ListNook

CodeCarnival-666 Mar 31, 2026 +43

Such a fantastic episode. That Ahsoka/Vader moment still gives me chills.

43

who-dat-ninja Mar 31, 2026 +4

So good they ripped it off in the Obi Wan show

4

SupermanRR1980 Mar 31, 2026 +104

Such a fantastic episode.

104

Morgan-Moonscar Mar 31, 2026 +48

Had some of Kevin Kiner's best work scoring Star Wars

48

Jackbuddy78 Mar 31, 2026 +17

He did some amazing work in the Clone Wars as well, especially on the finale.

17

Amarice Mar 31, 2026 +6

All of Kevin Kiner's Star Wars stuff is amazing.

6

Krinks1 Mar 31, 2026 +10

These two episodes are some of the best Star Wars ever released.

10

Kalse1229 Mar 31, 2026 +36

The Vader/Ahsoka duel is still in my top 5 lightsaber duels in all of Star Wars. In fairness, 4 of my top 5 are Anakin/Vader in a duel with someone he has a close connection to, but still, that speaks to the strength of their encounter in this episode.

36

MeatTornado25 Mar 31, 2026 +9

It was the most that a duel ever came to feeling like the OT, where there was so much layering to the meaning of what was going on between the characters. The actual swinging of the swords was secondary to what was going on.

9

Kalse1229 Mar 31, 2026 +3

Definitely. That's how I grade my top lightsaber battles, based on the emotional weight of the battle. And that was some weight.

3

Bobjoejj Mar 31, 2026 +1

What’s ya full top five?

1

Kalse1229 Mar 31, 2026 +7

In chronological order (not in order of most to least favorite; can't pick a favorite among them really): 1. Anakin vs Obi-Wan on Mustafar (III) 2. Obi-Wan vs Darth Vader on that rocky planet (Kenobi 1x6) 3. Darth Vader vs Ahsoka (Twilight of the Apprentice) 4. Luke vs Darth Vader on the second Death Star (VI) 5. Rey vs Kylo Ren on the ruins of the second Death Star (IX)

7

ChalupaBatmanMc01 Mar 31, 2026 +8

I love the Obi Wan v Maul duel in Twin Suns. One at the peak of his Jedi powers and the other consumed with so much hate. How it was shown was masterfully done.

8

MattDamonsTaco Mar 31, 2026 +3

This was such a good one. So much pain and hate that Maul had and such peace from Ben.

3

Kalse1229 Apr 1, 2026 +1

Very good one as well.

1

Worthyness Mar 31, 2026 +2

The Maul v Ahsoka in season 7 of clone wars was incredible too. That just looked so damn good.

2

Kalse1229 Apr 1, 2026 +1

Very much so. Admittedly it gets knocked down a few spots since there isn’t as much raw emotion behind it compared to the others (pretty sure that was the first time Ahsoka and Maul actually met), but from a visual and technical standpoint it’s great. Plus it shows how strong Ahsoka is despite never graduating to knighthood, since she stood toe-to-toe with the guy who killed a Jedi like Qui-Gon. Consider it an honorable mention.

1

Obsever117 Mar 31, 2026 +13

Watching some of animated episodes featuring Ashoka…this, tales of the Jedi, and clone wars makes me appreciate the Ashoka show even more. They did an awesome job tying pieces in, including the music for this episode turning into the main theme for the show.

13

Morgan-Moonscar Mar 31, 2026 +5

[It's always been her motif since The Clone Wars (back when the episode of her leaving was almost the series finale after Cartoon Network cancelled the show)](https://youtu.be/QE3AMWnfVXM?t=77)

5

Luci-Noir Apr 1, 2026 +1

It’s incredible how much the actors in Ashoka look like the animated characters.

1

bmd201 Mar 31, 2026 +10

man. i remember when they revisited this scene in world between worlds and ezra pulled her out to save her. star wars fans collectively lost their shit in that moment. there were so many theories fans had about what would be possible by exploring the world between worlds and its concept of revisiting key moments in the franchise.

10

Careless_Royal8209 Mar 31, 2026 +24

Best episode of the show, in my opinion.

24

CrusaderLyonar Mar 31, 2026 +22

I don't think it's better than Jedi Night but it's close.

22

King_Treegar Mar 31, 2026 +5

Jedi Night and the aftermath episode might be my favorite pair of episodes in any show

5

ChalupaBatmanMc01 Mar 31, 2026 +3

It's hard to think of better. Jedi Knight, Twin Suns, Family Reunion and Farewell are all great.

3

sweatpantswarrior Mar 31, 2026 +3

Jedi Night and Twin Suns would like a word. Still an absolute banger, though, and a clip of the Vader / Ahsoka duel is what convinced me to at least consider checking Rebels out.

