Filoni to Bring the Rebellion to Celebration Europe 2016, Teases Debut of ‘Legends’ Character

If you’re a Star Wars Rebels fan and are attending Celebration Europe 2016 this July, you’re in for a real treat!

StarWars.Com has announced that the show’s executive producer, Dave Filoni, will be at the convention in London and that he (and some special guests) will be giving fans a little taster of what we can expect in Season Three.

The exact date and time of the Star Wars Rebels panel has yet to be announced and we don’t know who will be joining Filoni on stage, but we do know that fans lucky enough to get in will be treated to a special advance screening of not one but TWO episodes from the upcoming season.

While it’s unlikely that Ahsoka will be returning to the series for the foreseeable future, there’s plenty to look forward to in Rebels Season Three. Filoni and co have already teased new looks for at least some of the Ghost crew members and have revealed that Sabine Wren will be playing a much more prominent role in the new season.

We’ll also find out how the crew is coping with the loss of Ahsoka, the return of Maul, Ezra’s growing curiosity for Sith secrets, and Kanan’s blindness, and see the fledgling Rebellion grow in size and strength as the show’s timeline edges ever closer to that of Rogue One and A New Hope.

What’s more, we may even see the canonical debut of a well-known “Legends” character if Filoni’s recent tweet is anything to go by.

I'm looking forward to seeing you all at #SWCE 2016! And remember, there's always a bit of truth in legends. https://t.co/auc6HDDAx1

—
Dave Filoni (@dave_filoni) May 28, 2016

The Lucasfilm Story Group has often stated that existing characters and story elements from the old Expanded Universe can be repurposed for use in the new canon as needed and we’ve already seen nods to non-canon material in Star Wars Rebels, The Clone Wars, and The Force Awakens. Malachor, Moraband, and Darth Bane all have their origins in video games or other “Legends” material and, according to The Force Awakens: The Visual Dictionary, Kylo Ren’s cross guard lightsaber is based on an ancient design that dates back to the Great Scourge of Malachor. The aftermath of this battle can be seen in the Rebels Season Two finale, “Twilight of the Apprentice”.

And while Filoni’s tweet is somewhat cryptic, some fans have already theorized that he’s hinting at the canonical debut of a character from Timothy Zahn’s novel, Heir to the Empire. Grand Admiral Thrawn seems like the most likely candidate as rumours surrounding the Chiss Imperial officer have been floating around the internet for months but perhaps the Rebels team will surprise us all by bringing Mara Jade, Gilad Pellaeon, or Talon Karrde into the series instead.

Whatever Filoni and his crew have in store for us, it’s clear that we’ll have to wait just a little longer to find out the truth behind the legends.

Update: The Star Wars Rebels season 3 preview screening will take place on the Celebration Stage at 16:00 on July 16th, 2016.

Updated #2: And yes, it was Thrawn. You can now watch the Rebels panel over on YouTube!

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So, are you planning to attend the Rebels screening at Celebration Europe? And who do you think Filoni is referring to in his tweet? Feel free to leave your comments below!

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