Talk of a romance between Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren is nothing new and a topic Ahsoka showrunner Dave Filoni has already commented on.
Sabine, a teenage Mandalorian weapons expert, and Ezra, a Force-sensitive orphan, were first introduced in the animated series, Star Wars Rebels.
Ahsoka, which Dave Filoni described as "a continuation" of Star Wars Rebels for Disney+, is expected to reunite these two Star Wars characters whose bond many fans have speculated is romantic.
Are Sabine Wren & Ezra Bridger a Couple?
While early Star Wars Rebels episodes noted Ezra's crush on Sabine, later seasons showed how their relationship evolved into more of a sibling dynamic.
However, the message Ezra left for Sabine prior to his disappearance with Thrawn, coupled with Sabine's own drive to find him, led some audiences to believe there may have been something more.
In talking about the conclusion of Star Wars Rebels in a past interview, Dave Filoni acknowledged that "there's some type of gravity between them romantically:"
“It’s been a varied thing and I think everybody’s knee-jerk reaction is to ship the two. You know, to think that, because the two are similar in age, that there’s some type of gravity between them romantically."
However, it seems that Filoni and the Rebels team wanted to make a different point, which is to show "boys and girls being friends" and that their bond didn't have to be "romantically dimensional:"
"And I think it’s very strong at this point to show boys and girls being friends in supportive of one another. Everybody has their different relationships and it’s just not something that had to be romantically dimensional.”
What Is Sabine's Relationship With Ezra?
In addition to Rebels featuring another classic master-and-apprentice relationship with Ezra and Kanan Jarrus, Sabine and Ezra's relationship differed in that it was a team of equals.
Not only were the two around the same age but both had been separated from their families and were growing up against the backdrop of war.
Star Wars Rebels producer Carrie Beck commented on this in that older interview, explaining one of the strengths of their bond is how "they've been able to see each other through:"
“I think the really incredible thing about watching the two of them grow up together as young people lost in a really big galaxy is understanding that one of the strengths of their relationship is actually how they’ve grown and they’ve been able to see each other through."
Beck also acknowledged that "there's nobody else that he could rely on quite like her:"
"And I think, very much, both taking their lessons from Kanan and Hera, I think, has shaped them into the people that they are. You may not be able to control the world around you but you can control how you treat other people and how you work with them. And I think their bond is so strong that there’s nobody else that he could rely on quite like her.”
This sentiment is reflected in Ezra's message to Sabine in Ahsoka, portrayed in live-action by Eman Esfandi, where he says, "I'm counting on you to see this through."
Just what Ezra is referring to, however, is a bit of a mystery.
While initially in Rebels Sabine believes it's the protection of Ezra's home planet of Lothal, both in the animated series and now in Ahsoka, it appears to be something else.
Will Sabine & Ezra's Relationship Change in Ahsoka?
In review, Dave Filoni has said there's "some type of gravity between them [Sabine and Ezra] romantically."
But again, this comment from the Lucasfilm producer is several years old and prior to his filming of Ahsoka for Disney+.
The most up-to-date indication of what Filoni likely has planned for the two is what live-action Ezra says to Sabine via hologram, which is that "...we're not really family, but you're like a sister to me."
Yes, there's some shyness and awkwardness when he says it leading fans to think he doesn't mean it. But friend-zoning is one thing, comparing someone to your sister is another.
There's also the fact that a character pursuing someone with a sisterly connotation has notoriously been done with Star Wars before and is likely a road Filoni wants to avoid.
While only time will tell, what Ahsoka audiences do know is Sabine and Ezra share a bond integral to the story Filoni is telling, and Sabine feels it's her calling to find Ezra.
Where that will lead will be fascinating to see, especially since Ahsoka is training Sabine in the ways of the Force, and their story is expected to continue beyond this limited series and likely in Dave Filoni's MandoVerse movie.
Ahsoka is currently streaming on Disney+ with new episodes debuting at 9 p.m. ET every Tuesday.
