Growing Up Skywalker Sam Nilsson and Anna Squires

Welcome to the end of Rebels Season 3. 

In the most cinematic Rebels episodes yet, “Zero Hour” (Rebels S3, Ep. 21–22) brings all the elements of Season 3 crashing together. In our recap, we tally up the wins and losses for the Rebellion and the Empire, wonder what people across the galaxy think about it, and talk about the Bendu’s fate. We also pick our favorite Season 3 moments.

Between the heroic score, sweeping visuals, deep family love, and epic sacrifice, these episodes brought us both to tears. And there’s more coming! Sabine still has a debt to repay, Phoenix Cell is homeless again, and Thrawn is out for revenge. Now’s the time to follow along with Growing Up Skywalker.

With a heroic score, and visual elements that bring both your hosts to tears, this episode is an epic, sweeping, season finale that was worth the effort, and showcases the growth in the whole narrative in Star Wars in Rebels. 

And there is more coming! With Sabine's debt to repay, Phoenix Cell homeless again, and Thrawn out for revenge, we are waiting impatiently for Season 4!

Want even more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! 

Want more nerdy content? Check out Sam’s articles on Couch Soup!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Plot Overview

00:13:13 Calculating the Wins and Losses

00:44:27 The Bendu’s Fate

00:48:19 Standout Season 3 Moments

00:56:59 Bae Watch

01:05:51 Closing Thoughts


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It’s the final countdown…to the duel that took 30 years to finish.

This week, we have special guest Tim Beisiegel of the FSF Popcast on the show to talk about the final duel between Maul and Obi-Wan Kenobi. We talked all about THAT DUEL THO, in addition to the prophecy of the Chosen One, the end of Darth Maul’s journey, the significance of these two Force masters to Ezra, and the wider Rebellion.

"Twin Suns" (Rebels S3, Ep. 20) is a fan favorite for a reason—so join us in watching (and discussing) one of the best lightsaber duels of all time.

Want even more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! 

Make sure to check out:

The FSF Popcast

FSF’s interview with Sam Witwer, the voice of Darth Maul

FSF’s interview with Vanessa Marshall, the voice of Hera Syndulla

FSF’s interview with Taylor Gray, the voice of Ezra Bridger

Timestamps:

00:02:21 Plot Overview

00:7:13 Darth Maul, Fin.

00:28:52 That Duel Tho

00:38:13 Who Is The Chosen One, Really?

00:53:20 Bae Watch

00:58:50 Closing Thoughts


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Welcome to the Rebel Alliance.

“Secret Cargo” (Rebels S3, Ep. 18) starts off with a bang and finishes with Mon Mothma—last seen in Andor—calling for each rebel cell to unite. But to get there, the Spectres have to fly through a nebula, chased by Thrawn’s TIE Defender, and barely escape with their lives. Sam cried so much at all of this.

We also made some time to laugh this episode. In “Double Agent Droid,” the most musical episode of Rebels, AP-5 and Chopper are up to their old tricks (and confronted by the most dangerous foe in the Empire: nerds).

We laughed, cried, and cheered in this week's episode. Our heroes seem strong enough to take on anything. But are they? Join us next week to find out, as we recap “Twins Suns” with special guest Tim Beiseigel from the FSF Popcast.

Want even more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! 

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Plot Overview

00:13:20 Mon Mothma and the Rebellion

00:32:00 Droids, Droids, Droids

00:45:50 Bae Watch

00:49:56 Closing Thoughts


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The darksaber saga continues!

Following up on the stellar darksaber training montages of last week, "Legacy of Mandalore" (Rebels S3, Ep. 16) brings Sabine and her family into direct conflict—over Satine’s past mistakes and her potential to lead all Mandalorians. Will found family fight blood? We dive deep into Mandalorian culture and the futility of feudal life. 

Then we take a turn straight into Alexsandr Kallus’ eyeballs. "Through Imperial Eyes" (Rebels S3, Ep. 17) is a taut spy story with brutal conclusions for our heroes and a dark turn, as well as some delightful Easter Eggs. These episodes center on trust and betrayal, and the potential for betrayal seems to be lurking around every corner.

Want even more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! We're posting over an hour of bonus content this week!

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Plot Overview

00:13:33 Mandalorian Feudal Hierarchy

00:35:26 Trust and Betrayal in the Empire

00:50:51 Bae Watch

00:55:08 Closing Thoughts


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“Trials of the Darksaber” (Rebels S3, Ep. 15) is, quite simply, one of the tightest-scripted, haunting, and beautiful episodes of Rebels so far. And “Warhead” (Ep. 14) is a delightful buddy cop special feat. Zeb and AP-5.

This week, we dive deep into the lore of lightsabers and darksabers. We talk about what it means to wield the Force, rather than just be a part of its flow, and talk about Sabine’s inner demons. And Sam crowns Sabine and Kanan’s training duel as one of the Top 5 Lightsaber Duels, Ever.

In the meantime, Thrawn has cut his list of planets the Rebels may be inhabiting down to 94…

Want even more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! We’re about to deliver a book report on Claudia Gray’s “Master and Apprentice,” feat. baby Obi-Wan and peak Qui-Gonn Jinn.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Plot Overview

00:11:54 Lightsabers and Darksabers Discussion

00:17:19 Sabine’s Demons 

00:28:12 The Force for Non-Force Users

00:39:28 Imperial Infiltration

00:53:34 Bae Watch

00:58:38 Closing Thoughts


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Have you ever wanted to spend half an hour debating the moral calculus of war and the conflicting ethics embodied by Saw Gerrera? Boy are you in the right place!

In “Ghosts of Geonosis,” Rebels’ mid-season 3 arc, we do a deep dive into fanaticism, rebellion, and the meta-narrative of a character who has been in just about every single Star Wars series up until now. Saw Gerrera is one of the most puzzling and polarizing characters in Star Wars, and Ghosts of Geonosis pitches his rebelliousness against the larger backdrop of the Rebellion.

Want even more Growing Up Skywalker? This is a great time to sign up for our Patreon for bonus audio content! Now is the perfect time to join in on the fun, because you have a chance to request our next Spice Run project—otherwise, Sam is threatening another 5-hour Sam’s Naval History Minute.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Plot Overview

00:9:11 Deep Dive into Saw Gerrera 

00:30:50 Klick-Klack and the Ethics of Geonosian Survival

00:44:30 Rebel Command

00:49:29 Bae Watch

00:55:14 Closing Thoughts


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