Upon the initial release of Star Wars: Rebels, fans could not stand the whiny and egotistical Ezra Bridger.
Introduced at age 14, the young force sensitive was lambasted for being… well, a 14-year-old. To the joy of viewers everywhere, however, Ezra was created with intent for growth — and grow the Jedi did. With training from illustrious Jedi like Ahsoka Tano, notorious space-pirate Hondo Ohnaka, and even the mad Sith Darth Maul, Ezra had several lifetimes of training thrust on him between the ages of 14 and 19. The character made an amazing 180 during his tenure on Rebels, going from an egocentric street rat few were rooting for to a hero fans could easily see themselves reflected in. His disappearance at the end of the series left fans dying for his live-action debut in Star Wars: Ahsoka.
The death of his parents
Ezra Bridger was born on the planet Lothal in the same year the Empire assumed control of the Galaxy, which makes him roughly the same age as Luke Skywalker. His parents were part of the earliest rebel cells on Lothal, and began broadcasting messages of resistance to their peers with the blessing of the planet’s governor. It wasn’t long before the signal was traced back to the Bridgers and Ezra’s parents were arrested and taken to an imperial facility where they would later die in a prison break — but not before saving several inmates who would go on to aid the resistance. Those saved include the former planetary governor, Ryder Azadi.
A friend of the Bridgers, a Rodian named Tseebo, was tasked with keeping Ezra safe, but — fearing for his own safety — he fled and left the then seven-year-old Ezra to fend for himself. Ezra’s natural force abilities kept him one step ahead of the competition, and accentuated his skills in pick stealing, lying, and pickpocketing, and allowing him to make a decent living reselling stolen goods to a pawnbroker. Living out of an abandoned radio tower, Ezra tried isolating himself from the needs of others, but his ability to sense emotions kept his good heart from fully icing over.
Meeting the Spectors and becoming a Rebel
Ezra’s casual use of his force talents caught the attention of Kanan Jarrus, captain of the ship Ghost, after the street rat stole some Imperial cargo the crew was set on liberating for themselves. After crossing paths with — and infuriating — most of the crew, Ezra liberated the recently captured rebels, along with himself, from Imperial prison and in the process solidified his usefulness as a crew member. His relationship with his found-family was initially rocky, but given time Ezra found his rhythm and a permanent home on the Ghost.
In Kanan Jarrus and Zeb Orrelios, he found a mentor and an older brother, and in Hera Syndulla an older sister. His relationship with Sabine Wren was more complicated, as Ezra had strong romantic feelings from a young age, but despite the older Mandalorian girl’s initial disinterest, the pair eventually developed a strong friendship. The ship’s resident droid, Chopper, served as another point of contention for Bridger, with the rogue robot frequently electrocuting the teen and generally living his best nuisance life.
Ezra, time and again, found opportunity to prove himself to his comrades. By the time he hit 17, he was promoted to lieutenant and recognized by the larger rebellion as a powerful and resourceful fighter. His youth and inexperience were initially his greatest weaknesses, but the constant presence of friends and comrades — people far older and more experienced that him — pushed Ezra to curb his worst instincts fairly early. With their guidance, Ezra developed the skills to face off against Empire greats like Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Grand Inquisitor, and even Darth Vader himself.
His involvement with the rebellion forced Ezra to face the harsh realities of war, and over the years bury many friends, including Ahsoka Tano and his master, Kanan. One of his ability to sense emotion allowed Ezra to work with unsavory types like Hondo Onaka without being blindsided by the pirate’s penchant for stabbing people in the back. This ability would also help the young Jedi navigate a tricky alliance with the unhinged Darth Maul, who was so impressed by Ezra’s force abilities he attempted to claim the young Jedi as an apprentice.
