Star Wars: Rebels Season 3 (2016) Review

With the 2nd season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch coming to Disney+ next week, I decided that it was finally time to finish my review of their previous animated show Star Wars Rebels and here is my review for the third season. The premise of the show sees after the traumatic experiences of the previous season's finale, the crew of the Ghost attempt to continue to build a rebellion. But the introduction of a new Imperial leader makes their lives more difficult then ever. 

Main Character

Ezra Bridger is once again the main character voiced by Taylor Gray and this is a strong performance. You see the issues that he has been going through since the events of Malachor and it actually feels pretty natural. His character comes across similar to how I feel about Luke Skywalker is A New Hope, he is a bit whiny and annoying at times but you do end up rooting for him and wanting to see him succeed. For a show heavily aimed at children, this is a pretty mature and complex character. 

Supporting Characters

This show has a huge cast so I will probably just mention my favourite ones. Freddie Prinze Jnr voices Kanan Jarrus and he is fantastic. After being blinded by Maul, his character has to go through plenty of development to really gain an understanding in how to be a full Jedi and this is handled in an appropriate way. Sabine Wren voiced by Tiya Sircar is given way more to do this season, the whole Mandalorian storyline is expanded this season and her character is tied very closely too it. Focusing on this supporting character for a few episodes could have been dull but it ended up being some of the best episodes of the show. The rest of the Ghost crew, Zeb, Chopper, Hera & Rex are given time to shine to and it is just really nice seeing a show focus on a group of characters that are just so likeable. Maul is back for a storyline voiced by the excellent Sam Witwer, his presence is hanging over the whole season and even though he isn't the main threat I really liked how he is used with some of the biggest moments of the show. But the addition to the show that really shined was the addition of Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn, his chilling voice and overall demeanour is superb. The way he is presented makes him one of the best villains in the Star Wars universe, everything from his tactical mind to score make him a major threat and easily my favourite part of this show. 

Story 

The story is better here, it focuses on some major plot points that focus on the characters and the building of the Rebellion. Maul's story, the Mandalore plot and Thrawns hunt for the Rebels are easily the best and thus give this season way more intrigue and care then previous plot lines. But there is still some filler here, it's not as bad as the previous season but I wish there was a few less episodes and the focus was even more on Thrawn and how his mind works. 

Script 

Though this show is meant to be for kids, I feel like season 3 was more mature and the writing was improved. The majority of the characters grow and are developed, there are some legitimately dark moments and even though the humour is still a bit childish it works overall. 

Style 

The show has its unique style but there has been a clear improvement from Season 1 to Season 3. The set pieces are bigger, the action is more exciting and the characters just look sleeker. The shorter length of episodes make this an easier binge which considering some of the episodes was required. But as I mentioned above, there is a bit too much filler for me. I don't know why this season felt like it needed 22 episodes as it does hold it back a bit. 

Overall

Overall, The third season of Star Wars Rebels is a great addition to the Star Wars universe. It is fun and shows the Rebellion being built in a more interesting and worthwhile manner. 

Rating - 8/10