A new Star Wars theory reveals why Ezra Bridger is so vital to the Skywalker Saga as a Force-sensitive kid trained to be a Jedi during the Dark Times.

Summary

• Ezra Bridger may have played a crucial role in the Skywalker saga despite not appearing in the original trilogy of films, possibly ensuring that events of the Galactic Civil War happened as intended by the Force.
• Ezra was born the same year as Luke and Leia on Empire Day, and his training as a Jedi and involvement with the Rebels made him a target for Darth Vader and the Inquisitors, potentially acting as a distraction to protect the Skywalker twins.
• Without Ezra's actions in the Star Wars Rebels series, including his role in exiling Thrawn, events in A New Hope might not have transpired, highlighting Ezra's significance in the larger Star Wars universe.

A new Star Wars Rebels theory reveals Ezra Bridger played a critical role in the Skywalker saga, despite not being featured in the original trilogy of films. Having been trained to become a Jedi by Kanan Jarrus during the Dark Times, the two Jedi were constantly on the run from the Empire and its deadly Inquisitors (not to mention Darth Vader himself). However, it may have been part of the grand design orchestrated by the Force itself in the Star Wars canon.

The animated Star Wars Rebels series takes place in the years just before the first Star Wars movie, A New Hope. Featuring several individual cells of resistance that eventually form into the Rebel Alliance, Rebels is all about the heroes during the Dark Times who fought to keep hope alive prior to the Rebellion's first major victory with the Death Star's destruction thanks to Luke Skywalker. To that end, Ezra Bridger may have been instrumental in ensuring that events of the Galactic Civil War could happen exactly as they were meant to according to the will of the Force.

Ezra Bridger Was Born On Empire Day - Around The Same Time As Luke & Leia

The Skywalker Twins and Ezra Are The Same Age

Right off the bat, it's important to note that Ezra Bridger was born on the planet Lothal on the very first Empire Day. This new galactic holiday marked the formation of Palpatine's regime and was annually "celebrated" by its oppressed citizens. As such, this was around the same time Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa were born in secret as seen in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, unbeknownst to their newly corrupted father Darth Vader and his master Emperor Palpatine.

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Luke was taken to Tatooine to live with his aunt and uncle while Obi-Wan Kenobi watched over the boy until he turned 19 as seen in A New Hope. Likewise, Leia was adopted by Senator Bail Organa, becoming a princess and eventually joining the Imperial Senate while secretly serving as a key member of the Rebel Alliance. Ezra, meanwhile, became an orphan after his parents openly criticized the Empire, leading to their imprisonment and murder; Ezra would later run into Kanan Jarrus when he was 14. Sensing his talent in the Force, Kanan made Ezra his Padawan and the newest member of the Rebel cell known as The Spectres.

Palpatine Sensed The Threat Of "The Children Of The Force"

The Inquisitors Were Sent To Hunt Down Future Jedi

Around the time Ezra joined Kanan and the Spectres in Rebels' premiere "Spark of Rebellion", Darth Vader gave his Grand Inquisitor a new mission as Palpatine had sensed a new threat in the Force. Although the Jedi were all but destroyed during this time period, Vader revealed that his master could sense the rise of the "Children of the Force". As such, Vader ordered the Grand Inquisitor to ensure that these children won't become Jedi by destroying them including any surviving Jedi attempting to train them.

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Palpatine's vision helps explain why the Inquisitors relentlessly hunted Ezra and Kanan during Star Wars Rebels. Even Vader himself got involved as seen in Star War Rebels season 2, resulting in the subsequent involvement of his old apprentice Ahsoka Tano who'd been helping unify the individual Rebel cells into the eventual Alliance under the codename Fulcrum. However, it's possible that Ezra being so active with the Rebels while also being trained as a Jedi during the Dark Times served an even greater cosmic purpose.

Was Ezra Chosen By The Will Of The Force As A Distraction For The Sith?

Ezra May Have Protected Luke and Leia From Vader and Palpatine

With Palpatine having sensed multiple "Children of the Force" who would eventually rise against the Empire, it follows that the other Force-sensitives beyond Ezra would be Luke and Leia. As such, it's possible that Ezra Bridger acted as a smokescreen or sorts, ensuring that the Skywalker twins were protected until the time was right for them to emerge as the galaxy's new hope. After all, it stands to reason that Darth Vader and his Inquisitors would have been relentless in their hunt to capture and corrupt the children of Anakin Skywalker.

Instead, Ezra was uniquely positioned to possibly be the Force's "distraction," born on the same day as Luke and Leia and overtly being trained as a Jedi, thus becoming the primary target for the Inquisitors and Vader. If true, it would mean that A New Hope might not have happened without Ezra and his Star Wars Rebels arc(not to mention his role in exiling Thrawn before the original trilogy). While he did have one adventure with Leia, Ezra may just get the chance to finally join forces with both Skywalkers during the New Republic Era now that he's finally returned to the known galaxy as seen in Ahsoka.

• Star Wars Rebels

  Summary:

  Set between Episodes III and IV of the Star Wars film franchise, Star Wars Rebels is a canon animated series that follows a group of ragtag heroes who band together to face the Empire. In an age where the Galactic Empire is hunting down the last of the Jedi, a teenage outcast named Ezra Bridger is discovered to be force sensitive by a surviving Jedi known as Kanan Jarrus. Agreeing to join them and accept Jedi training, Ezra becomes a part of a small but growing crew of rebels determined to destroy the empire covertly.

  Cast:

  David Oyelowo, Steve Blum, Freddie Prinze Jr., Tiya Sircar, Vanessa Marshall, Jason Isaacs, Taylor Gray

  Genres:

  Animation, Adventure, Action

  Seasons:

  4

  Story By:

  Dave Filoni

  Writers:

  Dave Filoni, Greg Weisman

  Network:

  Disney Channel

  Streaming Service(s):

  Disney+

  Franchise(s):

  Star Wars

  Directors:

  Dave Filoni

  Showrunner:

  Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg