How Different Would Star Wars Have Been… If Ezra Bridger Trained Luke Skywalker?

Luke Skywalker’s Jedi training came from two Star Wars legends—Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda—but what would Luke’s Jedi journey have looked like if he’d been trained by Star Wars Rebels and Ahsoka fan-favorite character Ezra Bridger? Although Ezra is a relatively recent addition to Star Wars movies and TV shows, debuting in Rebels in 2014 and making the jump to live-action in Ahsoka last year, he has become truly beloved.

In fact, although Ezra Bridger isn’t exactly high on the list of Star Wars’ most powerful Jedi, he represents a very important addition to the Star Wars timeline. As the Jedi Padawan of Kanan Jarrus, one of the few Jedi survivors of Order 66, Ezra was one of few living Jedi who had been trained in the Jedi way by someone raised in the Order. However, both Kanan and Ezra proved quite nontraditional, which raises the fun question: what if Ezra Bridger had become Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Master?

Ezra Would’ve Been A Great Mentor For Luke

In truth, Ezra Bridger would likely have made a great Jedi Master for Luke Skywalker. For one, their personalities would have meshed rather well. Ezra was skilled and powerful, yes, but he also had a sense of humor, curiosity, and compassionate spirit that would have fit well with Luke Skywalker’s personality, especially in A New Hope. Moreover, Ezra would have understood Luke in a very specific way.

For one, Ezra, like Luke (technically), was an orphan. Although Ezra had long thought his parents dead, Rebels revealed that they had actually survived after being imprisoned by the Empire. However, very soon after this shocking revelation, Ezra’s parents tragically did die. Even before they died, though, Ezra was living as a child on his own. Luke’s situation was slightly different, as his biological father was actually alive but was an evil Sith Lord. However, like Ezra, he believed both his parents to be dead.

Moreover, Luke had come home to find his adoptive parents, Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen, brutally killed, with only their burnt skeletons left behind. Ezra would have had deep empathy for this history, given how he had lost his own parents. In addition to that connection, though, Ezra also became a Jedi much later in life than the typical Jedi Initiate, at least in terms of the Jedi Order. As Luke was a young adult when he discovered the Force, they would have had this in common as well.

Ezra’s more flexible approach would also likely have worked well with Luke. As mentioned, Ezra and Kanan were both unconventional Jedi. In Ezra’s case, that was largely because of his age and because he was trained after the Jedi Order had fallen. In Kanan’s, he clearly played fast and loose with the rules, having a romantic attachment to Hera Syndulla and, eventually, even a son (although he sadly never met him). Because of that, Ezra certainly wouldn’t have been as rigid as other Jedi were.

Luke Would Still Have Gone To Train With Yoda

In all likelihood, Luke would still have trained with Master Yoda. After all, this training was essential in Luke becoming not only the Jedi he was meant to be but also the titular ‘hope’ for the future of the Jedi. From the moment the twins were born in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Yoda and Obi-Wan intended Luke to be positioned as the one to restore the Jedi when the time was right. Surely, Yoda would have been sure to complete Luke’s training no matter who trained him initially.

This training with Yoda may have looked quite different though. Because Luke’s training didn’t begin until A New Hope, and Obi-Wan died soon after, Luke’s experience with the Force and knowledge of the Jedi was limited when he met Yoda. With Ezra, this would undoubtedly have been quite different. Instead, Luke would have known considerably more about the Force and no doubt already tapped into much more of his power.

Could Luke Have Still Redeemed Darth Vader?

Of course, this ‘what if’ also assumes that Ezra Bridger wasn’t trapped on Peridea throughout the original trilogy era, but had he not been, what would his role as Luke’s Jedi Master have meant for Luke’s willingness to forgive Darth Vader? Luke’s belief that this father still had good in him and could be redeemed is one of the most touching and remarkable parts of Star Wars. Despite all Vader had done, Luke still had hope that his redemption was possible, which reflects the incredible faith in the good of others Luke maintained even in the face of the Empire.

However, part of that belief no doubt also stemmed from Obi-Wan’s description of his father as a Jedi warrior and good friend, which revealed to Luke that there was more to Darth Vader than there seemed to be. Had it instead been Ezra training Luke, it’s difficult to say whether Luke would have held that same belief, both about his own father and about the Sith more broadly. After all, Ezra would likely have had a much more negative perception of the Sith given his interactions with Darth Vader and Darth Maul.

Interestingly, though, some Star Wars theories suggest that Luke’s faith in Darth Vader’s goodness may have extended beyond Obi-Wan’s training. Specifically, one Star Wars theory suggests that Ahsoka Tano may have told Luke about Anakin Skywalker, describing him in a way that proved to Luke that somewhere inside Darth Vader was the Jedi Anakin Skywalker all along. However, that remains speculative; it must be assumed, at this point, that this perception came from Obi-Wan’s description.

It is impossible to say for certain whether Ezra’s guidance would have changed Luke’s character growth in this respect, but it’s interesting to imagine the impact this change to Luke’s Jedi training would have had on his character arc. As it stands, Ezra has yet to become a Jedi Master, although many remain hopeful to see this arc in the upcoming Ahsoka season 2, specifically with Kanan’s son, Jacen Syndulla. Either way, it would have been truly fascinating to see Ezra Bridger become Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Master in Star Wars.