In the premiere episode of Ahsoka, we got a look at Lothal in live action for the first time, but we also got our best look at the planet in the post-Empire era. Lothal was a major location in Star Wars Rebels, and the planet suffered significantly under Imperial rule.
It’s looking much better in the New Republic era, and in this episode we saw a ceremony dedicating Sabine Wren’s mural painting of the Spectres. But in a Little Mermaid-esque moment, Sabine is nowhere to be found when she’s introduced. But there are two other notable characters who are present who would be familiar to Rebels fans.
The “host” of the ceremony is Lothal’s governor, Ryder Azadi, who appeared in a number of Rebels episodes (voiced by Clancy Brown, who plays him in live-action here too). Azadi was formerly the governor of Lothal during the early years of the Empire’s reign, but he also aided and defended a series of transmissions that were broadcast stirring rebellion amongst the people (which were led by Ephraim and Mira Bridger, the parents of future freedom fighter and Jedi Ezra Bridger). Because of this, he was arrested as a traitor to the Empire and thrown in prison alongside the Bridgers and others. Years later, when Ezra sent a transmission similar to the ones his parents sent, it inspired a prison break. Ezra’s parents died, but Ryder escaped. He went on to be a key ally for Ezra and the other Spectres in the fight against the Empire on Lothal, and he fought in the Battle of Lothal where the planet was liberated from Imperial control.
In the aftermath, Azadi resumed his post as the planet’s governor, as we see in this show, which is pretty cool. But when Sabine failed to show up, Ryder turned to another person present and asked him to give a speech. That person was Senator Jai Kell, who also showed up in Rebels, appearing in nine episodes (as compared to fifteen for Azadi). Jai was a cadet at the Imperial Academy on Lothal, and when Ezra Bridger infiltrated it for an undercover mission the two became friends. Kell began to attract the wrong kind of attention, with the Grand Inquisitor suspicious of his apparent Force prowess. So Jai escaped with the help of the Spectres, but he joined Ryder’s resistance movement on the planet. This meant that he too took part in the Battle of Lothal, helping to liberate his homeworld from the oppression of the Empire.
From there, Kell became a Senator representing the planet in the New Republic Senate, which is a really cool easter egg. These types of cameos work so well because the story isn’t dependent on audiences knowing who they are; fans who have no idea about Ryder Azadi or Jai Kell know that this is the planet’s governor and senator, and that’s all they really need to know. Yet rather than just introducing a random governor or senator, this way it connects in a deeper, more meaningful way for those fans familiar with Rebels. It was really fun to see both of them show up here.
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