Ahsoka: Who Is Ezra Bridger And Why Is He Important To Sabine?
References to a character named Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) are periodic throughout the first episode of "Ahsoka," and each time he comes up it's with a distinct gravitas. While fans of "Star Wars Rebels" are plenty familiar with Ezra, viewers joining in on this story for the first time with "Ahsoka" have no context for just who he is and why he's so important to Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) in particular.
In short, Ezra is the main protagonist of the four-season Disney cartoon "Star Wars Rebels." Early on in the series he becomes the newest addition to a rebel group called the Ghost Crew that also counts Sabine as a member. By the end of "Rebels," Ezra is a powerful Jedi, and leads an effort on his home planet of Lothal to resist the Empire's rule. In order to guarantee the rebellion's victory, he traps himself on a ship with Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) after organizing a pod of purrgil — space whales that can travel through hyperspace — to transport them to a distant location unknown to any of their respective allies.
"Ahsoka" takes place at least a decade after the events of "Rebels," so by its start Ezra has been missing for many years. That said, Sabine still appears to miss Ezra to a significantly greater degree than Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) or former Ghost Crew pilot Hera (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), which is unsurprising given the close bond between the two of them before his departure.
Sabine's relationship with Ezra is central to Star Wars Rebels
Ezra's bond with Sabine is practically immediate in "Star Wars Rebels" since they're the only two teenage members of the Ghost Crew. At first Ezra harbors a crush on Sabine, which she doesn't reciprocate but nevertheless seems to find endearing. Soon the notion of romance takes a backseat to a close companionship as they help each other through plenty of requisite teen angst concerning their respective roles in the rebellion.
When Ezra makes his final sacrifice in "Rebels," he tasks Sabine with keeping Lothal safe. In fact, Sabine's tower-like home in "Ahsoka" was once Ezra's. So, in Episode 1 when Sabine pulls out a recording Ezra made her before leaving, it's indicative of the fact that, even 10-plus years later, she's not just still thinking about him but situating much of her life around his memory.
Furthermore, in the final sequence of "Rebels," Sabine and Ahsoka leave together to find Ezra. Between then and "Ahsoka" they apparently failed at their mission and had some sort of falling out. Ezra, then, may not be physically present as of "Ahsoka" Episode 1, but his absence colors both Sabine's daily life and her dynamic with her Jedi mentor considerably.