Path of the Jedi

Kanan and Ezra embark on a journey to a clandestine Jedi Temple, where they are confronted with novel challenges -- and cross paths with one of the most legendary Jedi figures in the galaxy.

Following the confrontation with the Grand Inquisitor at Fort Anaxes, Kanan Jarrus remains troubled by his Padawan, Ezra Bridger, subsequent to the boy's connection to the dark side of the Force as a means of escaping the Inquisitor. The episode commences with Jarrus searching for Bridger on the Ghost, after Bridger is absent from a Jedi training session. He knocks at the door of the quarters shared by Bridger and Garazeb Orrelios, where Orrelios informs Jarrus that Bridger is not present. Unbeknownst to Jarrus, Bridger is hurrying back to the Ghost, having spent time with fellow crew member Sabine Wren. Jarrus then returns to his own quarters, where he accesses his holocron, which contains a map of all Jedi temples spread across the galaxy.

Bridger arrives, enters his master's quarters, and apologizes for missing training. Jarrus reprimands him, stating that his lateness and lack of focus are symptoms of the issues in his training. Considering this, and the events at Fort Anaxes, Jarrus expresses the need to assess Bridger's readiness for a trial that will determine if he is destined to become a Jedi. Bridger is taken aback, believing he was already a Jedi, but Jarrus reminds him that he only possesses the potential to become one. Jarrus elaborates that Bridger still lacks discipline and focus, a point Bridger concedes, given his upbringing as an orphan without rules or structure. Nevertheless, Bridger aspires to become the Jedi that Jarrus believes he can be. Jarrus remarks that his own master, Depa Billaba, would not have tolerated such mistakes; Bridger jokes that his master probably attempted the same with Billaba. Regardless, Jarrus is willing to offer him another chance, instructing his apprentice to prepare their shuttle, the Phantom, for departure. As Bridger heads to the Phantom, Jarrus confides in Hera Syndulla, expressing potential regret about the impending events. However, Syndulla reminds him of his obligation to assist Bridger after the events at Fort Anaxes.

Soon after, the Phantom departs from the Ghost, flying over the grasslands of Lothal. Once clear of the Ghost, Jarrus explains that Bridger will determine their destination. In the shuttle's rear, Jarrus recounts the final days of the Jedi Order, recalling that in his youth, there were ten thousand Jedi Knights in the galaxy—before the Clone Wars and the Galactic Empire killed the majority of them. During the Jedi Order's decline, outposts and temples existed throughout the galaxy. While the Empire destroyed most, some survived. Jarrus instructs Bridger to meditate and allow the Force to guide him to one of these temples. Bridger begins to meditate, asking if Jarrus underwent the same test. Jarrus confirms, though noting it was significantly different during the Jedi Order's era. As Bridger begins to understand that only his connection to the Force can lead him to a temple, he envisions a massive stone, a tunnel, and a radiant star within it—realizing that a Jedi Temple is located on Lothal. Despite lacking the coordinates, he is able to guide them to the temple.

Jarrus takes the pilot's seat as the Phantom heads towards the Jedi Temple, situated in a frigid, snowy region of Lothal's grasslands. Bridger recognizes the temple from his vision, and Jarrus disengages the autopilot, leading Bridger to realize that Jarrus knew about the temple all along and wanted to assess Bridger's ability to find it independently. Jarrus clarifies that he discovered the temple on the map within his holocron, and was also surprised to find a temple on Lothal. Despite his surprise, he tells Bridger that it makes sense the Force would guide the boy to this temple, as Lothal is Bridger's home planet. Upon exiting the shuttle, Jarrus instructs Bridger to find an entrance while he meditates, cautioning him not to take too long due to the Empire's access to old Jedi records and potential surveillance. Bridger is initially unsuccessful; when he asks Jarrus for a clue, he is told not to look, but to use the Force to listen to the stone. He then finds it, but discovers that the Force wants both master and apprentice to enter the temple. Together, they use the Force to open the temple, causing a portion of it to rise from the ground, revealing a hidden entrance.

