Summary
Cal Kestis and Kanan Jarrus are two of the best Jedi inStar Wars, but they would have taken different approaches to training Ezra Bridger inStar Wars Rebels. Many of themost powerful Jedi inStar Warscome from the prequel era, but only Cal Kestis and Kanan Jarrus became Knights after the fall of the Jedi Order. Both Cal and Kanan wereJedi who survived Order 66, and they both joined the fight against the Empire as adults. They’re very similar Jedi, both in power and in history, but there’s one major difference between them: Ezra Bridger.
Kanan Jarrus trained Ezra Bridger as his Padawan over the course ofStar Wars Rebels. The two met in 5 BBY intheStar Warstimeline, and they trained together until Kanan’s death in 1 BBY. It’s not clear where Cal Kestis was at that time, as his last appearance inStar Wars Jedi: Survivortook place in 9 BBY, but he was one of the few active Jedi who could have taken Ezra as his Padawan. If Cal had trained Ezra instead of Kanan,Rebelswould have looked very different, but it might not have been as different as it would seem.
Star Wars Rebels Timeline Explained: When Each Season Takes Place
From Ezra and the crew’s first meeting to Ahsoka and Sabine’s reunion, here’s when each Star Wars Rebels season takes place in the Star Wars timeline.
Cal Kestis & Kanan Jarrus Would Have Trained Ezra Bridger Very Similarly
Both Cal & Kanan Would Have Let Ezra Learn Through Experience
Quite a bit of Ezra Bridger’s training would have looked the same no matter who his Master was, simply because Cal Kestis and Kanan Jarrus were very similar Jedi.Both Kanan and Cal were survivors of Order 66, meaning they both had a lot of trauma from the Jedi Purge, and neither of them formally finished their training. Cal got a bit more tutelage under Jedi like Cere Junda and Eno Cordova, but he was still far from a classically-trained Master. They also both found love as adults, against the Order’s teachings, as Cal met Merrin and Kanan met Hera Syndulla.
Kanan Jarrus
A Jedi Padawan who survived Order 66 in large part thanks to his master’s sacrifice, Kanan survived during the Dark Times of the Empire’s reign and became an important member of the Lothal rebel cell. Kanan sacrificed much over the years, but gained much as well, falling in love with Hera Syndulla. Although he gave his life for his friends, he left a legacy behind in his own Padawan Ezra Bridger, as well as his son Jacen.
There are many moreparallels between Cal Kestis and Kanan Jarrus, from their role in the Rebellion to their knighting ceremonies. The most important takeaway from those similarities, however, is that they would both approach training Ezra in almost the same way. They both would have had to teach Ezra while on the run from the Empire, and they both would have let him learn through experience rather than classical training.For the most part, Ezra Bridger would have turned out basically the same under Cal or Kanan’s training. That being said, there are a few key ways that training would have been different.
Cal Would Have Been Much More Suspicious Of Hondo Ohnaka & Maul
A major part of Ezra’s character development throughRebelscomes from his propensity to make mistakes. Ezra always seemed to trust exactly the person he shouldn’t, most notably Maul and Hondo Ohnaka. Both Maul and Hondo were instrumental in bringing Ezra closer to the dark side and causing his temptations. Maul very explicitly wanted to twist Ezra into his new apprentice, while Hondo implicitly tried to get Ezra to take the easy way and practice some questionable morals.Their attempts didn’t ultimately work when Ezra was trained by Kanan, but they might not have happened at all with Cal as his Master.
Both Maul and Hondo were instrumental in bringing Ezra closer to the dark side and causing his temptations.
Cal Kestis had a longer history of experiencing betrayal than Kanan did.They both went through the traumatic betrayal by the clone troopers during Order 66, but Cal also had to endure Bode’s reveal as a fallen Jedi inJedi: Survivor. Bode took full advantage of Cal’s trust, and while the full effects of that betrayal haven’t been shown yet, it’s safe to say Cal became much more skeptical of others than he once was. That skepticism would have extended doubly to Maul and Hondo, who Cal would have instantly identified as bad influences.
Darth Maul
Palpatine’s apprentice, Darth Maul was nothing more than a tool to winnow down the ranks of the Jedi ahead of Darth Sidious' true plans. Discarded after he was defeated by Obi-Wan Kenobi on Naboo, Darth Maul swore revenge against all those he blamed for his past struggles - Jedi and Sith alike. Maul tended to operate within the shadows, running various syndicates, and even established himself as a true rival for Palpatine on at least one occasion. He was eventually killed by Obi-Wan in a duel on Tatooine.
