Star Wars: Ahsoka will feature the live-action debut of several Star Wars: Rebels characters. However, according to a new LEGO release, one of them will not resemble their previous incarnation on the show.
Since Star Wars Rebels concluded in 2018, the characters' fates have been shrouded in ambiguity. Resident Jedi Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray) spent four seasons becoming a formidable Force-wielder, only to be swept into hyperspace by a pod of Purrgil. The ending implied that bomb-loving Mandalorian Sabine (Tiya Sircar) would search for her missing crew member, and in Star Wars: Ahsoka, it looks like she will finally get her chance. Joined by the captain of the Ghost, Hera (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and iconic Star Wars character Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), the group is on its way to take down Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen).
Each one of these characters does their animated counterparts justice, including Thrawn with his blue pallor and red eyes. The same cannot be said for Jacen Syndulla, who appears briefly in Star Wars Rebels' epilogue. The son of Hera and Order 66 Jedi survivor, Kanan (Freddy Prince Jr.), fans last saw Jacen with shockingly green hair. But in the Ahsoka LEGO set available to pre-order on Amazon, Jacen's figure has an unassuming look of classic brown hair.
What fans have seen of Jacen so far is very little. Pictured with Hera (Vanessa Marshall) in the cockpit of the Ghost as a child, he was a small part of the epilogue following Ezra's trip to space. But this small part gave audiences a beacon of hope after the Ghost crew went through so much pain and fighting. Changing Jacen's hair may seem like a small component, but it has big implications.
Years have passed since the Star Wars Rebels finale, but Jacen's look shouldn’t be dismissed so quickly. Even though his character is not established yet, his appearance in Star Wars Rebels is a salve to an emotional wound. Kanan's death toward the end of the series was necessary in many ways but was also heartbreaking. He was Ezra Bridger's teacher, Hera Syndulla's partner, and the glue that held the crew together. Seeing that Kanan could live on for Hera in her son helped make the Star Wars Rebels ending aspirational.
He is also the only current offspring of a Twi'lek and human, making his appearance make a lot of sense. He mostly resembles the biology of his father, but his coloring is green, like his mother's. Taking away this element erases Hera's role as his primary caregiver. Perhaps the Ahsoka LEGO set is inaccurate, but eliminating Hera's influence on Jacen would be a disservice.
Star Wars: Ahsoka will premiere on Disney Plus on August 23, 2023.
Source: Amazon