Warning: This recap contains spoilers for the Star Wars Rebels episode “Legacy of Mandalore.” Jump into hyperspace and away from this page if you haven’t watched the episode yet.
When we last saw Star Wars Rebels, Sabine decided to take on the duty of learning to use the darksaber with the intent of returning home, reconciling with her family, and ultimately, getting Mandalore on the side of the Rebel Alliance. The latter’s a lofty goal, but Sabine took steps towards it in “Legacy of Mandalore,” and then she made a surprising decision.
Sabine wasn’t looking forward to reuniting with her family. You know the feeling of dread you have when you see your family for the first time in a long time and maybe you didn’t leave things on the best of terms? Multiply the uneasy feeling by a hundred, and you’d get close to how Sabine must feel. She played a part in enslaving her people, but then she chose to leave while her family decided to align themselves with the Empire. She’s carrying guilt about what she did, but on top of those emotions, she’s considered a traitor. It’s a pretty miserable place to be stuck.
Several aspects struck me about this episode, but two things especially: the firsthand exploration of Mandalorian culture (we heard the language spoken on screen for, I believe, the first time) and the dynamic between Sabine and her mother Ursa. Star Wars fans go gaga over all things Mandalorian, and though I don’t get the Boba Fett obsession, I can absolutely get into the ins and outs of their culture. The topic was explored in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but Rebels continues to add new layers.
Honor plays a big part in dictating why Mandalorians do what they do, and we saw Sabine’s mom take it to extremes. I wasn’t entirely sure she’d commit to putting Sabine first. She betrayed her daughter by having Kanan and Ezra held and then gave up the darksaber to Gar Saxon. I didn’t expect Ursa to open the door and greet Sabine with a warm hug and a cup of tea, but she was harsher than I imagined. Which, honestly, makes sense. She’s a warrior and leader of Clan Wren. She’s not going to be Mrs. Weasley.
Though it isn’t easy to dig up sympathy for Ursa or Tristan, I can see they’ve made some sacrifices of their own. Sabine ran away and found a family. She gave up everything she’s known, and she put herself in a vulnerable state by going back to face her mother. Clan Wren was put in an awkward position when Sabine left, and to protect the greater good, Ursa did what she thought was necessary and stayed with the Empire.
Is working with the Empire the best decision? We know how the big picture works out in the end. Ursa and other Mandalorians don’t have our knowledge. By submitting, they think they’re making the right move to preserve their lives and culture. In reality, they’re oppressing themselves.
We saw the hurdles Sabine had to overcome with proving herself and her strength to them. Her mother witnessed her fight Gar Saxon and defeat him. I don’t know if she would have accepted the outcome if she wouldn’t have seen it with her own eyes. So, I can’t imagine Sabine, Fenn Rau, or the Wrens will have anything resembling an easy time bringing more Mandalorians to their side. It looks like they could be on the precipice of a civil war—a war that will be exacerbated by the impending arrival of Imperial forces.
Given all those factors, Sabine’s path seems obvious. She has to stay. It’s a bold storytelling decision, but it’s right—even if it’s sad to know she’s not going to be in every single episode anymore. We’ve only known her as part of the Ghost family. The group is going to be odd without Sabine’s sarcasm and mad skills. They’ll understand. Hera was the one who nudged Sabine into accepting her duty regarding Mandalore in the first place. But, I just hope they don’t paint over all the art in Sabine’s bunk and like, turn it into Chopper’s droid cave or something.
Oh and I can’t wrap without mentioning Chopper. On my second viewing, I caught his little, “Wait, what?!” exclamation when Sabine said she was staying with her family. So. Cute.
What do you think about Sabine’s decision to stay with her family? Right? Wrong? Share your opinion in the comments or come work out your feelings on Twitter.
Images: Disney XD
