Grand Admiral Thrawn unleashes his calculated and coordinated attack on the Rebel base, but there are few surprises that even he did not account for.
In this, the first part of the finale, we see Agent Kallus trying to warn the rebels that Thrawn knows about their plans to strike Lothal, only to have the signal jammed by the Grand Admiral himself. After exchanging words and blows with him, he is overpowered and Thrawn reveals that he was able to discover the Rebel base’s location thanks to Kallus’ latest transmission which in conjunction with ancient art reveals the planet Atollan. It is not long before the Grand Admiral Thrawn Fleet is at the Rebels doorstep and they are forced to fight for their collective existence with fighters taking flight into space to meet the Imperials head on.
Ezra is sent up so that he can escape the system and find help, while Kanan tries to seek the help of the Bendu. Unfortunately the Bendu becomes enraged at the Jedi for having him reconsider his neutrality which leads him to manifest himself into a storm cloud. Meanwhile the gravity wells are preventing ships from traveling out of the system so Commander Jun Sato sacrifices himself and his ship a collision course with Konstantine’s vessel in order to provide an opening for Ezra to jump into hyperspace.
Then, in the final half, Ezra learns from Mon Mothma that they are unable to send aid and he ultimately decides to return to Mandalore to seek the help of Sabine and Clan Wren. Due to their involvement in a civil war on their planet, only Sabine, her brother, Fenn Rau and few other members of the clan are spared to help the Rebels escape Atollan. The battle for the base goes down on the planet itself with Thrawn leading the attack. However, the Bendu in the form of a storm begins to wreck havoc, unintentionally providing a cover of escape for the rebels on the ground. Thrawn is able to realize the Bendu has a physical form even in the storm and instructs his troops to shoot him down. Meanwhile Ezra, Sabine and the other Mandalorians engage the Imperials in space, and pave a path for escape for the Rebels. Kallus manages to relieve himself of his security detail and he picked up by the Ghost before they and the other Rebel ships launch themselves into hyperspace.
This was a whirlwind of an episode and it had me on the edge of the seat till the very end. This finale ties everything from the Thrawn to Kallus as well the Bendu and Clan Wren. This shows Grand Admiral Thrawn at his best and it is easy to see why so many fans were anxious to see him portrayed in visual media such as Star Wars Rebels. I can breathe a sigh of relief that Kallus has left the Empire is now with the Rebels and I can’t wait to see what is in store for him as a new member of the rebel ranks. It was sad to see the Bendu make the choice that he did, but I am glad that it gave Kanan the chance to solidify his stance that are times where you can’t stand by and do nothing. And I was pleasantly surprised to see Sabine and her clan make a return and kick some Imperial butts while they were at it. All in all a great finale to this 3rd season of Star Wars Rebels. Thank you for joining me for these recaps and I’ll see you all next time when Season 4 starts up this fall. Until then, may the Force be with you.
Rating:
Fandom Factory 