3

galaxyadmirer Mar 31, 2026 +58

Amazing show. People overlook it because of the animation style and the first season being "too childish"

58

ComicDude1234 Mar 31, 2026 +34

Star Wars Rebels, like The Clone Wars before it, is still a show made for and aimed at children. That doesn’t mean that it can’t be good or appeal to adults in any way, but it’s also not strictly a bad thing if it seems “childish” to certain adult viewers because it literally is.

34

GoggleDMara9756 Mar 31, 2026 +30

As a huge fan of the show it is really hard to recommend. That childishness persists through all seasons, even if it gets better. Like the maul obi wan episode has one of the best scenes in all of Star Wars, and for some reason also has a bunch of childish bullshit. Every episode has Zeb, Chopper, or Ezra doing something stupid. It has some of the highest highs of any show I’ve seen but the criticisms are very valid

30

Radix2309 Mar 31, 2026 +20

Even this episode has the infamous lighsaber helicopters.

20

Kalse1229 Mar 31, 2026 +12

To be fair, not even ten minutes after they're introduced, Maul proves *exactly* why they are a bad idea.

12

MeatTornado25 Mar 31, 2026 +13

But that's kind of the point. It just makes the Inquisitors out to be a joke instead of a threat that the main characters should take seriously.

13

Kalse1229 Mar 31, 2026 +10

They kind of are, though, when you think about it. The Inquisitors were never meant to be proper Sith acolytes. Except for the Grand Inquisitor, they were always meant to be temporary. They weeded out the chaff of those who survived Order 66. The more skilled survivors generally ran circles around them. Earlier in season 2, for example, the Fifth Brother and Seventh Sister were giving Ezra (a fledgling apprentice) and Kanan (a former apprentice who didn't get far into his training before Order 66) a hard time. But then Ahsoka, who had almost reached knighthood before she left the Order, ran circles around them. The Inquisitors were a threat that many survivors outgrew. They were clumsy and inefficient, often relying on brute strength to take down stragglers. By that point in the series, the heroes had outgrown the threat of them.

10

Cranyx Mar 31, 2026 +6

Just because you can come up with a lore reason why they're weak doesn't change the fact that it makes the primary antagonists for two seasons into a non-threat and therefor a less interesting story.

6

peppermint_nightmare Mar 31, 2026

The inquisitors being good at their jobs was always going to be hamstrung by the choices writers made to follow canon outside of the show (like Vader training them as badly as possible, chopping their limbs off for fun or no good reason making them weaker, murdering their veterans so they're always newbies rushing in to get killed). Against a trained jedi or sith they're absolute trash. Your point still stands, its just that because of the direction the writers took the show we were never going to get inquisitors that were competent.

0

Cranyx Mar 31, 2026 +2

> like Vader training them as badly as possible [It was a joke](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d696t3yALAY)

2

peppermint_nightmare Mar 31, 2026 +1

Great minds, was literally about to add that to my comment but was at work.

1

verrius Mar 31, 2026 +2

If the Inquisitors were confined to Rebels, *maybe* this would hold weight, but they turned around and continued to use them in the Obi-wan TV series, Jedi: Fallen Order game, and comics. And there, they're shown as decent foils for more developed Padawans and Jedi. Hell, one of them gives Obi-wan a run for his money for a while. And while he eventually outpaces the Third Sister, she gets clowned on by the Fifth Brother specifically, who also is in Rebels.

2

Kalse1229 Mar 31, 2026 +2

In his show, Obi-Wan was shown to be very rusty from inactivity. It took him a bit to regain his prowess before the end. Once he was back up to snuff it was no contest. And in Fallen Order, Cal was still healing his connection to the Force. And even then he still beat the Second and Ninth sisters, and in the beginning of Survivor quickly schools Ninth for the final time.

2

GoggleDMara9756 Mar 31, 2026 +2

Honestly that shit is kinda camp in a fun way, to me it’s the childish dialogue that really bothers me. If it was just helicopter sabers I think people would be a lot more favorable judging the show

2

Morley_Smoker Mar 31, 2026 +2

"for some reason also has a bunch of childish bullshit" My brother in Christ it is a children's TV show. It was made as a children's animated show that aired on Disney channel. I love it for what it is, no need to get your panties twisted about it not being serious enough as a children's show.

2

GoggleDMara9756 Mar 31, 2026 +2

The clone wars also is a children’s TV show and that has far less of this. I despise the idea of “it’s a kids show” to deflect criticism. There’s plenty of kids media that doesn’t fall into this

2

Flagermusmanden Mar 31, 2026 -2

I would argue that criticizing a children's show that aired on the f****** Disney Channel for being "too childish" is a real man baby thing to do. It's a kids program for kids, it's not for adults, it wasn't made for them. It's like a lactose intolerant person criticizing milk for being dairy. Either you are the type of adult who can enjoy a kid show for what it is, despite it not being made for you, or you aren't, and there is nothing wrong with that. But it's not a valid criticism to call a kids show childish.

-2

Cranyx Mar 31, 2026 +13

Except a ton of fans constantly recommend the show to adults, arguing that it's actually the "best Star Wars has to offer" without any "for a little kids' show" caveats. When you present it like that, it's going to be judged as a real show.

13

Flagermusmanden Mar 31, 2026 -3

Sorry, but if you can't tell it's a kids show just by looking at it for 5 seconds, then I don't think people telling you it is, will actually do anything.

-3

Cranyx Mar 31, 2026 +7

You're missing the point. The fact that it's a kids' show is obvious. What many fans will argue (including in this very thread) is that despite its audience, it holds up as some of, if not the best Star Wars media available regardless of your age. The problem with this claim is that Rebels has a lot of content that is *exclusively* aimed at little kids and makes it a lot less enjoyable for older audiences. Take as contrast the original 1977 movie. It was rated PG and intended for all audiences including kids. Despite this, it received immense praise from adults as a movie first, not just "a kids movie", including 12 Oscar nominations (8 of which it won).

7

Flagermusmanden Mar 31, 2026 -1

You're right, I must be missing the point. Because I dont get what you are trying to say at all. I dont get how people recommending the show, is somehow the shows fault, or how it makes the criticism of it being a kids show more valid. If I told you that my vanilla milkshake tastes like god and then you taste it and its just a pretty good milkshake, thats not the milkshakes fault. I also dont get what your point is about the original Star Wars. Rebels and ANH are 2 completely different entities doing wildly different things, intended for completely different audiences. ANH being for 12 and up while Rebels is for twelve and down. Rebels is a very good kids show. Its so good that even adults have found things in it that resonate with them. Those adults then go to their adult friend and recommend it. The fact that these people then go into this show believing that a Disney Channel cartoon will somehow be an adult show is not on the show, and should not be held up as a criticism.

-1

Cranyx Mar 31, 2026 +5

The problem is that you're arguing against a point no one is making. The original comment that you're getting mad at is someone pointing out that it can be a show that's difficult to recommend to adults because of how much content is exclusively aimed at kids. The reason they point that out is simply because of how many fans of the show argue otherwise. That's it.

5

Flagermusmanden Mar 31, 2026 -1

First, I am very much not mad. You can disagree with someone without being mad. >As a huge fan of the show it is really hard to recommend. That childishness persists through all seasons, even if it gets better. Like the maul obi wan episode has one of the best scenes in all of Star Wars, and **for some reason also has a bunch of childish bullshit**. Every episode has Zeb, Chopper, or Ezra doing something stupid. It has some of the highest highs of any show I’ve seen but **the criticisms are very valid** Second, the thing I was responding to was specifically the highlighted parts. The "childish bullshit" is there because it is a show for children, again, it's like being surprised that the pecan pie has pecans in it. And that is why I am arguing that the criticism of the show being "too childish" is in fact not valid, like they said it was. I'm not arguing with the wind here bro, I know exactly what I'm responding to.

-1

Cranyx Mar 31, 2026 +4

> it's like being surprised that the pecan pie has pecans in it. And that is why I am arguing that the criticism of the show being "too childish" is in fact not valid, like they said it was Once again, it's a perfectly valid thing to bring up within the context of people recommending the show to people regardless of age. That's what you keep missing and gives the impression of tilting at windmills. Just repeating "of course it has kids stuff, it's a kids show" continues to miss why that point is being brought up.

4

GoggleDMara9756 Mar 31, 2026 +3

There are plenty of kids shows that don’t do this, and even my younger relatives find a lot of the same things annoying. Besides chopper, the kids love chopper lol. But Zeb and even Ezra have been pain points for fans of all ages I’ve shown this to. That’s anecdotal I know, but it’s still something worth noting. The best episodes of clone wars never fall into this. She-ra, owl house, Steven universe, and plenty of other children’s TV don’t fall into these despite not being ‘for me.’ I despise the idea that we should have lower standards for kids entertainment.

3

Flagermusmanden Mar 31, 2026 +1

Well, I would make the argument that the shows you are pointing out were made with an older demographic in mind. Clone Wars, She-Ra, owl house etc, were all made for kids twelve and up. Rebels was made for children twelve and down. The point of Rebels was to be a stepping stone into the movies for kids still slightly too young for the movies. They could then watch Rebels, then go watch the movies.

