The Setting
It's five years before Star Wars: A New Hope, the movie that started it all, and 14 years after Revenge of the Sith, when the galaxy is firmly under the boot of the evil Empire. The Rebellion doesn't quite exist yet beyond various isolated cells that are too spread out and disorganized to put a dent into the Empire. Organizing the Rebellion will be a big focus of the series over time.
Star Wars Rebels is set on a heretofore unseen planet named Lothal, where the Empire has recently asserted its power and control. The five main characters are the crew of the Ghost, a Falcon-ish starship. The Ghost is a Corellian-made "VCX-100 light freighter," that comes complete with a smaller shuttle/fighter ship called the Phantom, which attaches to its rear. Its appearance was inspired by the historical B-17 bomber.
Though the action starts on Lothal, you can expect the Ghost and her crew to reach out to other parts of the galaxy over time.
The Characters
Kanan Jarrus was once a Jedi Padawan, but when the Jedi were wiped out, he left behind the ways of the Force in order to survive. Kanan is now a smuggler, but events of the series will force him to set aside his blaster and pick up his lightsaber once more.
Hera Syndulla is the fierce pilot and owner of the Ghost. A member of the Twi'lek species, she is the glue that holds the crew together, with a nurturing, motherly side.
Ezra Bridger joins the crew in the pilot episode. He's a 14-year-old (coincidentally, the same age as Luke and Leia at this time) con artist and pickpocket living on Lothal. But there's more to him than meets the eye: he's also highly Force-sensitive. Expect Kanan to start training him as a Jedi. Ezra is basically the Ahsoka of Rebels.
Sabine Wren is a Mandalorian munitions expert and graffiti artist. She's obsessed with color and likes to tag Imperial property with Rebel symbols.
Zeb Orrelios is the muscle, a member of the never-before-seen Lasat race, and a highly-skilled soldier. Though he's a brutish warrior, he's also very intelligent. His appearance is based on Ralph McQuarrie's original designs for Chewbacca. (McQuarrie's designs were the main influence for the look and feel of Rebels.)
Chopper is the crew's very own Astromech droid, officially designated C1-10P, and built from spare parts by Hera. He's significantly more temperamental than R2-D2, often grumpy and he sometimes outright refuses to follow orders. Like the Zeb/Chewie connection, Chopper's design is based on McQuarrie's early designs for R2-D2.
The Inquisitor is a new villain unique to the series. He's a special Imperial enforcer sent to hunt down and exterminate the last of the Jedi still in hiding. Though he wields a really cool lightsaber and taps into the Dark Side of the Force, producers have been quick to point out that he is not officially a Sith Lord. That title is reserved for others.
Agent Kallus is a ruthless member of the Imperial Security Bureau who helps the Inquisitor hunt Jedi.
Familiar faces like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Lando Calrissian, C-3PO and R2-D2 will also pop up from time to time. What about characters that we lost track of after Star Wars: The Clone Wars? What about Ahsoka and Asajj Ventress, or, for that matter, original trilogy characters like Yoda, Han Solo, Chewie, Luke or Darth Vader himself? We'll have to wait and see.
Why You Should Care
Set 100% in official continuity, Star Wars Rebels is the first Star Wars production to be seen by the public since the franchise was purchased from George Lucas by Disney. And so far, it looks like Disney is doing everything right. The production has brought over the entire team from Star Wars: The Clone Wars to work on Rebels, augmenting them with additional creatives, and they're making this show the flagship series of the Disney XD channel.
Rebels is a very intentional attempt to replicate the formula of the original trilogy, with a group of misfits rebelling against the Empire. The five Ghost crew members all have their own personal reasons to fight against the Empire. So expect loads of fun adventures that evoke the spirit of the classic films, while slowly piecing together the building blocks of the Rebellion and tying-in with the action of those movies as well.
But here's the big question: Does Rebels have any kind of connection to J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: Episode VII?
Rumor has it, the answer is yes, with one of the most prominent rumors suggesting that (SPOILER ALERT) Rebels' Inquisitor is just one member of an ancient order devoted to preserving the Sith — an order that will serve as the major villains of Disney's new film trilogy. (END SPOILERS) That would be one whopper of a reveal, and it makes sense, since Disney and Lucasfilm have made such a big deal out of all things Star Wars from this point forward — be it movies, TV, books, comics, games, etc. — are to be considered canon.
Star Wars Rebels premieres tonight, October 3, 2014 at 9:00 PM EST on Disney Channel.
