Ephraim Bridger was a male human dissenter hailing from the Outer Rim planet of Lothal during the Galactic Empire's peak. Alongside his wife, Mira, he publicly opposed the Empire's governance through revolutionary broadcasts on Lothal, a cause endorsed by the planet's governor, Ryder Azadi. Consequently, the Empire arrested and imprisoned the Bridgers and Azadi. This left their son, Ezra, to survive independently on Lothal for almost a decade. Ezra eventually joined a rebel cell on Lothal and transmitted his own message of rebellion to the planet's inhabitants. This transmission reached the Imperial detention center where Ephraim and Mira were held, galvanizing them to instigate a prison revolt. Though the Bridgers facilitated the escape of numerous prisoners, both Ephraim and Mira were killed during the breakout.
Ephraim Bridger married Mira Bridger, and together they had a son, Ezra, who was born on Empire Day, the very day the Galactic Empire was established. After the Empire seized control of their homeworld of Lothal, a planet situated in the Outer Rim Territories, Ephraim and Mira became revolutionaries in 18 BBY, initiating clandestine broadcasts that denounced the Empire's actions on their world. They received support from Lothal's governor, Ryder Azadi.
Their broadcasts were received by Milo and Lina Graf, who ultimately journeyed to Lothal aboard their vessel, the Whisper Bird. Ephraim later rescued the pair as they attempted to evade the Twin Horn Syndicate. Alongside Mira, he assisted them in uncovering that a bounty hunter known as The Shade was pursuing them and had been manipulating them previously. Together, they devised a strategy to shake off the bounty hunter, enabling the siblings to flee Lothal. Regrettably, the plan failed, resulting in the capture and removal of the siblings, along with their pet Morq and droid CR-8R. Undeterred, Ephraim contacted Ryder Azadi for assistance.
As a consequence of their activities, the Empire dispatched stormtroopers to apprehend Ephraim and Mira, leading to their imprisonment on charges of treason. Governor Azadi was also arrested for backing their broadcasts. Tseebo, a Rodian friend of Ephraim and Mira residing on Lothal, pledged to care for Ezra, but his fear prevented him from doing so, leaving Ezra to live independently for numerous years.
Years later, while still incarcerated, Ephraim and Mira discovered that Ezra had become a member of a rebel cell battling the Empire on Lothal. His message of rebellion to the citizens of Lothal reached other worlds in the Outer Rim and even the prison where the Bridgers were confined. Having always assisted their fellow inmates, Ephraim and Mira recognized their son's voice in the broadcast due to his specific wording. Inspired by his message, they orchestrated a prison break. With their assistance, dozens of prisoners, including Azadi, managed to escape, but the Bridgers became separated and refused to leave until everyone else was free. By the time the others were safe, it was too late for Ephraim and Mira—they sacrificed themselves for the freedom of others.
During Ephraim and Mira's imprisonment, Ezra initially avoided learning about their fate, believing that maintaining hope for their return would have hindered his survival on Lothal. However, he began to uncover more information after encountering Tseebo and learning that the Rodian had offered his services to the Imperial Information Office in an attempt to atone for his failure to assist the Bridgers. Tseebo wore a device referred to as the AJ^6 cyborg construct, granting him access to sensitive data, and he discovered that the Bridgers had been imprisoned. Ezra was initially unaware of this, but his Jedi master, Kanan Jarrus, and rebel captain Hera Syndulla later revealed the truth to him. This revelation coincided with a vision of his parents that guided him back to Lothal, which he and the rebels had previously abandoned.
Upon returning to Lothal, Ezra encountered Azadi, who had come back to find Ezra and inform him of his parents' fate. Ezra appreciated knowing the truth, but was deeply saddened by the loss of his parents. After learning of their fate, Ezra experienced another vision where he saw Ephraim and Mira through the Force. They expressed their pride in him and encouraged him to remain strong. Confused by his ability to see his parents, Jarrus explained that Jedi philosophy teaches that life does not end at death but transforms into something new within the Force. Ephraim and Mira would always be with him.
In 0 BBY, during the Liberation of Lothal, Ezra was invited aboard the Chimaera to speak with Emperor Sheev Palpatine regarding an offer he wished to make. Attempting to ensnare the young Padawan by leading him into the remnants of the Lothal Jedi Temple, Bridger heard Ephraim's voice calling out to him. However, Ezra realized it was a deception because he sensed his parents' death and rejected Palpatine's offer before summoning the purrgil to remove Grand Admiral Thrawn's Imperial forces from Lothal.
Ephraim Bridger was a male human characterized by black hair, blue eyes, and copper-toned skin. He opposed the Galactic Empire's control over Lothal and voiced his dissent, even at the expense of his own liberty. Even while imprisoned, he and Mira persisted in advocating for others, ultimately sacrificing their lives to ensure the escape of fellow prisoners from Imperial captivity.
Ephraim Bridger's voice was first heard, and his image appeared in a hologram, in the Star Wars Rebels episodes "Empire Day" and "Gathering Forces," both from the first season of the animated television series. He is voiced by actor Dee Bradley Baker. The character was initially depicted in non-holographic form in the young reader novels Adventures in Wild Space: The Steal and Adventures in Wild Space: The Dark, which chronologically precede the events of Star Wars Rebels by several years.