“Rebels” followers similar to myself certainly perked up with pleasure in seeing Zeb within the flesh for the primary time. Those that do not know who Zeb might be assumed he was just a few massive purple alien and a member of the New Republic, becoming in proper alongside the numerous different non-humans in a galaxy far, far-off. Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau have, for probably the most half, been good about together with deep “Star Wars” lore on this present with out alienating those that have not watched the animated stuff. Be that as it could, it is clear we’re about to enter hardcore “Rebels” territory, and people connections are going to grow to be more and more vital.

The Zeb factor is only a cameo, but it surely’s additionally simply the newest in a protracted line of references to this four-season animated present, which ran from 2014 to 2018 on Disney XD and has since been embraced by its followers as a number of the finest “Star Wars” storytelling produced through the Disney period of Lucasfilm. Bo-Katan and the Mandalorians had been an enormous a part of the present, and we have since seen her character and the Darksaber take middle stage in “The Mandalorian.” There’s additionally the Ahsoka of all of it, and her name-drop of Thrawn within the episode “The Jedi” from season 2. Thrawn was the massive unhealthy of the later seasons of “Rebels,” and this identify supplied much more connective tissue.

There’s additionally the matter of Grogu seeing the purrgil, aka the house whales from “Rebels,” in hyperspace earlier this season. Once more, we needn’t go over each single factor right here as I am principally preaching to followers who have not watched the present. Level is, the breadcrumbs that lead again to this specific animated collection have gotten too sizable to disregard.