Star Wars Rebels is one of the best shows currently on Disney XD, a series worthy of the franchise name, and some even argue that it’s better than some of the movies! The first two seasons are out on DVD and Blu-ray now, with the third on its way on August 29th, but while I reviewed the first season back when it was released, I only recently got my hands on a copy of season two. Season one was one of Disney’s best releases for a television series, so does season two hold up? Let’s find out.
The Episodes
Season two as a whole was amazing. We got a whole season of adventure with one of my absolute, all-time favorite Star Wars characters, Ahsoka Tano, and we saw Darth Vader on more than one occasion, which led up to a showdown for the ages between Ahsoka and her old master. In short, season two was amazing. I’m not going to go over all the episodes, there were 22 altogether, or 20 if you count the two hour long episodes as single episodes, but I will highlight some of the standout episodes of the season.
“A Princess on Lothal”
Episode 12 of season two (re)introduces us to Princess Leia. The episode sees the Ghost crew working with Leia to secure some cruisers for the rebels. The only problem is, she seems completely innocent. This was a great episode, and it was so much fun to see Leia in action once more as a rebel princess.
“Legends of the Lasat”
When I hear that an episode is going to center on Zeb, I’m never completely thrilled. I always feel like he’s a little boring compared to the other characters, and I just want to get back to Hera or Ahsoka. However, that was not the case in this episode! In episode 14 we meet a few more members of Zeb’s species, and he learns that is not actually the last of his species! And, even more interesting, at least for me, we learn that his race interacts with the Force in a completely different way than the Jedi, and that the religion of the Jedi is not the only one in the galaxy! I suppose that this may not be news to fans of the expanded universe, but for me, someone who hasn’t dove into that world yet, this was a huge revelation, and opened up a whole galaxy of possibilities.
“Shroud of Darkness”
In episode 18 we have massive revelations for everyone! Or at least Kanan, Ezra, and Ahsoka. The three of them visit a Jedi temple on Lothal, and they each have their own vision. Ezra meets Yoda (Voiced once more by Frank Oz himself!), Kanan is officially knighted (By the Grand Inquisitor who apparently had been a former Jedi Knight!), and Ahsoka learns the shocking truth about her former master and friend, Anakin Skywalker! This episode was so good! It was a perfect mix of elements from all over Star Wars! From the original trilogy, to the prequels, to The Clone Wars! Everything came into play in some form, and it was all amazing.
“Twilight of the Apprentice”
The hour-long season finale of season two is arguably one of, if not the best episode of Star Wars Rebels so far. There were so many surprises, so many twists and turns, and so many absolutely shocking events. If someone were to ask me what my favorite episode is, I don’t think I would even hesitate: it is this episode. Ahsoka and Darth Vader meet face to face, and an epic battle ensues. Former Sith Lord Darth Maul makes his debut on Rebels, second season regulars, the Fifth Brother and the Seventh Sister are actually killed on-screen, and Kanan is rendered irreversibly blind by a lightsaber slash to the eyes. This episode was nail-biting action to the end, which left us wondering if Ahsoka was still alive and if Ezra might be on his way to the Dark Side.
Bonus Features
The Blu-ray and DVD releases of Rebels season one had some amazing bonus features. Disney has never been very good about treating its television series with decent boxed sets, so the fact that season one’s was so well done was amazing. So how does season two compare? Let’s take a look.
Rebels Recon
As with season one, we got all the mini-documentaries/talk show episodes that were released online following each episode. In season two we got twenty episodes of Recon, one for each episode. These are short but insightful, and a great, bite-sized look behind the scenes of each episode.
Connecting The Galaxy: REBELS Season 2
This a 3 ½ minute featurette about the many Easter Eggs and references hidden throughout season two that connect it to the larger Star Wars universe as a whole.
Blu-Ray Exclusive Feature
The Blu-ray also includes one feature not found on the DVD.
From Apprentice to Adversary: Vader Vs. Ahsoka
This is a short, six-minute interview with with Dave Filoni, talking about his journey to bringing Ahsoka back, and everything that went into the final showdown between Ahsoka and Vader.
Final Thoughts
Star Wars Rebels season two is, without question, a must-buy for fans of the show and/or franchise. The episodes here are amazing, and some of the best of the series so far, and that’s not even taking into account the bonus features. Which, as good as they are, I do want to touch on briefly.
I do love the bonus features that we got and, truthfully, even if they had just included the Rebels Recon episodes, I would have been happy. However, the fact that season one was treated to such a wide variety of bonus features tells me that they didn’t give quite as much effort for season two, which is just a bit disappointing. What we got was perfectly fine, but I hope they’ll do a little better for season three.
All that being said, I am perfectly happy with this set, even if it isn’t as packed as season one. Just being able to own the series is enough for me, because I love Rebels, and season two has some of the best episodes. This set is a worthy addition to any fan’s collection, and I highly recommend it.
Star Wars Rebels: Season Two Purchase Links
Blu-Ray: US | CA | UK
DVD: US | CA | UK
What was your favorite part of season two?
Have you checked out this set yet?
Edited by: Hannah Wilkes
