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Category Archives: Rebels Screenshot Spotlight


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Rebels Screenshot Spotlight – Wings of the Master

Last week’s Hera-centric episode of Rebels, “Wings of the Master,” featured a number of beautiful shots, many of which come from breathtaking scenes of Hera piloting the prototype B-wing designed and built by Quarrie on Shantipole. The Rebels incarnation of the B-wing looks fantastic, bright color-scheme and all, and it was a joy to watch Hera pilot the ship and be in the spotlight as the episode’s protagonist.

That being said, this week I’ve chosen to focus on a shot (or two) of Kanan manning the Ghost’s canons and taking on a couple of approaching TIEs. While this isn’t necessarily the most beautiful shot in the episode, I was repeatedly impressed by the space battle scenes in “Wings of the Master,” particularly those taking place in turret stations like this one. IMG_0074Space battles are appearing more frequently as Rebels progresses and the show has been portraying them in an exciting and kinetic way. In this specific case, the motion of Kanan’s swinging turrets and seat coupled with the accompanying camera movement creates an impressive immersiveness that rivals (and possibly exceeds) similar scenes from the films. IMG_0069I also made note of the contrast between Kanan’s dimly lit figure and the bright brilliance of the exploding Tie in the distance. The explosion itself looked both authentic and impressive and serves as another example of how the show is able impress while emulating and updating the original visual language of the films.


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Rebels Screenshot Spotlight – Brothers of the Broken Horn

The newest episode of Rebels, “Brothers of the Broken Horn,” is the lightest and most humorous we’ve seen since probably “Idiot’s Array” in season one, so for this Rebels Screenshot Spotlight I’m choosing an image that highlights the always entertaining weequay pirate Hondo Ohnaka.

Hondo and Ezra

“Brothers of the Broken Horn” ends with Ezra’s realization that a pirate life is not for him as he knows he has a more selfless path in front of him. Still, Hondo and Ezra shared a brief adventure and though this shot of the two of them together is simple and straightforward, I thought it was a nice moment between the two of them and a good representation of the episode as a whole.

HondoAs a Clone Wars character returning on Rebels, it’s also interesting to look at how Hondo’s design has been simplified to match the aesthetic of the newer show. I’ve always loved Hondo (and I’m not alone, as he’s certainly a fan favorite), but I find him even more charismatic and appealing in his Rebels incarnation. I prefer the more cartoonish feel of Rebels and a character like Hondo exemplifies how warm and welcoming the show’s look is in comparison to the approach of Clone Wars.

Some fans expressed disappointment in “Brothers of the Broken Horn” because it lacks the drama and weight of other episodes of Rebels, but I was happy to see Hondo return and I don’t mind a lighter episode now and then to balance out the darker ones. I’m happy to have the old pirate back, and while I hope they use him sparingly going forward, I’m hoping to see him again when the arc of the show calls for a bit of levity.


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Rebels Screenshot Spotlight – “Always Two There Are”

It occurred to me while watching the most recent episode of Rebels, “Always Two There Are,” that I’d like to do something here on The Blockade Runner blog to show appreciation for the incredible art/design/look of the show. To be honest, I wasn’t sure about the show’s style when the characters were revealed (there had been a bit of talk re: the McQuarrie influence and I think was expecting something different), but from the moment I was able to see it in motion, I’ve been incredibly impressed. Seeing Joel Aaron’s presentation at Celebration Anaheim only increased my appreciation for the show’s look and dedication to authenticity, and the initial shot of The Ghost approaching the abandoned Republic medical station moved me to action.

Abandoned Republic Medical Station

I was initially taken aback by the presentation of the medical station itself; the elegance of the station and the cylindrical or almost funnel-like shape of it seemed distinctly McQuarrie. I think it may have reminded me of some of his Cloud City designs, and upon doing some digging I found a piece of Coruscant concept work that shares some similarities with this design. I’m not sure if this specific station was directly influenced by McQuarrie concepts or not, but it shares qualities with his designs that I think are very beautiful and very Star Wars.

I was also struck by the enormity of the medical station in relationship to The Ghost. It becomes clear as the episode unfolds that Ezra and the rest of the crew are pitted against a powerful enemy that outmatches them in most ways, and the composition of this shot emphasizes that the deck is very much stacked against them and that they’ll have to overcome a major challenge to successfully complete their mission.

I’m no design expert, so I hope it’s clear here that I’m commenting on this shot from “Always Two There Are” out of appreciation for the incredible work of the Rebels crew. Watching Rebels has delighted me more than I expected in numerous ways, and its so gratifying and exciting to be presented with such beautiful imagery each week, so I’m looking forward to finding more breathtaking shots to feature from upcoming episodes.