1

GoggleDMara9756 Mar 31, 2026 +2

I think that’s a flawed argument. Much of the show relies on knowledge of the clone wars, a show that is in your eyes not made for this demographic. If there was less essential lore and character moments in this show it’d be alright for it to be kiddy, such as Star Wars Resistance or Young Jedi Adventures, but I don’t think that applies here.

2

Flagermusmanden Mar 31, 2026 +1

I think the connections to the Clone Wars are either just a quirk of the fact that its Dave Filoni who had just had The Clone Wars canceled on him. If I was to put my cynicist hat on I would probably argue that the Clone Wars and Legends connections were put there deliberately to try and get adults to watch a children's cartoon. Also Resistance was made to to take the place Rebels left behind, so if you yourself think that Resistance was meant for a younger audience? Well there you have it. Young Jedi Adventures was meant for an even younger audience than Rebels and Resistance.

1

GoggleDMara9756 Mar 31, 2026 +2

Resistance wasn’t targeting the same people. IGN wasn’t reviewing every episode of resistance, you don’t see resistance lore discussions. I’d argue bad batch and the tales shows are much more similar to rebels and going after that audience

2

Flagermusmanden Mar 31, 2026 +1

Maybe people weren't talking about Resistance the same way because it didn't have the same connections to the wider SW franchise that Rebels did. Nobody were really talking about Rebels until the end of season one when characters like Darth Vader and Ahsoka started showing up. And like I said, those characters were probably introduced with the specific purpose of getting people to talk about it and hooking a wider more adult audience. You have to take the wider context into consideration when discussing these shows. It's important to remember that Rebels came out at the beginning of the Disney era, so of course people were naturally more curious about it than Resistance which came out much later.

1

GoggleDMara9756 Apr 1, 2026 +1

I think the inclusion of those characters changing the audience from solely kids to kids + adults, an audience that adventure time, Steven universe, she-ra, owl house, clone wars, and many many other shows have been able to appeal to without issue.

1

Bobjoejj Mar 31, 2026 -1

Really? I’d argue that once it gets past the first season, that childishness diminishes plenty. It’s still there sure, but there’s definitely more maturity and seriousness.

-1

GoggleDMara9756 Mar 31, 2026 +4

It gets better but it’s still a massive issue past season 1

4

zetnas9 Mar 31, 2026 +5

Rebels is brilliant and is one of my favorite projects out of the Disney Era. Twilight of the apprentice is where the show peaks but the show is still the best Lucasfilm has done outside of Andor.

5

MeatTornado25 Mar 31, 2026 +4

I remember being so excited for this episode that I actually watched it live on DisneyXD, which I only got in SD at the time for some reason. The next day it became the first (only?) episode of TV I ever bought online, because I couldn't wait to re-watch it in high quality.

4

tupe12 Mar 31, 2026 +6

Hell of a season finale

6

Mojave_RK Mar 31, 2026 +4

Ashley’s delivery of “I won’t leave you. Not this time.” 😭

4

Pete_maravich Mar 31, 2026 +3

I just watched this episode in preparation for the new MAUL show

3

jnighy Mar 31, 2026 +8

one of the greatest episodes in the history of Star Wars

8

The-Jedi-Apprentice Mar 31, 2026 +6

Some of the best star wars to this day

6

TheJoshider10 Mar 31, 2026 +7

Hilarious that the Kenobi show pretty much copy and pasted the emotional moment from this episode. If it ain't broke don't fix it, I suppose.

7

Morgan-Moonscar Mar 31, 2026 +5

"If I had a nickle for every time a duel with Darth Vader ended with his helmet getting slashed in half to reveal Anakin underneath..."

5

slicer4ever Mar 31, 2026 +2

Goddamn 10 years already? I remember watching this when it premiered. Time needs to seriously slow down please.

2

favorscore Mar 31, 2026 +1

Shit should I watch this if i liked the clone wars?

1

Benbot2000 Mar 31, 2026 +2

Yes

2

Benbot2000 Mar 31, 2026 +1

I like Ahsoka, but she should have died here. It would have been an honorable end to her character.

1

rikashiku Apr 1, 2026 +1

I remember when this episode aired and it was talked about a lot. I can't believe it's been 10 years already.

1

GoggleDMara9756 Mar 31, 2026 -7

The show if it was just this stuff would be such fire. Literally cut Zeb, and half of chopper and half of Ezra and you’ve got a perfect show.

-7

Twilight of the Apprentice - from "Star Wars: Rebels" (Aired 10 years ago on March 30th, 2016)

💬 Send a Message

74 Comments