Episode 106: Rebels: Rise of the Old Masters + Breaking Ranks

Welcome to Halloween in August. This week’s Rebels episodes are a spooky bunch.

“Rise of the Old Masters” and “Breaking Ranks” (Season 1, episodes 5–6) take us to a remote fortress called the Spire where Luminara Unduli is being held captive, and the inside of the Imperial child soldier academy. They’re callbacks to classic Clone Wars plotlines: the Rako Hardeen arc, Boba Fett infiltrating Tipoca City, and the Citadel arc. And they also take us to new understandings of childhood (or the lack thereof) in Star Wars, being a teacher even when you don’t feel ready, and choosing the family you have.

This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! This week, we’re sharing leftover topics from this week’s episode: debates on the quality of Stormtroopers as soldiers, and how Star Wars handles Blackness. 

And you can join us next week for episodes 7–8 of Star Wars Rebels: Out of Darkness and Empire Day. 

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Plot Overview

00:14:44 Rise of the Old Masters Discussion

00:27:25 Child Soldiers and Childhood in Star Wars

00:44:51 Luminara Discussion

00:47:53 Bae Watch

00:53:10 End Credits