Star Wars: We’re Strongest as One – An Ezra Bridger Explainer
Freedom fighter, one of the galaxy’s only Jedi apprentices, and friend to space whales, Ezra Bridger has done it all.
Appearing first on Star Wars Rebels in 2014, Ezra Bridger has grown into one of the most important and prevalent characters in the Star Wars galaxy. Going from one of the galaxy’s only Jedi apprentices to perhaps the budding rebellion’s biggest hero, Ezra is the sort of character that every Star Wars fan should know more about.
Early Life & Adventures on Rebels
Ezra was born on Empire Day in 19 BBY on the planet Lothal. Born on the first day that Palpatine had total control of the galaxy, he is just two days older than Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa. Throughout Ezra’s childhood his parents, Mira and Ephraim Bridger, set up broadcasting transmissions with anti-Empire messages.
But openly criticizing the Galactic Empire and Emperer Palpatine would eventually see them taken away by Imperial forces in 12 BBY and eventually killed, leaving Ezra to take care of himself from a young age. He got by through a mixture of scam artistry, running cons, and unconsciously using the Force to help get these jobs done.
Ezra eventually joined the crew of The Ghost, allowing him to get off of Lothal and join a faction of the newly forming Rebellion. With his new crew, Ezra routinely took on jobs like stealing Imperial weapons and infiltrating the Imperial academy, running supplies through Empire blockades, and working to directly undermine some of the biggest players in the Empire like Governor Tarkin.
“Stand up together. Because that’s when we’re strongest; as one.”
– Ezra Bridger, Rebels S. 1 Ep. 13
During this time, Ezra also had a front-row seat to political unrest and what would lead to the fall of Mandalore, as well as finding somebody to train her natural skills in the form of a Jedi Master with Kanan Jarrus. This training also forced him to encounter some of the strongest remaining Force wielders in the galaxy. This includes the Inquisitors, Ahsoka Tano, and even Darth Vader.
In Ezra’s final act in Rebels he banished Grand Admiral Thrawn- and himself- to the farthest reaches of space with the help of the deep-space traveling Purrgils. At the end of the series, we see that Ezra has been missing for some time and some of his former crew on The Ghost are still looking for signs of his return.
READ MORE:Sabine Wren: How a Bomb-Happy Punk Rebel Helped Found the Rebellion
Ezra Bridger’s Apperance on Ahsoka
For the most part, last year’s premiere season of Ahsoka acted as a bonus, live-action season of Rebels, picking up right where the animated show left off. Much of the show follows Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren as they attempt to figure out where Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn went when they last saw them, and how to get there. This is both to find Ezra and to prepare for the inevitability of Thrawn’s return.
Once we—and Sabine—find Ezra, we see that he’s been living with a community of the native aliens on Peridea and attempting to avoid Thrawn and his ship full of Stormtroopers. He, Sabine, and Ahsoka just barely fail to stop Thrawn from returning to their home galaxy. But not before Ezra sneaks about the Chimaera and catches a ride back home, finding Hera and letting her know that he’s “home” while Ahsoka and Sabine are now stranded on Peridea.
Powers & Abilities
Ezra is cunning, quick-witted, and smart, making him an effective con artist in his youth. It also makes him disarmingly likable. But his biggest attribute is his strong connection to the Force. Without any formal training, he was able to perform Force-enhanced jumps and unconsciously manipulate people. But with Kanan’s training, Ezra quickly becomes an accomplished Jedi in his own right.
His powers allow him to connect with nature and animals naturally, as well as experience Force visions. And, of course, he learned to become very skilled with a lightsaber.
In his time on Peridea, Ezra didn’t have a lightsaber. Instead, he had to learn to use a mixture of unarmed combat and telekinesis through the Force to effectively defend himself.
Is Ezra Bridger Palpatin’s Son?
There were a ton of now-debunked fan theories floating around in the years of the sequel trilogy. In some, Ezra was Palpatine’s son, in others Snoke was secretly an older version of Ezra. In the end, all of these were proven false. Ezra’s parents were Mira and Ephraim Bridger, who spoke out against Palpatine and the Empire.
Why is Ezra Bridger So Powerful?
I don’t think that Ezra is especially powerful. But he does have a natural skill for using the Force and the drive to hone his skills every day.
How Old is Ezra Bridger?
Ezra was born in 19 BBY, making him the same age as Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and the Galactic Empire. In season one of Rebels, he’s 14, and by season four he is 19. At his live-action debut in Ahsoka, Ezra is 28 years old.
How Much Older is Sabine Than Ezra and Do They Get Together?
Sabine is roughly two years older than Ezra, making her 16 to 21 in Rebels and 30 in Ahsoka. And while their pairing is a popular one in the fandom, these two have not been seen to have any romantic connections. Many view these characters as having a more sibling-like relationship.
Is Ezra Alive in Rise of Skywalker?
He may be! It’s difficult to say whether he is definitely alive, but we know that he isn’t confirmed to be dead. In Rise of Skywalker, the voices of fallen Jedi can be heard encouraging Rey, and Ezra’s isn’t among them. This is by no means confirmation of a still-living Ezra Bridger. But it’s also not confirmation of his death, either.
May the Force be with you, Adventurers!
