with an increased Imperial presence on Ryloth. Her father Cham has lost the Tann Province to the unknown to them Admiral Thrawn. With the loss of her home province also means the loss of a Syndulla family heirloom known as a Kalikori which Hera refuses to accept and heads into enemy territory with only Ezra for backup. Now strap in your seats and watch out for asteroids (spoilers) Rebels Report is jumping to hyperspace.
Homecoming
This weeks episode of Star Wars Rebels seems to fly by in an instant, but it did manage to add depth to both Hera and Thrawn. The Ghost crew working along Hera’s father Cham sets up a distraction leading an Imperial patrol, while Ezra in Stormtrooper-gear leads Hera into her old home which has become the base for Captain Slavin. Hera and Ezra are able to quickly and easily infiltrate the base and make it back to her parent’s former house where they find the Kalikori and a family portrait of Hera with her father and mother. Ezra of course jinxes them and they run into the mastermind behind Cham’s defeat, Thrawn. The duo is captured and Thrawn leaves it to Captain Slavin to take care of things while going off on another mission he had. Fortunately for our heroes, Chopper had also managed to infiltrate the base and makes contact with Ezra and Hera where they then come up with a plan after finding out that Slavin had contacted Cham and ordered he surrender himself or watch his daughter die. Unknown to Imperials and Rebels alike is that Thrawn is parked in his Star Destroyer watching these events unfold. Chopper saves the day and while Hera isn’t able to get the Kalikori, in the end she learned an important lesson about family as the Ghost crew escapes.
The Art of War
Hera’s Heroes may not have accomplished a lot of things but it gave viewers a much deeper look at two important characters for the show. We have seen Hera with her family before, but this episode of Star Wars Rebels managed to show how much her mother truly mattered to her while at the same time showing how important she is to her father. In a war torn galaxy that isn’t always so obvious and by the end of the episode, Hera realized that it isn’t things like the Kalikori that matter but her memories of her mother and the family she has around her now. This is only the second time we have met Admiral Thrawn on Star Wars Rebels, but it is quickly becoming clear that Dave Filoni and other writers are keeping with his Legends (expanded universe) characteristics. He is a being that studies the art and cultures of a people to help him truly understand them enabling him to predict their strategies and future moves. Lars Mikkelsen does a great job voicing the character, giving him an elegant nuance you would expect from a man that appreciates the arts. The episode ends when Thrawn letting the Ghost to escape mentioning that they earned this victory. Thanks for reading and be sure to tune in next week for another Rebels Report.