Summary

  • Star Wars Rebels pushed the boundaries with mature storytelling, but the darkest story was never told.
  • The fall of Mandalore, not explicitly shown in Rebels, had devastating consequences for Sabine Wren and the Ghost crew.
  • The Mandalorian Purge, a tragic event in Star Wars history, had a profound impact on Sabine and left her grappling with personal loss and the weight of responsibility.

Star Wars Rebels didn't shy away from telling mature stories, but the darkest moment was never shown. While originally somewhat friendlier for young fans, Rebels aged with its audience, bringing crushing moments with it. The "Twilight of the Apprentice" episodes on Malachor rank high among the best episodes of the show, bringing multiple tiers of the dark side to the forefront as Inquisitors are killed off, Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus loses his eyesight, and Darth Vader works to kill Ahsoka Tano. Kanan's death in Rebels season 4 was followed by several grim episodes, offering the character's and viewers time to grieve.

The darkest story is one Rebels didn't dare tell. While the outcome of the Mandalorians' efforts to liberate their homeworld of Imperial tyranny wasn't part of the show's story, it would have ramifications for the Ghost crew's Sabine Wren. Having just reacquainted herself with her family, Sabine chose to help the rebels free Lothal while Clan Wren fought on Mandalore. With the Darksaber in the unworthy hands of Bo-Katan Kryze, Sabine assumed she had done what was needed to unite her people - but instead brought about a horrific curse.

Star Wars Has Never Explicitly Told The Story Of Mandalore's Fall

The Mandalorian Season 3 Mandalore

While it's been alluded to and shown in snippets, the story of the Night of a Thousand Tears has not been fully told. In The Mandalorian season 3, Bo-Katan reveals she surrendered the Darksaber to Moff Gideon in an effort to protect Mandalore, but he betrayed her. Gideon's actions were depicted briefly in The Book of Boba Fett, in which a flashback showed TIE bombers deploying ordinance onto the capital city of Sundari. The dome was destroyed, survivors were executed when found, and the planet's surface was turned into a green-hued glass - leaving most to believe the world was uninhabitable.

The broad strokes of the event are known. What hasn't been told are the when and why. The book Star Wars Timelines doesn't pinpoint the Mandalorian Purge into any specific year, though it can be assumed that it transpires after the Battle of Yavin. Given the stubborn nature of Mandalorians, it can be further be guessed that hostilities towards Imperials escalated to a point where Gideon and even the Emperor determined a permanent solution was necessary; the Empire also doesn't need a reason to commit atrocities. For an event so tied to The Mandalorian, it's actually the Rebels characters that bear more of the burden.

RELATED: Star Wars: Every Mandalorian Who Survived The Great Purge

The Purge Of Mandalore Is Star Wars Rebels' Most Tragic Tale

The Night of a Thousand Tears in The Book of Boba Fett.

The Ghost crew endures great personal tragedy through the death of Kanan and disappearance of Ezra, but the Purge of Mandalore highlights their greatest failure. Much of Rebels seasons 3 and 4 focuses on Sabine's efforts to restore her homeworld, the rest of the crew giving her the needed physical and emotional support. While Sabine didn't believe in herself at first, she faced her past and grew into a strong leader - just not the one Mandalore needed. What Bo-Katan did to ultimately earn an act of genocide from the Empire is unknown, but it falls on Sabine's shoulders for instituting her as Mandalore's ruler.

Rebels, though bittersweet, ends on a triumphant note. Mandalore was on track for a brighter future and Lothal was liberated, with the Empire refusing to retaliate on the latter world in the wake of the Death Star's destruction. But what was believed to be a victorious effort for the heroes was turned on its head when Mandalore was destroyed, shattering so much of what they worked towards. The Imperial flag reigned across the galaxy, snuffing out any good work that Sabine had done to unite a historically divided people.

RELATED: 12 Essential Sabine Wren Star Wars Rebels Episodes To Watch Before Ahsoka

How Did The Fall Of Mandalore Affect Star Wars Rebels' Main Characters?

Sabine Wren in live-action from the Ahsoka trailer

Naturally, the Mandalorian Purge would have the greatest impact on Sabine. With her people wiped out and the Darksaber in the hands of the Empire, Sabine's battle to tame her demons was lost. Even worse is the possibility of a high personal cost - Clan Wren, while based on Krownest, could well have been fighting on Mandalore during the purge. In that event, the Night of a Thousand Tears would claim the lives of at least her mother and brother, loyal followers of Bo-Katan. She was lucky when they escaped death from "The Duchess" weapon that she designed, but Sabine may pay the price when her world was shattered.

What's worse, Sabine has become the third survivor of a genocide amongst the Ghost crew. Kanan's death removes the possibility of giving her guidance, though he expired something similar during Order 66 when the Jedi were wiped out. Zeb Orrelios, however, lived to continue fighting the Empire, one of a few to survive the mass destruction of his homeworld, Lasan. He later discovered more Lasat were living on Lira-san, but the psychological damage from the genocide had already been done. The destruction of Mandalore swings the Rebels characters' stories into a dark turn, one that Star Wars needs to tell for the full weight of the event to be felt.