Some of the best characters of the Disney-era of Star Wars come from Star Wars Rebels, a show so often overlooked that it truly is an underrated masterpiece. The development and arcs of the series’ main heroes and villains are consistently great throughout the four seasons of the show.
Each of the main characters gets their chance to shine in the series, with all of them at least having a couple of memorable scenes that have become iconic within Star Wars Rebels. Whether these be grand finales, battles, or just great character moments, the show has many iconic moments to choose from.
The Grand Inquisitor – Duel With Kanan Jarrus & Ezra Bridger
![Star Wars Rebels — Each Main Character’s Most Iconic Scene](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Ezra-and-Kanan-vs-the-Grand-Inquisitor.jpg)
The Grand Inquisitor is the main villain of Rebels‘ first season and is one of the more underrated on-screen villains out there. Throughout his few episodes he has so many great moments, but his final act is his best.
There is an argument to be made that his knighting of Kanan in the Jedi Temple is his most iconic. However, his battle with Kanan after Ezra is incapacitated in “Fire Across The Galaxy” is so wonderfully done and important that it has stuck in fan’s minds. Not only does it set the scene for Vader’s time in the show, but it helps Kanan massively in his journey towards becoming Ezra’s mentor, overcoming his fear, and putting faith in the Force.
Maul (& Obi-Wan Kenobi) – Final Battle
![Maul and Obi-Wan prepare to have their final duel on Tatooine in Star Wars Rebels](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Obi-Wan-Vs.-Maul-Rebels-Cropped.png)
Maul becomes a key recurring part of Rebels at the end of the second season, and his time in the show was building up to one moment, his final duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The pair’s meeting on Tatooine in “Twin Suns” is one of the most poetic, emotional, and brilliant lightsaber battles in all of Star Wars. It does not need to be long or full of choreographed action. It relies on the story of the two individuals that had been going on for decades. Everything about the duel works perfectly and it is undoubtedly Maul’s most iconic scene in the show.
Grand Admiral Thrawn – Debut In Canon
![Thrawn introduces himself to Kallus and Pryce, and lays out his plan to destroy the rebels in Star Wars Rebels](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Grand-Admiral-Thrawn-Cropped.jpg)
The main villain of Rebels’ last two seasons is one of the most important and beloved characters of the Legends timeline, Mitth’raw’nurudo, AKA Thrawn. The Grand Admiral has many great scenes throughout his time in the show.
It is hard to look past his debut, though. Fans were hotly anticipating his debut in canon, and his first scene did not disappoint. Thrawn immediately displayed his fantastic presence, genius, ruthlessness, and overall brilliance as a villain. Audiences are informed of his efforts to rid the galaxy of rebels, no matter the civilian casualties, and are let in on his plan to deal with the Lothal rebels as well.
Ahsoka Tano & Darth Vader – “Twilight Of The Apprentice”
![Ahsoka Tano fighting Darth Vader on Malachor in Star Wars Rebels](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Ahsoka-Tano-fighting-Darth-Vader-in-Star-Wars-Rebels.jpeg)
Both Ahsoka Tano and Darth Vader were huge parts of Rebels’ second season, which resulted in some of the best Star Wars television ever, particularly through “Twilight of the Apprentice.”
The former best friends/Master and Apprentice have a duel on Malachor that is better than most in the franchise in terms of its story and the emotion behind it. From seeing Ahsoka so broken at what her big brother had become, as well as Vader talking to her in the voice of Anakin, it is all masterful storytelling.
Chopper – Commandeering An Imperial Vessel With AP-5
![Chopper and AP-5 commandeer an Imperial ship in Star Wars Rebels](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Chopper-and-AP-5-commandeer-an-Imperial-ship-in-Star-Wars-Rebels.jpg)
Chopper is a key part of the crew of the Ghost, and one of the most violent, trigger-happy, and angry little droids in Star Wars. While droid-centric episodes of the animated shows do not tend to be acclaimed, Chopper does have some great scenes.
