As we near the premiere of Ahsoka, we’re counting down by releasing a series of refresher articles to bring viewers up to speed. Whether you’ve seen Star Wars Rebels and just need a reminder, or you’ve never watched it, here are the essentials to know about the planet Lothal before watching the series – as this planet has shown up quite a bit in the trailers for Ahsoka.
1. Lothal was a place of Imperial rule and grassroots resistance
Lothal was a planet located in the Outer Rim that quickly came under Imperial control once the Empire rose to power in the galaxy, replacing the Galactic Republic. The Empire established a number of factories on the planet, and the people suffered under the new government. This led to some of the citizens rising up to revolt, including Ephraim and Mira Bridger, who spoke out against the Empire’s oppression, and were supported by the planet’s governor, Ryder Azadi. The Empire arrested the rebels, and though Azadi would eventually escape, the Bridgers died in prison – leaving their young son, Ezra Bridger, orphaned on Lothal.
The planet, for it’s relative insignificance in the galactic scene, nonetheless attracted the attention of some notable Imperial figures. Imperial Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin was the governor of the Outer Rim territories, which included Lothal. Emperor Palpatine grew intrigued by the planet when an old Jedi Temple was discovered there. And Grand Admiral Thrawn brought his Seventh Fleet to the planet in an attempt to quench the seeds of Rebellion that continued to spread. Thrawn actually utilized some of the planet’s factories to begin working on his secret project, the TIE Defender, a ship that would pose a significant threat to the Empire’s enemies.
2. Lothal was the home base of operation for the Spectres
While the planet did see resistance from pockets of citizens over the years, the most pronounced rebellion came from a small group of rebels known as the Spectres. Led by Hera Syndulla and Kanan Jarrus, the crew also consisted of Garazeb Orellios, Sabine Wren, and Chopper – and eventually Ezra Bridger. They hit at the Empire in an effort to aid the people suffering, but their efforts continued to attract more and more attention. Ezra roused additional support by sending out a stirring transmission – much like the one his parents sent out years earlier – and the rebels were ultimately driven off-planet by Darth Vader, brought in to deal with the threat. From there the Spectres traveled the galaxy and became instrumental in the growing galactic rebellion against the Empire. But Lothal remained a place of particular importance to the crew, especially Ezra.
3. Lothal was one of the earliest planets liberated from Imperial rule by the rebels
Using their connections to a larger rebellion, the Spectres began planning for an effort to liberate Lothal, but Grand Admiral Thrawn was a step ahead of them and put an end to it before they even started, routing the rebels at Atollon and forcing them to retreat. The Spectres didn’t give up on Lothal, however, and a while later General Hera Syndulla led a squadron of X-Wing fighters to the planet. Again, though, Thrawn was a step ahed and anticipated their moves, wiping out the squadron and capturing Hera, who crash-landed on the planet. Kanan Jarrus rescued her, but gave his life in the process.
When Thrawn was recalled to Coruscant to meet with the Emperor, the rebels saw their chance and launched a raid on the planet. The remaining Spectres led a group of their close allies in a fight against Thrawn’s forces on the planet, and they managed to take the Imperial headquarters… when Thrawn returned. He began laying bombarding the city, but Ezra Bridger turned the tide of the battle by calling a group of Purrgil to take Thrawn – and Ezra – away to an unknown location. With Thrawn gone, the rebels made quick work of the rest and Lothal was liberated from Imperial rule.
4. Lothal remained free through the Civil War and was rebuilt
In the aftermath of the Battle of Lothal the Spectres feared Imperial retaliation. Hera continued to help lead the rebel war effort, but Sabine stayed behind on Lothal. She feared that the Empire would retaliate and try to re-take the planet, and she felt it was her responsibility – to Ezra, especially – to make sure that wouldn’t happen. But though Sabine remained to protect the planet, the Imperial attack she feared never came. Within a year of the fight, the Galactic Civil War escalated into open warfare with the rebel victories at the Battles of Scarif and Yavin, and the Empire’s attention was occupied elsewhere. During this time Lothal recovered from Imperial oppression, and the Capital City was rebuilt into a thriving and beautiful city. It is here that Ahsoka Tano reunites with Sabine Wren, enlisting her on a mission to go find Ezra and bring him home.
5. Lothal was the site of an old Jedi Temple – and a far more important World Between Worlds
Though Lothal seemed to be a rather obscure planet in the Outer Rim, it was actually the location of an old, hidden Jedi Temple. Kanan and Ezra, master and apprentice, visited the Temple on a few different occasions, and at one point were accompanied by Ahsoka Tano. At the Temple, Ahsoka was confronted by a vision of her former master, Anakin Skywalker, while Ezra communed with Master Yoda through the Force. Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine also became aware of the Temple, and the Emperor’s intentions eventually became clear. He sought to discover a portal to a ‘world between worlds’ from the Temple, which contained a mural to the mythical Mortis gods. Ezra managed to discover the portal into the World Between Worlds first, which was a link that connected different times and places through the Force. It was here that he was reunited with Ahsoka, and together the two stopped Palpatine from gaining access to this powerful realm. The portal, along with the Temple, was destroyed – although it remains to be seen whether it’s completely gone, or how many other portals to the world between worlds exist…
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For more on what you need to know leading up to Ahsoka, check out these other articles in the series:
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