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Continuity & Analysis

Star Wars: Rebels - Path of the Jedi (2014) [S1E10]
Kanan and Ezra venture into a hidden Jedi Temple, where they both face new trials-
and encounter one of the greatest Jedi the galaxy has ever known.
Star Wars: Rebels - Idiot's Array (2015) [S1E11]
After Zeb bets - and loses - Chopper in a game of sabacc, the Ghost crew find themselves
caught in the middle of a smooth-talking smuggler's scheme.
Star Wars: Rebels - Vision of Hope (2015) [S1E12]
After experiencing a vision of the future, Ezra leads the Ghost crew into a meeting
with a potential ally.




CONTINUITY
These three standalone episodes are about Lothal, which is the only world seen in these episodes:


- When Kanan was Ezra's age, "there were around 10,000 Jedi Knights defending the galaxy." Since about 40% of Jedi at any one time were
Initiates or Padawans, this means there were either 16,000 Jedi with 10,000 of them Jedi Knights, or that he was speaking inexactly
and there were 10,000 Jedi with 6000 of them Jedi Knights. Now, the Jedi "are few", although the total number is not known.

- The Jedi Order maintained a system of small outposts in the form of temples spread throughout the galaxy. The Empire sought out these
temples and destroyed many of them, but not all. The holocron Kanan has contains "extensive star maps", which include records of
temple locations. Kanan was surprised to learn there was a temple on Lothal, despite having spent much time here. The temples are
often well-hidden and protected by measures which usually require using the Force to enter.

- The Jedi Temple of Lothal is an immense stone megalith disguised within the landscape in a remote part of the planet. It is located near
one of the polar regions, based on the frost, cold mist, and visible aurora. It is built upon a natural vergence in the Force, which
makes the temple and its stone a conduit through which connection to the Force can be greatly magnified. These temples typically
teach, test, and aid Jedi by offering vision quests, and keep and preserve Jedi secrets and occasionally treasures.


- Master Yoda was last seen in Episode III, 15 year prior. His powerful vision in the Force allows him some ability to monitor people, places,
and things he is connected to in the Force, as he mentions he has been watching Luke when he meets him 7 years later in Episode V.
Now that Kanan and Ezra have entered the Temple of Lothal, a place which has a strong connection to the Force, he is able to see them
through his vision. He tells Ezra, "See you, I can. Before, I could not." Yoda is powerful enough to exert a presence through the Force and
communicate with them through the Temple. He tells Kanan, "Be not concerned with how. Know I am here because you are here."
Since Episode III, he has grown more powerful in the ways of Qui-Gon, and can project himself as little, swirling lights to lead Ezra.
This is very much as Qui-Gon did for him on Dagobah, which is also strong with the Force, in The Clone Wars 'Destiny' (S6E12).

- Kanan never formally took the Jedi trials, though in his years of surviving the Empire he has already passed the Force's test and proved
himself a Jedi. Kanan does not truly believe that he is worthy of teaching a student, and this conflict has led to his failings as a teacher.
Kanan acknowledges this, saying, "It's true. I'm not sure of my decision to train Ezra. Not because of him or his abilities, because of
me, because of who I am." Kanan apparently "lost my way for a long time", a trial which led him to reaffirm his Jedi faith. Kanan
decides to heed Yoda's advice and make teaching Ezra his priority, what Yoda calls his "last chance" to change things.


Did Kanan teach Ezra how to assemble a lightsaber? As seen in prior canon material, one must use the Force during
the assembly process to create working lightsaber, a feature which prevents their manufacture by regular people and
companies. Unless Kanan demonstrated first using his own saber and let Ezra practice, he would have already known
what Ezra's saber looked like before the scene where he shows it to the crew. It is also possible that Kanan's holocron
contains the helpful schematic used by the Jedi Initiates in The Clone Wars 'A Test of Strength' (S5E7).


- The card game sabacc is seen for the first time. A 'sabacc' is any combination of three cards which total of 23 or -23. Zeb plays a 'Flask' card
with a value of 10, 'The Queen' card with a value of -2, and a 'Staff' card with a value of 15. Lando plays the only hand which beats
a sabacc, an 'Idiot's Array', which is 'The Idiot' card with a value of 0, a 'Saber' card with a value of 2, and a 'Coin' card with a value of 3.


- Lando Calrissian was first seen chronologically in Solo, 6 years earlier. He is still engaged in marginal and illegal business, and while
a smuggler is also engaged in a variety of ventures, what he describes as being "a galactic entrepreneur."

- Lando mentions the unusually large Imperial presence over Lothal. This is chiefly due to the activities of the Spectre's who are a known rebel
group with a Jedi involved. As Lando later mentions, this is also due to the imperialization program and the subsequent rise in illegal trade.

- The Ghost's false signature reads as "the freighter Tontine, authorized for travel between Boz Pity and Lothal." Commercial and passenger
traffic is required by Imperial regulations to have authorized travel permission and approved flight plan. Any ship without an identifying
signature or traveling without prior authorization can thus be detained at will by authorities or the military.

