'Star Wars Rebels' season 3 spoilers news 2016: Will not have Darth Vader; Thrawn is the main villain of the season
"Star Wars Rebels" showrunner Dave Filoni has confirmed that Darth Vader will not be making an appearance for the third season of "Rebels." Instead, the Ghost's crew will have to focus on facing their new adversary, Grand Admiral Thrawn.
In an interview with Slash Film, Filoni goes on to comment on why they chose to sit Vader out for the upcoming season. He says: "You know, I've kind of gone on this course, which is pretty, pretty direct about certain things 'cause I don't like to tease people along and then have them be disappointed. So it's really an elected decision to not have Vader around because, as we get closer to 'A New Hope,' I want him to serve as that story."
He also goes on to admit that if it was Vader chasing the tails of the rebel crew, it would not take very long for him to catch up with them, much less be merciful to them when he does get them.
Vader had a more prominent presence in the second season. Though he was not in every episode, Vader's appearance in the finale and showdown with Ahsoka left fans with their jaws wide open until the very end. Fans know that Vader will only reach his moment of redemption in "Return of the Jedi" so it could very well mean that Ahsoka will fail in her mission of trying to save what's left of Anakin Skywalker. She may even see her end in the third season.
As of the moment, Filoni is having fun with using Grand Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn is one of the most famous villains in the "Star Wars" expanded universe, and his appearance in the series will officially induct him into "Star Wars" canon. Thrawn is known to be a well-versed tactician and is able to express true empathy for his enemies, making him predict their next move and proving himself to be a dangerous adversary.
"Star Wars Rebels" season 3 is set to come to Disney XD this September.
