Last week, I posted the first of my two-part review of the Star Wars Rebels Zero Hour. I focused on a few key moments in the first half of the hour-long episode and talked about what they could mean. It seems to me that the first half of the finale had more potential Easter eggs than the latter half, the last 30 minutes of Zero Hour was amazing in all the best ways.

Like I said, it’s been a week since the finale, but if you haven’t seen it yet, be warned. There are massive spoilers ahead.

Episode Recap:

Thrawn has just completed his orbital bombardment of Chopper Base and has assembled a ground assault team; Governor Pryce remains behind to oversee the aerial defenses. The Separatist ray shield that Sabine found while on Geonosis held strong against the first barrage but won’t stop the Imperial Walkers and AT-STs that Thrawn brings with him.

With no incoming help from the Rebel Alliance, Ezra turns to Sabine and the Mandalores for help. He and Chopper are greeted openly as they arrive at Krownest to ask for the Mandalorian’s help. Clan Wren is entangled in a civil war with other Mandalorian factions, so there is little the group can do. There is some debate amongst those in charge but it is ultimately agreed upon that some warriors will help the Rebels escape capture.

Rex, Zeb, and Kanan make it back to base where they are ultimately surrounded by Thrawn and his Dark Troopers. The rebels are able to make their escape, however, when the Bendu, in a true Deus ex machina form, attack the imperials and Chopper Base.

While rebels flee and imperials fight on the planet, Ezra’s band of Mandos destroy the final gravity well on the last Interdictor, allowing all to escape.

Key Events in Rebels Zero Hour Part 2

There are a number of key moments in the second part of this two-part finale that potentially have a major impact on the future of the series. I will highlight the moments that I think were most important to the finale and that will also have a major impact on season 4. Again, heavy spoilers ahead.

The Ground Assault

Thrawn leaves the capital ships and heads planeside to being the ground assault. As he exits his landing ship, we see him surrounded by Death Troopers. These are the same troopers that we see in Rogue One who protected Director Krennic. Now, my question about this is where do these troopers come from? If they are trained from the same corps, then could these troopers have interacted with Krennic’s, or, more importantly, what connection does Thrawn have to Krennic. I don’t know much about the Death Troopers, but if you have some insight into this, please leave a comment in the comment section.

I think we are going to learn more about these troopers and Thrawn’s greater interactions within the Empire in the new book coming out later this month.

The Mandalorians Join the Fight

As we mentioned before, the Clan Wren is involved in a civil war against the other clans. Even with Gar Saxon’s death earlier in the season, his and other clans have Imperial backing and are staging what seems like a strong opposition to the claims of Clan Wren.

We don’t know if Clan Wren will help the rebels fight the Empire further. We know that they have few resources to spare. But if the Empire is helping Clan Saxon wage war, then this may have been part of the reason why the Rebellion ultimately won out. Fighting a war on two fronts is not easy to do for any military.

From the very brief glimpse of what we have seen of season 4, we know that this civil war takes its toll on the Mandalorian people. This may be why we don’t see many of them around in Episodes IV, V, and VI. This culling of the warrior people could ultimately be what brings them together as a race of mercenaries.

Only time will tell.

Thrawn Kills God

As Tropical Storm Bendu rages over Chopper Base, Thrawn orders his men to fire at the center of the storm. This proves effective as what looks like a meteor falls to the planet. As he and his men approach the fallen god, the Bendu tells Thrawn that he will soon meet his end. In the clip below, we hear the Bendu tell Thrawn how it all ends.

There are a few things that strike me interesting about this. One, the Bendu knows what’s going to happen. His prophecy indicates that the Rebel Alliance will ultimately win out. But does it mean more? Like all prophecies in the Star Wars Universe, the Bendu might specifically be talking about Thrawn. The Chiss may meet his end at the many-armed metaphor.

We know that the Empire Ends with the formation of the First Order, but we don’t, as of yet, know what will happen to Thrawn. Could the ancient force user be talking about Thrawn’s end with the First Order?

The second thing I find interesting about this clip is the laughter. The Bendu is shot, presumably killed, but as the scene cuts out, we hear his laughter emanating from all around. Did the Bendu become one with the force? His comments seem to indicate as much. If so, what does that mean for the two Jedi that knew him?

So far in Canon, every time someone becomes one with the force, they help the Jedi closest to them increase their connection to the force. Qui-Gon helped Yoda and Obi-wan. Yoda and Obi-wan helped Luke. Will we see the Bendu help Kanan and Ezra? I would love to see that!

Kallus Joins the Rebellion

As the land battle starts to sour for the Empire, so too does the space battle. Governor Pryce sees the Interdictor explode and the first of the rebel ships jump to hyperspace. Kallus, who for some reason is still on the bridge, starts to poke the angry governor. Upset and worried about what Thrawn will do when he learns of her failure, she orders her men to fire Kallus out of an airlock.

Unfortunately for her, she only sends two troopers to do this, and Kallus escapes in an escape pod.

The question that this brings up is what’s next for Kallus. A former agent in the Imperial Security Bureau, the information he has is priceless to the rebellion. We know that he acted in the role of Fulcrum, but we don’t know who his handler was. If we see more of his story unfold, we may start to see more tie ins with characters from Rogue One or high-ranking rebel leaders like Bail Organa.

And if he doesn’t die in Rebels, what happens to him? Is he a character we are going to start to see in new comics, books, TV shows, or movies?

A New Hope for Peace

With Chopper Base destroyed, the Phoenix Squadron has no alternative than to return to Rebel Command on Yavin 4. As they make the final jump to hyperspace, there’s an important moment between Kanan and Ezra. The padawan laments the loss of all they worked for. The master points out that he sees things differently. In the clip below, we see this exchange play out.

I like this moment between these two. We know that Kanan hasn’t always felt comfortable in the role of master. But with the loss of his sight, I think that he has started to see how things will play out. I think that he knows things, through the force, that he is not telling his padawan. This may cause a rift between the two, but I don’t think so.

I think what this final moment means is that Kanan and Ezra may yet survive the Rebellion, but not as they are as we see them now. War changes people and to find peace, they will have to fight for it. The peace I think Kanan is referring to is not galactic peace, but a balance in the force. I think this duo will continue to move toward the middle, walking neither the light, nor the dark side paths.

 Final Review

As I mentioned in my first post, the season three finale was true to the previous season finales. Zero Hour was intense, with great battles and emotional moments. This final episode gives more meaning to previous events in the season. Before Zero Hour, I would have given season three a 6/10 rating. Now that I’ve seen it. I would bump it up to an 8/10.

What did you think of the season 3 finale, Zero Hour? Did you like it as much as I did? Did the season finale change the way you viewed the previous episodes? Leave a comment in the section below.