What Happened To Ezra Bridger? Is He Still Alive?

The finale of Star Wars Rebels Season 4 came to an end with a lot of questions in every mind of the fans who witnessed its premiere. One of the questions that most fans were wondering up until this very day is: why did Ezra Bridger disappear? It also led to the number one question that Rebels fans are still figuring out until this very day: did Ezra died when he disappeared? After all, Star Wars Rebels left a lot of fans hanging without any closure when its main character disappeared.

Ezra Bridger disappeared into deep space when a purrgil, who held the Chimaera where Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn, the series antagonist, jumped into the unknown by going to hyperspace. However, it was believed that Ezra is still alive, but is now deep in space.

To understand more why this happened, and to help catch up for those who missed watching Rebels for a long time before it ended, I will provide you a lot of information about why Ezra Bridger might still be alive. I will explain here the climax of the Liberation of Lothal, as well as various theories made by fans on why Ezra Bridger is still alive.

What Happened To Ezra Bridger?

What happened to Ezra Bridger, and why fans are wondering if he is still alive, is based on the climax of the Liberation of Lothal, which was seen in the series finale of Star Wars Rebels. In this section, I will only explain the final parts of the Liberation of Lothal to completely understand what happened to Ezra.

During the Liberation of Lothal, Ezra’s home planet that he wants to liberate from the Empire when Rebels started, Ezra was in the heat of battle against the Imperial Royal Guards and some stormtroopers. They were all inside the Chimera and were also taking to Grand Admiral Thrawn and Emperor Palpatine himself. 

At this point, he has the full resolve of using the Light Side of the Force to finally liberate his home planet from the tyranny of the Empire, despite Palpatine and Thrawn’s pleading for Ezra to join them. This is why Palpatine and Thrawn just decided to kill Ezra instead. During the heat of the battle, Ezra’s allies were successful in shielding the capital city of Lothal from the second wave of bombardment by the Empire. 

Their well-planned strategy of shielding the Dome also comes with the success of Ezra’s friends Wolfe, Cikatro Vizago, Mart Mattin, and some of their rebel allies, in summoning a group of purrgil. Purrgils and semi-sentient species living in the Star Wars universe. They are whale-like beings, as seen from the appearance of their heads, but with tentacles as its tail. These gigantic creatures fly around space and are known to be capable of biologically using hyperspace.

The pod summoned by the rebels destroyed most of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s fleet, effectively saving Lothal and the Capital City together with the reactivated Dome. This was Ezra’s plan all along to completely get rid of Thrawn’s fleet for good. This is where Ezra began his counterattack against his opponents by storming the bridge of the Chimera, while one of the purrgil’s tentacles latched onto the Chimera. 

Ezra knew well what would happen next, even if Thrawn told Ezra about it and the consequences that will happen to both of them. Ezra even told Sabine and the others that this is all part of this plan. This is where Ezra defended himself for one last time by using the Force at its fullest to repel all incoming stormtroopers, as well as Thrawn himself. Ezra left everything to all his comrades and told them that the Force will always be with them, as he made sure that Thrawn will be out of Lothal for good.

When the purrgil began to enter hyperspace, Ezra and his enemies disappeared for good. They are still believed to be alive after the hyperspace jump, but it is completely unknown what happened to Ezra and Thrawn afterward. It is also not stated if they made one final battle after the hyperspace jump, or if both of them are still alive after this part of the climax.

But the sacrifice done by Ezra was not done in vain, as it completed his ultimate goal of liberating Lothal. The rebels were able to destroy the Dome to wipe the whole Imperial forces out of Lothal. His allies were planning to find him immediately but were stopped by a message containing his pre-recorded hologram. Based on the final message, it appears that Ezra was fully prepared for this sacrifice, whether it kills him or not. 

Is Ezra Bridger Still Alive?

To find out if Ezra Bridger is still alive, you need to check first how the Chimera is constructed, Ezra’s exact location within the Chimera, and if the Chimera can withstand a hyperspace jump. If you already know all of this, then you can finally theorize if Ezra survived the jump done by the Purrgils or not. 

First of all, take note that the purrgils are the reason why hyperspace travel was invented in the Star Wars universe. Using the brain of a purrgil, they were able to create the hyperdrive technology that’s commonly used in the Star Wars universe. It also led to the creation of the Wayfinder, which is used by the Jedi and Sith to navigate through planets. The usage of hyperspace is a common thing in the Star Wars universe as it was the basis of trade and politics within its star systems. 

Therefore, massive Star Destroyers such as the Chimera are built to withstand the speed even if they are forcibly pulled by a creature that can naturally enter hyperspace. Even if the cockpit windows are open, for sure there was a last-minute measure done to help prevent casualties within hyperspace. The technology within the Star Wars universe is well-developed to the point where large ships are built to travel to and from hyperspace, as long as the ship’s hyperdrive is working fine. 