- The Imperial destroyer's scan of the Ghost takes less than a minute. Due to the ship's unique masking technology, and the relatively
uninsightful scanners in SW, the scan clears them, and does not identify that the ship's profile does not match who it claims to be.
Main Article: Scanners, Sensors, and Cloaking Devices

- C1-10P sends a non-threatening Imperial droid plummeting to its possible doom in order to keep it from interfering in their operation.
While potentially justified, this sort of behavior is very typical of many droids, who often seem to care less about 'killing' other
droids than many organic beings do. This does not mean droids don't care, but it does suggest that many droids care little for
droids who aren't on their side. Based on other SW material astromechs are often jerks to other droids, as are often security
droids, battle droids, gladiator droids, and other 'muscle' droids.

- The old Republic Senate Building is the former center of authority for the Lothal Sector and the meeting place for the Lothal Sector Caucus.
Every planet in the sector which was a 'member' world of the Republic would have a Senator here, and worlds with smaller populations
within the sector would also have representatives. Ordinarily, only one Senator would represent the sector in the Galactic Senate, most
often the Senator from the planet which is the sector's administrative center. This building has been abandoned since the Empire built
the Imperial complex. The 'New Freedom' mural shown inside contains scenes from Lothal during the Republic era, and suggests that
before the heavy industrialization of the cities under the Empire Lothal's people were primarily engaged in fishing and farming.


- An individual's emotions cloud their visions from the Force. It takes training and discipline to see things clearly. Even with such wisdom and
experience, visions are difficult, almost impossible to interpret. Ezra's visions about the near future all came true just as he saw them,
however with the context removed and the surrounding dialogue omitted, it gave Ezra no insight into the nature of the events which
might have proved insightful. This is similar to the Jedi understanding of the prophecy of the Chosen One, which came true but not in
a way which would have been very appealing to the Jedi if they had known in advance. This is also a major factor in the downfall of Darth
Sidious, who relies heavily on the clarity of his visions and learns this lesson only minutes before Anakin throws him to his death.

ANALYSIS
Ezra is given a Jedi trial, meant to determine if he is meant to be a Jedi or not, which used to be referred to as the Gathering. Jedi Initiates
in the Republic era believed they were going to search for their first kyber crystal, while in the process are tested by the Force about
their inner obstacles which cloud their journey. This is a coming of age ritual which must be passed before a Jedi Initiate might be ready
to be taken as a Padawan learner. Ezra must first find the Temple using the Force, since if his connection to the Force is not yet strong
enough to do so, he is not ready to take this trial. There are other Jedi trials other than the Gathering, and Kanan does not yet believe that
Ezra is far enough along for that test. Ezra is older than many Initiates who have passed the Gathering, but all of them had years of training
as a Jedi in a monastic setting where they focused entirely on learning. Kanan only wishes Ezra to have a proper test by the Force, regardless
of what stage he has reached. Depa Billaba told Kanan, and he tells Ezra to look for "nothing and everything." Yoda tells him he must choose
his own path, and also that he must not become a Jedi simply because Kanan tells him it is possible. Ezra reveals what will be the conflict of
his eventual Great Trial, another important milestone Jedi test, which for Ezra is his feelings of anger and hate towards the Empire formed
by his connection to his parents and his upbringing. Yoda sees that this is the case, however is pleased to learn that Ezra has motivations
for becoming a Jedi which are worthy of their purpose, intention, and disciplined way of life. Ezra expresses a simple desire to protect,
one of a Jedi's great purposes, and a motivation which is about preservation rather than revenge and destruction. Kanan and his friends
help people and give everything away because they care about making others feel good, and because it makes them feel good and brings
a life of fulfillment and joy. This makes everyone involved feel alive, it is life-affirming, and is the way of nature, where cooperation and
doing for others brings mutual benefit and success. The opposite of this, greed, selfishness, and competition, which are of the dark side,
and while also a part of nature, any excess of them brings sadness, suffering, and lives which are unfulfilling, unnatural, and joyless.
Ezra's wisdom and heart are indications he is not only a candidate to one day become a Jedi Knight, he is also ready to be a Padawan.
He has passed the test of the Gathering, and thus the Force awards him with a kyber crystal that has been kept in the Temple.
The experience leaves Ezra feeling "different, but the same", and has given him enthusiasm and direction for his Jedi career.

Agent Kallus' purview as top ISB agent on Lothal includes dealing with the rebels who have been operating in and around the system.
The work of the Inquisitor to capture the Jedi takes precedence, as the Inquisition has its authority from Lord Vader and the Emperor.
His methods designed to capture Jedi have not been successful, and Kallus believes more basic tactics aimed at ensnaring the rebels
as a group will eventually net the Jedi as well. Senator Trayvis' transmissions have been on more frequencies lately, and his tour of
entrapping rebels is on its way to Lothal, seemingly at the request of the ISB. This rather clever Imperial operation would have Trayvis
meet with local troublemakers and republicans on different planets in the galaxy, allowing the Empire to identify them and sometimes
their benefactors within the Imperial power structure. They would not be arrested or even know the Empire was involved, allowing
Trayvis to keep his good reputation and to continue to do the same elsewhere. Even his droids were unaware he was intended as both
an inside informant and an agent provocateur, who would even rope in some groups who were newly inspired by his messages, those
who could eventually become rebels on their own. Those identified by Trayvis are simply watched, and if their activities are already
positing an actual threat to anything the Empire cares about, the Empire arranges "accidents", which are either clever hitjobs disguised
as plausible accidents, or his way of saying they are just killed by the Empire when they are alone and no one is watching. Regardless,
this operation is now over, and unlikely to be repeated successfully, since Trayvis' cover is now blown.


FURTHER ANALYSIS
Report Pending