Entering the temple, Jarrus urges his apprentice to maintain focus to prevent the temple from collapsing. However, Bridger quickly loses focus upon discovering the corpses of two Jedi in the entry area. Consequently, the temple begins to lower, sealing the entrance. Jarrus explains that the corpses belong to Jedi Masters whose Padawans also underwent trials within the temple, but never returned. Unlike those Padawans, Bridger expresses confidence in completing his trials and overcoming his fears, the focus of his test, knowing that Jarrus will guide him. However, Jarrus informs him that he will not accompany him, and that Bridger must face the trials alone. Jarrus will remain behind, as the fallen masters had done—meaning he is putting his life in his Padawan's hands. As Bridger proceeds further into the temple, a door begins to close behind him, and he inquires about what he should be seeking. Jarrus replies that he is seeking "nothing and everything," acknowledging its lack of clarity but explaining it was what Master Billaba once told him.

Separated from his master, Bridger begins to traverse the tunnels of the Jedi Temple. He comes across a fork in the path and randomly selects a corridor, when a vision of Jarrus appears behind him, questioning his method of selection. Bridger is unaware that Jarrus is a vision conjured by the Force as part of his test, and believes his master had second thoughts about letting him proceed alone. Bridger follows the vision down a tunnel, where a vision of the Inquisitor appears and engages in lightsaber combat with Jarrus at the edge of a large ravine. The Inquisitor gains the upper hand in the duel, and Bridger rushes to assist who he believes is his master, but the vision of the Inquisitor grabs Bridger in a Force choke. The vision of Jarrus resumes fighting the Inquisitor before losing the duel; the Inquisitor stabs and kills Jarrus before kicking him off the ravine. Bridger vows revenge and uses the Force to summon Jarrus' lightsaber into his hands, but the weapon fails to function. While trying to evade the Inquisitor, Bridger also falls off the side of the ravine into the abyss below.

Instead of falling to his death, Bridger finds himself in his quarters on the Ghost, where he overhears a vision of the other rebels discussing his test. The visions of Chopper and Syndulla express doubt about Bridger's readiness for the tests, with Syndulla believing they will never see him again. Rather than expressing sentiment, the vision of Syndulla laments losing him due to the skills he brought to the team. The vision of Orrelios laughs, noting he knew there was a reason she treated Bridger nicely, while he is just glad to not have to share quarters anymore. The vision of Wren expresses pity, calling him a scared and abandoned kid. The visions soon spot Bridger, who realizes that what he is seeing is not real. Without warning, the vision of the Inquisitor returns and slaughters the crew of the Ghost. With the rebels lying dead, the Inquisitor approaches the boy, and Bridger backs up into a closed door; when it suddenly opens, he falls through the doorway into another abyss.

The vision then shifts to the halls of the Jedi Temple, where Bridger believes he is trapped and alone, unable to reopen the Jedi Temple even if he passes his tests. He expresses a feeling of abandonment, recalling that this is not the first time he has been alone; he grew up by himself, without his parents. He quickly regains his confidence, believing he can find a way to survive again, and notes that Jarrus could be alive and only injured and require his help. As he heads towards another doorway, the door slides open, revealing the Inquisitor standing behind it. The vision of the Jedi hunter approaches him, but Bridger is unsure if the Inquisitor is an illusion or the real Inquisitor. Bridger believes he can still escape if he follows his training, and the Inquisitor asks if he is afraid to face death. In doing so, Bridger realizes that he is not afraid of death, and that his greatest fear, other than letting down his master, is being alone again. The Padawan affirms that he is not afraid, to the Inquisitor's surprise, and steps forward to stand before him. As the hunter ignites his lightsaber and swings at him with a roar, the blade passes right through Bridger, revealing itself as an illusion. The vision of the Inquisitor vanishes, and relieved of the tension, Bridger leans back against the stone pillar behind him and gratefully slumps to the floor.

With the vision of the Inquisitor gone, Bridger hears the voice of Jedi Master Yoda, speaking to him from afar. Yoda tells Bridger that he has faced great fears and asks if he is ready for what is to come. Bridger says he is ready and asks who he is speaking to: Yoda does not identify himself, only saying that he is a guide. As he does so, lights appear that will help guide Bridger on the rest of his path through the Jedi Temple. Jarrus, meanwhile, remains in the entrance to the temple and grows concerned that Bridger has not returned. Yoda communes with Jarrus as well and tells him to be patient as his own training had taught him, to which Jarrus reacts with bewilderment as he had assumed Yoda had been killed during Order 66. Yoda explains that he is communing with him because Jarrus is in the Jedi Temple and to not worry about the how; Jarrus thanks him, but Yoda replies that he hasn't really done anything. The Grand Master says that he couldn't see Jarrus before, and notes that something has changed with him recently. Jarrus tells him that he now has an apprentice, and Yoda encourages him to be honest with himself about whether he is ready to be a master. Jarrus admits that he is unsure of his abilities as a teacher.

