Maybe: ‘Star Wars Rebels’ Made ‘Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic’ Canon Again
So, like, is KOTOR canon again? If you read into a line from Star Wars Rebels, then, yes! And most likely? I’m thinking so. Ever since Lucasfilm issued forth that post-sale-to-Disney “Legends” dismissal of canon, they’ve been bringing certain elements back into the fold. With Knights of the Old Republic being so goddamn loved, it would make sense to reintegrate it into the current mythos.
In 2003, back when the prequels were making it really hard to be a Star Wars fan, Bioware’s Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was a flicker of light in the darkness. It’s not just the best Star Wars video game I’ve ever played – it’s one of the best and most memorable video games I’ve played period, a beautifully constructed RPG that gives the player a great deal of agency in shaping the story. Bioware would refine the game’s mechanics with the Mass Effect series, but I’ll never forget playing through Knights of the Old Republic…mainly because I beat it three or four times.
Like so much of the previously established Star Wars timeline, the events of Knights of the Old Republic were made “Legends” when Disney acquired Lucasfilm and everyone decided to wipe the slate clean and rebuild the series canon from scratch. However, last night’s episode of Star Wars Rebels referenced a key event from the game, suggesting that this Legend may very well return to the realm of fact.
As noted by ComicBook.com, “Trials of the Darksaber” features Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus dressing down Mandalorian warrior Sabine Wren by saying “History lesson: the Jedi won the war with Mandalore.”
For the uninitiated, that may sound like gibberish, but for Knights of the Old Republic fans, it means a great deal. That game is set thousands of years before the events of the prequel trilogy and begins after a lengthy war between the forces of Mandalore and the Republic. The war only came to an end after the Jedi got involved, with Jedi Knight Revan claiming victory over the Mandalorians. And then Revan went and converted himself to a Sith and set out to conquer the galaxy and you’ll have to play Knights of the Old Republic (or Google it) if you want to know what happens next. I’ll just say that it’s pretty crazy and that many fans have a very interesting relationship with Revan based on the choices they made in the game.
The important thing here is that Kanan’s dialogue confirms that the Mandalorian Wars happened, which suggests that Revan (and later, Darth Revan!) is now an actual person and not a Legend. Maybe. Possibly. Hopefully. After all, this wouldn’t be the first time Rebels has brought a popular Legends character back into the fold. Thrawn, an Imperial villain introduced in the pages of Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire novel and its sequels, joined the show this season.
If Star Wars Rebels is planning to mention Revan at some point, we have to wait until February 18 because the series is on hiatus until then. Fans should keep their ears and eyes open, as this current storyline is taking us deep into the history of the Star Wars universe. All kinds of easter eggs may be littered about.