The Most Ominous Trailer for 'Star Wars: Rebels' Season Four is Here

It's been an exciting weekend for Star Wars fans, with Force Friday in full effect and now Lucasfilm has upped the ante with a brand new trailer for the fourth and final season of Star Wars: Rebels. With so many plot threads to be tied together Lucasfilm is making is clear in the newest trailer for Rebels fourth season they are going to tie everything up in thrilling fashion.

Perhaps the most exciting thing to know is that Rebels will return on October 16. Mark that date in your diary, #StarWars fans because from the looks of this trailer, you're seriously not going to want to miss this final season. Speaking of, let's take a look at said trailer.

We open with a haunting, disturbing vision that wakes Ezra with a jolt. Something terrible is clearly happening on Lothal and he's sensing it through the Force. From there, we spin back to a childhood nursery rhyme taught to Ezra by his mother:

"Loth-rat, Loth-cat, Loth-wolf, run. Pick a path and all is done."

It looks as though those Loth-wolves — one of the fiercest predators on Lothal — will be playing a major role in Rebels. A recurring theme over the last few seasons has been that Ezra is developing an affinity for animals, using the Force to still and sway them. That theme is clearly going to come to a head, and we even see the Rebels sat on the back of Loth-wolves, charging into battle against the Empire!

The battle to free Ezra's homeworld of Lothal was a major subplot in the first two seasons of Rebels, but slipped out of focus last season, as Rebels showed us the formation of the Rebel Alliance. It's clear that the final season will see a return to Lothal, but given that we know Rogue One showed the Rebel Alliance's first victory, will it all end in tragedy?

The Looming Threat Of Thrawn And The Noghri

And where would we be without Grand Admiral Thrawn? A classic character from the old Expanded Universe, the Chiss Grand Admiral has become part of Lucasfilm's new canon and he's left a terrifying mark on Rebels. It seems he's still focused on the Rebel Alliance, but this time round he's eager to bring in Hera Syndulla.

Long-time Star Wars fans will be thrilled to catch a glimpse of Rukh, Thrawn's Noghri assassin. Another character from the old Expanded Universe, Rukh is clearly being introduced as Thrawn's agent. It's the same role he played back in Timothy Zahn's classic Thrawn Trilogy, but it remains to be seen whether or not the outcome will be the same. In the novels, the heroes learned that the Noghri had been tricked into slavery to the Empire. When Rukh learned the truth, he led his people in a secretive rebellion of their own. It all came to a head when Rukh himself assassinated Grand Admiral Thrawn. Will we see a similar plot in Rebels? We'll have to wait and see!

The Fate Of Mandalore

The trailer shows us countless action scenes on Mandalore, a world now under Imperial occupation. Lucasfilm launched a major Mandalorian plot back in The Clone Wars and that's continued on through Rebels. Given there was no Mandalorian presence in the Rebellion back in the prequel trilogy, many fans are expecting this arc to end in tragedy for Mandalore.

Do you see how divided the Mandalorians are? Sabine may wield the Darksaber, but vast tracts of Mandalore have sided with the Empire, and the race is now in a state of civil war. It looks as though Sabine's fighting skills are going to be tested to the max.

Here Come The X-Wings!

The trailer closes with the kind of action you'd expect from the final season of a Star Wars series: a whole lot of space battles! As we move nearer to the time of Rogue One and A New Hope, the nascent Rebel Alliance is taking on a far more recognizable shape. Nowhere is that more clear than in our breathtaking first glimpse of the X-Wings!

Yes, you read that right, the Rebel Alliance has finally acquired X-Wings! The starfighter is as much a symbol of Star Wars as a lightsaber and fans are sure to be thrilled.

Will They Or Won't They?

Finally, there's one more long-standing plot threat that looks to be finally resolved. Fans have long been hoping to see Hera and Kanan get together. The attraction between the two has been visible time and again, but each is hesitant and committed to duty. It seems something is about to change, though, because the barriers are dropping and the two are speaking more openly about their feelings than ever before.

But, again, how will this romantic arc play out? Kanan's a Jedi, and his presence in the Original Trilogy era would cause major continuity issues; will we see this story end in tragedy and heartbreak?

Even the best stories come to an end. Star Wars: Rebels has been an incredible animated adventure. We've seen our beloved characters grow and mature, becoming the heroes we always knew they could be. Now it looks as though all the paths are coming together for a dramatic conclusion. Who will live? Who will die? Will Lothal be free? And what will Mandalore's fate be?