If Cal was training Ezra, he likely would never have let his student anywhere near Maul or Hondo. That could have saved Ezra quite a bit of pain from realizing how wrong he was about them, but it also might have hurt him in the long run. If Cal had sheltered Ezra from Maul and Hondo Ezra might never have learned how to treat people with a healthy dose of skepticism.This is the fundamental difference in Cal and Kanan’s teaching styles: Kanan took a hands-off approach and let Ezra learn through his mistakes, while Cal would have tried to prevent Ezra’s errors.
Cal Would Have Understood Maul’s Influence On Ezra More
Even if Cal had tried to stop Ezra from meeting Maul, it likely wouldn’t have worked. Ezra was famously stubborn, especially during his training, and he would have found a way to contact Maul regardless of who his Master was.Another key difference between Cal and Kanan would have been how they handled Ezra at his lowest, when Maul brought him as close to the dark side as he would ever get. One of Kanan’s greatest strengths was the fact that he was never seduced by the dark side. That was also one of his greatest weaknesses as a teacher, though.
Ezra Bridger
Hailing from the planet Lothal, Ezra Bridger’s Force potential was discovered by Order 66 survivor Kanan Jarrus. Ezra became Kanan’s apprentice, working as a key asset in the Lothal rebel cell. He sacrificed himself in a desperate gambit to defeat Grand Admiral Thrawn, becoming stranded for years in a distant galaxy on the planet Peridea. Ezra has now returned, thanks to the efforts of his friend Sabine Wren.
Because Kanan had never been tempted by the dark side, he didn’t have a way to relate to Ezra’s experience. When he found Ezra with the Sith holocron, Kanan took it away and forbade Ezra from using it, a response that only made Ezra want to use it more. Cal Kestis, on the other hand, had firsthand experience with being tempted by the dark side.Cal could have empathized with what Ezra was thinking, the influence the dark side had over him, and his desire to do good. That might have been enough to stop Ezra’s fall long before he figured out for himself.
Cal Would Have Made Ezra More Of A Warrior Than Kanan Did
Cal Was More Dedicated To The Rebellion Than Kanan Was
Having Cal as a Master would have benefited Ezra in many ways, but there’s one key way it would have detracted from his journey to becoming a Jedi.Though he was actively involved in the Rebellion, and he taught Ezra more than enough to hold his own in battle, Kanan was much more interested in showing his Padawan the spiritual ways of the Force. Many of his lessons focused on showing Ezra how to center himself, how to feel the Force’s influence, and how to commit himself to the light side.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Cal, on the other hand, was much more preoccupied with being a warrior and a Rebel. Through much ofJedi: Survivor, Cal expresses how he can’t stop fighting as long as he can fight for someone else’s benefit.He almost certainly would have transferred this mindset over to Ezra, and Cal would have focused much more on turning Ezra into a warrior than Kanan did. That increased focus on combat would have helped Ezra a bit in battle, but it also would have robbed him of some of the things that made him a Jedi at heart.
Both Cal Kestis & Kanan Jarrus Would Have Prepared Ezra To Sacrifice Himself For His Friends
Both Kanan & Cal Valued Family Above All Else, & Ezra Would Have Shared That
For all their differences in teaching methods, both Kanan and Cal would have conveyed Ezra’s most important lesson flawlessly. In theseries finale ofRebels, Ezra decided to sacrifice himself so he could remove Grand Admiral Thrawn and his fleet from the galaxy and save his friends.It was a tremendous display of faith and love for his found family, and it was a direct result of Kanan’s teachings. At the start ofRebels, Ezra only cared about himself. It was only because of Kanan’s influence that he learned to care for the crew of theGhost, and ultimately decided to trade his life for theirs.
Despite his sacrifice, Ezra Bridger didn’t die at the end ofStar Wars Rebels. He survived until at leastAhsokaseason 1, where he was found on the extragalactic planet Peridea.
Ezra’s sacrifice was the culmination of all of Kanan’s teaching, but Cal’s mentorship would have gotten Ezra to the same conclusion. Like Kanan, Cal deeply valued his friends and family, and he would have done anything to protect them.He absolutely would have impressed upon Ezra the importance of family, and Cal’s teachings would have been just as effective as Kanan’s in getting Ezra ready to make his sacrifice. ThoughStar Wars Rebelswould have looked very different if Ezra Bridger was trained by Cal Kestis instead of Kanan Jarrus, the heart of the show and the result of Ezra’s training would have been the same.
Star Wars Rebels
Cast
Set between Episodes III and IV of the Star Wars film franchise, Star Wars Rebels is a canon animated series that follows a group of ragtag heroes who band together to face the Empire. In an age where the Galactic Empire is hunting down the last of the Jedi, a teenage outcast named Ezra Bridger is discovered to be force sensitive by a surviving Jedi known as Kanan Jarrus. Agreeing to join them and accept Jedi training, Ezra becomes a part of a small but growing crew of rebels determined to destroy the empire covertly.
