Every Season of Star Wars Rebels, Ranked Worst to Best

Star Wars Rebels was one of the first Star Wars titles that Disney put out, and with that, there were some seasons of the show that were better than others. Rebels follows the crew of the Ghost and their journey from being low-level rebels to some of the highest-ranking members of the Rebel Alliance that helped take down the Empire. Among the Ghost crew were two Jedi, Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus and his Padawan, Ezra Bridger. Also aboard was the Twi’lek ace pilot Hera Syndulla, Mandalorian Sabine Wren, and the former Lasat Honor Guard Member, Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios.

Rebels ran for four seasons and was able to create new stories that were incredibly meaningful, but it also brought back fan-favorite characters such as Ahsoka Tano, Clone Captain Rex, and Darth Maul. When Rebels came out, the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars hadn’t yet premiered, meaning the fate of many of these characters had been unknown – and their survival of Order 66 and the Empire was a shock to many. Rebels was able to build on the foundation created by The Clone Wars and directly connected those stories to the events of the original Star Wars trilogy. That being said, some seasons of Rebels were better than others, and here they are ranked from worst to best.

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5 Star Wars Rebels Season 2

Premiere Date: June 20, 2015

Rebels season 2 had a hard time finding its footing. The show had introduced Ahsoka Tano in the season 1 finale, but didn’t quite know what to do with her. She sometimes appeared, but then would be absent for episodes at a time with no explanation. It felt fairly obvious that other than the Empire as a whole, there was truly no “big bad” of Rebels season 2. There were teases that it was Darth Vader, but for the sake of the show continuing and keeping continuity with the original Star Wars trilogy, Darth Vader was never truly an option as the big bad.

On top of that, after the death of the Grand Inquisitor in the Rebels season 1 finale, no other Inquisitor was that intimidating, even if they appeared in pairs or trios. There was little doubt Ezra and Kanan could take them down if challenged. Rebels season 2 also struggled to figure out how involved in the Rebellion the characters would be. With appearances of characters such as Leia Organa, the show at times seemed to want to be right in the middle of the action, but at different points felt so far removed from the Star Wars that audiences know and love.

4 Star Wars Rebels Season 1

Premiere Date: October 3, 2014

Rebels season 1 was fun, even if the show was still trying to find its niche within Star Wars. Many of the episodes felt like fillers, but many characters and storylines would be reused and better integrated into the show later in the series. Rebels season 1 suffered because it felt so far removed from all the other Star Wars titles viewers had seen up to that point. Lothal was a planet that hadn’t been seen before, and the Ghost crew rarely left the planet in the show’s first season.

Some of Rebels’ worst episodes appear in season 1, including an arc in the show’s third-ever episode that featured C-3PO and R2-D2. Many of these episodes were made to make Rebels feel more connected to the larger Star Wars universe, but when compared to episodes in later seasons, they feel forced and awkward. Despite this, Rebels season 1 did a great job establishing character arcs, particularly Ezra Bridger’s, who audiences saw grow from a selfish street orphan to a Jedi who knows the importance of selflessness.

3 Star Wars Rebels Season 3

Premiere Date: September 24, 2016

Rebels season 3 became much more interesting with the introduction of Grand Admiral Thrawn, who would prove to be a thorn in the side of the Rebellion for the show’s last two seasons. This season also saw the return of Darth Maul, and his presence was the largest contributing factor to Ezra Bridger being tempted by the dark side. Rebels season 3 also saw what many consider to be one of the best episodes in all of Star Wars – “Twin Suns.” The episode saw Ezra Bridger travel to Tatooine to warn Obi-Wan Kenobi that Maul was hunting him, and it ended with Maul dying at Kenobi’s blade.

Rebels season 3 also introduced more Mandalorians to the show, including Sabine Wren’s family. Sabine tried to unite the Mandalorians under her rule as she wielded the Darksaber. Seeing Sabine connect to the blade under the guidance of Kanan Jarrus was one of the most emotional episodes in the show’s tenure and really set the stage for the Sabine audiences got to know in Ahsoka.

2 Star Wars Rebels Season 4

Premiere Date: October 16, 2017

Rebels season 4 may only be 15 episodes, but every single episode pushes forward the plot of the story overall and is meaningful to the character’s development. The season begins on Mandalore as the Ghost crew helps Sabine and other Mandalorians in Clan Wren rescue Sabine’s father. The season also features a subplot about the Empire transporting kyber crystals. Though the Rebels don’t know what it’ll be used for, audiences know it’ll be used to power the Death Star.

Rebels’ final season also throws multiple emotional punches at viewers. Not only does Kanan Jarrus sacrifice himself to save his family, but audiences also get to see Ezra Bridger enter the World Between Worlds and save Ahsoka Tano from dying at Darth Vader’s blade. The final episode sees the Rebels trying to take back Lothal from the Empire. The series ends with Ezra Bridger sacrificing himself to get the purrgil to take him, Grand Admiral Thrawn, and his troops away from Lothal. It would be revealed five years later in Ahsoka that they were actually taken to a different galaxy and landed on a planet called Peridea.

1 Ahsoka Continued Rebels’ Legacy

2023’s Ahsoka brought most of the main Ghost crew to live-action. This included Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, Chopper, and Ezra Bridger. Ahsoka was Dave Filoni’s love letter to the Rebels animated show and gave audiences a new and interesting story to love. The focus wasn’t on the Rebels characters, but their legacy was on full display throughout all 8 episodes. The end of Ahsoka season 1 saw Grand Admiral Thrawn return to the main Star Wars universe, but also saw Ezra Bridger reunite with Hera Syndulla and Chopper. Meanwhile, Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren were left on Peridea, though hopefully Ahsoka season 2 will give audiences a proper Ghost crew reunion.

Rebels has become one of the most beloved animated Star Wars titles as it directly connects to so many different aspects of the franchise. There’s something for everyone to love in the show, even if some of the seasons are better than others. Dave Filoni bringing these characters back in Ahsoka proves just how much he recognizes audiences’ love for these characters. Hopefully, Ahsoka isn’t the last time we see the Ghost crew, as there are likely many more stories to tell. For now, Star Wars Rebels will just have to be rewatched.