The most underrated Star Wars animated series is Star Wars Rebels; however, it can also be the most difficult to figure out. Star Wars has had a habit of jumping across the timeline with its various projects (and sometimes within them) and Rebels is no different. That makes it hard for viewers to pinpoint exactly when in canon the events of the series happen.
But Rebels is very important to Star Wars, and its importance will continue to grow with the arrival of the Ahsoka series. Not only is the show meant as a sequel to the wildly popular animated series The Clone Wars, it also fills the gap between Episode III and Episode IV, while holding on to fan-favorite characters from Clone Wars in the process. With that in mind, it’s important to know what happened when, and here’s the best possible estimation (with “BBY” standing for before the Battle of Yavin).
Season 1 – 5-4 Years Before the Battle of Yavin
The first season occurs from around 5BBY to 4BBY, and only one event situates things in the greater Star Wars timeline, but it’s a very important one. Jyn Erso (seen in Star Wars: Rogue One) is abandoned by Saw Gerrera around 5BBY, starting the arc that led her to aiding in destroying the Death Star. She sacrifices herself on Scarif to ensure the Death Star’s collapse in the same year as the Battle of Yavin.
Season 2 – 4-3 Years Before the Battle of Yavin
Season 2 takes place between 4BBY and 3BBY, and there are some fun things that tie Rebels into the rest of the galaxy’s happenings at this time. In 4BBY, Han Solo acquires the famous Millennium Falcon through gambling and rescued Han Solo from Boba Fett. Leia Organa has her “Day of Demand” — basically a fancy coronation — in 3BBY when she turns 16 and claims her right to the throne of Alderaan. Becoming a junior legislator in the Imperial Senate in this year, she also becomes more active as a rebel when she learns that both her adoptive parents are part of the rebellion.
Season 3 – 2 Years Before the Battle of Yavin
In Season 3, it is revealed that Obi-Wan Kenobi survived Order 66, Darth Maul dies (cementing his status as the most tragic Sith) and the rebels receive official organization from Senator Mon Mothma, becoming the unified Rebel Alliance instead of different rebel cells. The Mandalorian Civil War also began in this year, as Sabine Wren acquires the Darksaber, which sets in motion events that will culminate in the Great Purge of Mandalore. That event, of course, is thoroughly discussed in The Mandalorian, which gives Rebels a connection to that series and The Book of Boba Fett.
Season Four – 1BBY to 0BBY
Season 4 is largely set around 1BBY, which contains the aforementioned Great Purge of Mandalore and Bo-Katan Kryze’s loss of the Darksaber to Moff Gideon — an event also explored in The Mandalorian. This season also occurs alongside the events of Rogue One, in which Erso and Cassian Andor sacrifice themselves to provide invaluable knowledge of the Death Star that ultimately save the rebellion. The plans of the Death Star are successfully stolen and passed on to Leia Organa, catching Rebels up to the opening of Episode IV.
Season 4 Finale Prologue – 5 Years Before the Battle of Yavin
Season 4’s finale — also the series finale — has a heartbreaking prologue to recap the events of Rebels thus far. It flashes back to 5BBY, when Darth Vader gave the command to hunt down and kill and Force-presenting children, as well as any surviving Jedi who might train them. Ahsoka Tano recounts the Anakin Skywalker that she knew to Ezra Bridger, as she is tormented by Anakin’s voice taunting her about her decision to leave him, and the Jedi Order, behind.
Star Wars Rebels canon might be somewhat convoluted, but it connects to several greater events in the Star Wars galaxy. That’s one of the many reasons the animated series remains beloved to fans. With the further expansion of the universe through the Disney+ shows, it’s even more important to recognize the place Rebels holds in Star Wars history.