Bridger continues to follow the lights through the Jedi Temple when he again approaches the fork in his path. He asks which is the correct path, to which Yoda tells him he is asking the wrong question. Bridger admits he does not understand, nor does he understand why he is in the temple, which Yoda says is a better question. The Padawan is unsure as to what he is being tested on, and Yoda tells him that he must decide what path he is going to take. Bridger chooses the path ahead and continues his way through the temple. Back in the entryway, Yoda says that it is a dangerous time for both master and Padawan. Jarrus knows this and can sense it. Jarrus feels as if his apprentice's abilities are growing faster than he can be taught, and admits how he himself lost his own way for many years. Jarrus believes that training Bridger will give himself a second chance, which Yoda tells him is his final chance. Jarrus vows not to let his Padawan lose his way like he once did.

In the final area of the temple, Bridger finds a large hall with inscriptions throughout the walls. Yoda asks him why he should become a Jedi, and Bridger tells him that it is because Jarrus believes Bridger can become one. Yoda asks whether Bridger himself thinks he can become a Jedi, and Bridger says it will allow him to become powerful, which would allow him to no longer be helpless and to make the Empire suffer for everything it has done to him. Yoda wonders if Jarrus taught Bridger that revenge is the way of the Jedi, but Bridger tells the Jedi Master that Jarrus would never do that, as he believes Jarrus is a great master. Bridger swears he does not seek revenge, but Yoda can see that he has much anger and fear inside of him. This helps Bridger to realize that he wants to become a Jedi to protect not only his friends, but everyone in the galaxy, and he admits that he never cared about helping others until he met Jarrus and the other rebels. He sees how the good deeds of the rebels makes people feel, and he wants to be part of that. Yoda asks him how this makes him feel, and Bridger says it makes him feel alive. The hall disappears and is replaced by a vision of countless stars as Yoda explains that there is a difficult path ahead of Bridger, and that Bridger may yet become a Jedi. A bright shining star appears above Bridger, the one he saw in his vision, and descends toward him, revealed to be a small blue crystal that lands in Bridger's hands.

Having passed his test, Bridger returns to the entrance and finds Jarrus, alive and well, and shows him the crystal. Jarrus expresses amazement, and explains that it is a kyber crystal: the ones used for lightsabers. As the two leave the temple, he tells his apprentice that he did not expect Bridger to find a lightsaber crystal; the crystal represents a big step in the boy's training. As they leave, the Jedi Temple closes again, and, despite Bridger's suggestion that it be used as a base for the rebels, Jarrus says it will instead remain part of the past. The two return to the Ghost, where Bridger spends several weeks building his own lightsaber using the kyber crystal and spare parts donated from other crew members. When he is finished, he presents the weapon to Jarrus, who says it is different than the lightsabers of the Jedi Order, but that it suits Bridger well. With all of the rebels assembled, Bridger ignites his lightsaber for the first time.

On December 15, 2014, TV Guide announced that "Path of the Jedi" would include an appearance of Jedi Master Yoda, heard as a disembodied voice. Frank Oz, who portrayed Yoda—in both puppet and CGI forms—in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, and the entirety of the prequel trilogy, provided the character's voice. Dave Filoni, the show's executive producer, emphasized that maintaining continuity within the official Star Wars canon was a key consideration when incorporating Yoda into Star Wars Rebels. Given that Yoda was in hiding on Dagobah during the show's timeline, having Yoda communicate with characters remotely ensured that viewers would not "think that he had left Dagobah."

TV Guide also revealed that the episode would contain homages to previous Yoda storylines, including The Empire Strikes Back and the concluding episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. One such homage was the lights of the Force that guided Bridger through the Jedi Temple; Yoda encountered similar lights on Dagobah in "Voices," the eleventh episode of the sixth season of The Clone Wars. Furthermore, Wren's and Bridger's mission at the start was cut for time, but will be revealed later in the season.

The original title for the episode was "Enlightenment," and it was intended to feature an appearance by Old Jho.