The Star Wars: Rebels panel at New York Comic-Con delivered a big post-Clone Wars reveal in an all-new villain for the Star Wars cannon who will be known as The Inquisitor. Several new Imperial vehicles and their inspiration were also revealed, and all are included in a video hosted by showrunner Dave Filoni that you can watch below.
The Inquisitor wields a dual-bladed red lightsaber as a Sith apprentice or Lord might. He’s clad in black-armor bearing some similarities to Darth Vader. In describing the role of The Inquisitor on the show, Filoni offered that he is “tasked by Darth Vader to hunt down the remaining Jedi Knights.”
I would like to think one of those Jedi Knights might be Ashoka Tano, who left the Jedi order in the Season 5 finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and walked off into the sunset — literally. She’s still out there and might come out of hiding to help the Rebel alliance battle the Empire.
Lucasfilm’s Pable Hidalgo revealed during the panel that Star Wars: Rebels is set roughly 14 years after the events of Revenge of the Sith, which would put it roughly 4-5 years away from A New Hope. The Emperor’s rule on the galaxy is firmly in place and many of the recognizable designs from the original trilogy including stormtroopers and Tie Fighters will be mainstays in the series.
The one-hour premiere event will visit the Outer Rim territory and planet Lothal, one of many Outer Rim territories the Empire is hoping to expand its rule into. Lothal is poor and welcomes the Empire in exchange for “security and prosperity.” Unfortunately for Lothal the Empire doesn’t have the planet’s interests at heart.
The Empire will begin recruiting the youth of Lothal to become Stormtroopers or Tie Fighter pilots, or build Tie Fighters in the Sienar Fleet Systems factory. I would expect several of these recruited individuals to fight back and eventually find their way into the rebellion.
Artwork from original Star Wars artist Ralph McQuarrie was used as inspiration for the show. In addition, the series will introduce the All Terrain Defense Pod (AT-DP), a ground attack walker based on an early Joe Johnston design sketch from 1979; and its pilot whose design is a blend of the AT-ST and AT-AT driver uniforms from The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
Fans of the old Kenner Star Wars toys will recognize the Imperial Troop Transport, released for the original Star Wars film but not based on a design from the film. You can bet Hasbro will be re-releasing this vehicle for the upcoming Star Wars: Rebels toy line.
The final new vehicle revealed is an Imperial freighter that is based on a design by Doug Chiang for The Phantom Menace. It includes a dock for Tie Fighters to park in during system-to-system transport.
Watch the new Star Wars: Rebels featurette below, and catch the series premiere in fall 2014.
Source: Star Wars