Relationship with Darth Maul
Darth Maul felt a deep appreciation for Ezra’s innate Jedi abilities from the moment the two met. Preying on Ezra’s deeply held sorrow over the loss of his parents, Maul gained his sympathies and attempted to manipulate the younger man. While Ezra was momentarily coerced by the Sith, Kanan was able to see through the ruse and — following Maul’s attempted murder of the Jedi for his insolence — Ezra never trusted the Sith again. He did, however, help Maul to recover a Sith Holocron, which allowed the Sith to locate his long-time nemesis, Obi-Wan Kenobi. It also temporarily fused Ezra and Maul’s minds, and — in an attempt to sever the force connection — allowed Ezra to discover the World Between Worlds.
Ahsoka Tano and the World Between Worlds
Ezra met Ahsoka Tano — who, at the time, was going by the name “Fulcrum,” and acting as head of the small rebellion — after Kanan was captured and placed in Imperial custody. The two joined forced to rescue Ezra’s master and Ahsoka immediately recognized his potential. She joined Kanan and Ezra on several missions, and aided them in their stand against Maul and several Inquisitors. She eventually met her end at the hands Darth Vader, but not before realizing that the Sith Lord was her former master, Anakin Skywalker. Ahsoka remained dead for nearly two years before Ezra way discovered a way to revive the her.
Ezra accessed the World Between Worlds, an otherworldly space that links all that has ever been, and all that will ever be, together. Hearing Ahsoka’s voice, Ezra sought her out and found the moment just before Vader struck her down. The two ultimately escaped together, and — though Ezra was unable to save his parents or Kanan — he was satisfied in his successful rescue of Ahsoka, who quickly rejoined the war effort.
Final battle and disappearance
After rescuing Ahsoka, Ezra joined the rest of his crew ahead of the assault on Lothal. In a desperate bid to destroy as many Empire ships as possible, the crew sent an order for all ships to meet in the Imperial complex where they could be destroyed. Learning of their plan, Grand Admiral Thrawn withdrew the troops, and gave the Rebels an ultimatum: deliver Ezra to the Empire, or the capital city would pay the price.
Seeing no other option, and unwilling to endanger those he loved, Ezra left his ship without the consent of his friends and delivered himself to Thrawn. Once on the bridge, Ezra used his strong empathic abilities to summon a pod of Purrgil to transport the Imperial fleet — himself included — as far away from Lothal as possible. It wasn’t until the end of the rebellion nearly five years later that Ahsoka and Sabine discovered that Ezra survived, and departed to find the missing Jedi.
Force abilities
Ezra is incredibly gifted with the force. Without any training, the young Jedi was able to extend the airtime of speeders in flight, persuade authorities to look away from his misdeeds, and understand the feelings of animals. After training for several years with Kanan, supplemented by training with Ahsoka and Maul, Ezra’s powers only continued to grow. His lessons with those outside of the Jedi order allowed him to develop a deeper understanding of the force as a whole, and let him access techniques forbidden by the Jedi without losing himself to the Dark Side. By the end of the series, Ezra has the full gambit of Jedi abilities, which include enhanced jumping, running, and awareness, but also more specialized abilities like premonitions, force shields, enhanced telepathy, and even the Sith version of the Jedi mind trick, which is akin to full-blown possession.
Future of the character
Since Ezra’s final appearance, fans have been desperate for a follow up. While it seems like Ezra may have “sister-zoned” Sabine, all but cancelling out the potential romance between the two, there is the much larger concern for Ezra’s wellbeing. Last fans saw, the Jedi had warped himself and thousands of his enemies to a distant planet where he has been trapped, alone, for seven years.
While fighting may have stopped for Rebels in the interior planets, there is a real chance that Ezra has been fighting against unbelievable odds. It was companionship that largely helped the young Jedi to stay ahead, and — without any back up and face to face with one of his greatest enemies — there is a real chance Ezra is nowhere near the man he used to be. Some fans have even speculated that Ezra’s prolonged solitude, and the causal relationship he has with the Dark Side, could lead to the character’s status as a Sith in later years.
Star Wars: Ahsoka is now steaming on Disney Plus.