His best is when he convinces AP-5 to turn against his programming and the Empire, and the two commandeer an Imperial vessel. This leads them to help the rebels find a new base on Atollon, which would fittingly come to be known as Chopper Base.
Garazeb Orrellios & Alexsandr Kallus – Stranded Together
![Star Wars Rebels' Agent Kallus and Zeb](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Rebels-Agent-Kallus.jpg)
Another member of Ghost Squadron is Zeb who, over the course of Rebels, develops a great relationship with Alexsandr Kallus, an ISB agent who defects from the Empire and joins the rebellion.
The catalyst for his defection comes when the pair of characters get stranded together in “The Honorable One” on an ice moon of Geonosis. The two discuss their opinions on the war and what happened with the Lasat people, and they actually seem to bond with mutual respect. Seeing the care of the rebels, as well as the fact Zeb saved Kallus, led Kallus to rethink his life as an Imperial Officer.
Sabine Wren – Fighting Kanan With The Darksaber
![Sabine Wren wields the Darksaber in Star Wars: Rebels.](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Sabine-Star-Wars-Rebels-Darksaber.jpg)
Sabine Wren took a long time to come into her own as a character in Rebels. She was cool and fun, but there was a level of complexity missing from her in the first couple of seasons that the other characters had already started developing.
Then she found the Darksaber. She eventually reconnected with her family and returned to Mandalore, but not before training with the Darksaber, which were her best scenes in the show. When she fights Kanan with the Darksaber and passionately lets out all of her issues and her baggage, it is fantastic. It is wonderful and genuinely upsetting seeing Sabine be so vulnerable, and fighting Kanan with the Mandalorian lightsaber is a visually stunning moment.
Hera Syndulla – Flying Blade Wing
![Hera Syndulla doing a thumbs up in SW Rebels](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Hera-Syndulla-flies-the-Blade-Wing-in-Star-Wars-Rebels.jpg)
Hera Syndulla is such a fantastic mother figure to the Ghost Crew, and on top of that her skills as a pilot, her fierceness, and her importance to the rebel alliance makes her a crucial part of Rebels.
Arguably her most iconic moment is when she flies the Blade Wing, a prototype B-wing. Prior to flying it, she unveils some of her past and her motivations to be a part of the rebellion Quarrie, the engineer of the ship. Seeing her so expertly fly the ship and fight off Imperial Forces shows how great she is as a pilot, one of the best in the franchise.
Ezra Bridger – Calling The Purrgil’s To Take Him & Thrawn To Hyperspace
![Ezra, Thrawn, and Purrgils in the Star Wars Rebels series finale.](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Star-Wars-Rebels-Series-Finale-Ezra-Thrawn-Purrgils.jpg)
Ezra Bridger had an Ahsoka Tano-like start in Rebels, in that he was pretty unlikable, childish, and even annoying to a lot of fans. Over the course of the show, he was fantastically developed, and thankfully his journey is not over.
The end of his time in Rebels, though, gave fans his most iconic scene. Sacrificing himself to save his friends, save Lothal, and defeat Thrawn was a beautiful move from the character. A move worthy of a Jedi. Calling upon the controversial Purrgils and going into hyperspace with the Grand Admiral is an image that will live long in the fan’s minds.
Kanan Jarrus – Sacrifice
![Kanan Jarrus sacrifices himself to save his friends in Star Wars Rebels](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/kanan-jedi-night-Cropped.jpg)
Kanan Jarrus is not only the best character in Rebels, but one of the best characters of the Disney era overall. From becoming blind to dueling to kissing Hera at long last, he has many iconic moments. None will be as well remembered as his death, though.
Cutting his hair and becoming laser-focused on saving Hera, Kanan is an absolute badass in his final episode. After rescuing Hera and after the two profess their love and kiss, the fuel pod they stand upon is shot by Governor Pryce’s men. Kanan saves Hera, Ezra, and Sabine, and becomes engulfed in flames, dying. It affects every character massively, and beautifully fulfilled Kanan’s journey as a Jedi.