Likely, Ezra Bridge is still alive. Since Ezra is capable of using the Force, he can withstand the vacuum of space for a longer time than those that are not sensitive to the Force. To add up with the confirmation that he survived, Star Wars Rebels creator Dave Filoni also stated that both Ezra and Thrawn are still alive during the Rebels Recon show in May 2018.

What also made fans believe that Ezra is still alive is when Ezra told Sabine that he is “counting” on her. Many initially thought that his message of his is for Sabine to protect Lothal in case the Empire goes back to reclaim it. However, it was stated that the Empire never went back to take their revenge on Lothal anymore. Years after the events of Star Wars Rebels, Ashoka Tano even went back and saw Lothal as a more prosperous planet than before. 

Thus, some fans believe that Ezra was counting on Sabine for her to find him eventually. Fans theorized this further when it was shown that Sabine and Ashoka Tano went on a quest to find Ezra somewhere deep in space. Even I also think that Ezra might return at some point in time because of what Filoni stated, as well as the following reasons that I mentioned above as to why Ezra survived the hyperspace jump. 

Is Ezra Bridger Returning?

There is a very high possibility that Ezra Bridger will eventually return to the story, along with a very long story on how he managed to survive after he was pulled to hyperspace. Based on how the current story goes in Star Wars, as well as how the franchise has launched several new stories such as The Mandalorian and the upcoming Ashoka series, there is a very high chance where Ezra might come out. 

There are several hints as to why Ezra Bridger is still alive and might return. These are all based on the fact that his name was mentioned in other stories that transpired after the Rebels storyline. One of the best hints stating about Ezra’s current condition, and why he might return, is when Rey did not hear his voice among the past Jedis who have died. Take note that Kanan, another main character in Rebels who taught Ezra the ways of the Force, was one of the voices Rey heard. 

If there is anything related to Ezra returning in the franchise, alive and well, is if Thrawn has survived the hyperspace jump. Thrawn’s possible survival can also be a hint that Ezra is returning as well. He might have survived, since his race being a Chiss grants him a natural ability to withstand the vacuum of space as well, and might have done something that indirectly caused Ezra to survive inside the Chimera.

Lastly, just remember the things that Ezra mentioned in his final hologram message for his friends. Aside from telling Sabine that he is counting on her, he also mentioned that he couldn’t have wished for a “better family” like his friends. He even told him that he cannot wait to come back home. This further implies that he might find a means to survive what he went through, and will come back in another story. 

These are the strongest hints that Ezra might still be around, and will eventually return in one of the series. Because of Krowner wearing a Mandalorian suit, some fans even stated that Ezra might be mentioned or might reappear in The Mandalorian as well. However, there is another hint that might indicate Ezra’s return based on the next popular question regarding Ezra’s survival and overall condition.

Does Sabine Ever Find Ezra?

It was also shown that Sabine and Ashoka Tano embarked on a mission to find Ezra a year after the Battle of Endor. At this point, Sabine seems to have made a name in protecting the peace in Lothal based on how C-3PO knew about the story of Ezra when he told it to the Ewoks. As a dear friend to Ezra, Sabine was willing to come with Ashoka to find their long-lost friend and ally. 

It is unknown if she ever found Ezra, but Ashoka Tano showing up in The Mandalorian is a possible hint that they are both looking for Ezra since the storyline of The Mandalorian was 5 years after the Battle of Endor. 

Another notable possibility of Sabine finding Ezra was when the First Order arrived on the planet Batuu in 34 ABY. There was an individual who came to the planet, who is wearing Mandalorian armor, as well as a Nite Owl helmet that appears similar to what Sabine was wearing in Rebels.

The mysterious person contacted Dok-Ondar in Batuu to ask about Ezra’s old scout trooper helmet, which Ondar has. The mysterious figure said that it belonged to a certain rebel a long time ago. The mysterious person, named Krowner, paid for the helmet and asked it to be delivered to a certain address. 

The name Krowner appears to be Sabine’s home planet, and Krowner’s armor and helmet hint out that this person might be Sabine, or someone related to her. This is a strong hint that another storyline might be in the works, and might show Ezra in that possible new story.

Will We Ever Find Out What Happened To Ezra?

Based on how Star Wars Rebels ended, along with the clues about Ezra’s survival scattered throughout other films and series such as The Mandalorian and the newest Trilogy, for sure we as fans will be given more information about Ezra in the future. It might come off as a story outside the Trilogy once again, or Ezra might show up in one of the current Star Wars series being aired just like how Ashoka came out in Rebels years after the Clone Wars.

There is a very good chance where all of the hints and mentions about Ezra throughout other Star Wars series and films will reveal what happened to the hero who sent hope throughout the galaxy with his ultimate sacrifice. For now, it seems that the Star Wars franchise just want fans to hold on to these clues, as Ezra’s eventual return might show something greater that will advance the amazing Star Wars story even further.