Star Wars Rebels season 3 reveals old Obi-wan and (maybe) a Darth Maul rematch 18 years in the making

Star Wars Rebels has just dropped a mid-season trailer for the third season into our laps just before its return this weekend and, oh boy, is it special. The legendary Mandalorian darksaber shows up and Mon Mothma makes her first Rebels appearance but the big news is a rematch 18 years in the making: Obi-Wan is set to go toe-to-toe with Darth Maul. That sound you can hear is me squealing with excitement.

Let’s rewind a bit first, specifically to the very beginning of the trailer. Ezra is woken up by a message from Obi-Wan – the warning from the pilot episode of Star Wars Rebels – and, from there, we get quick shots of Star Destroyers, Star Wars: Rogue One’s Saw Gerrera and battles galore. If you’re a Star Wars fan and you’re not watching Rebels then you’re really missing out.

But now onto the juicy bits: Obi-Wan going face to face with the man who killed his mentor Qui-Gon Jin in The Phantom Menace. You may recall Darth Maul being cut in half but, let’s be honest, Maul is too cool not to bring back from the dead. He’s even undergone a redesign, kitted out with a nifty get-up taken from the comics. Robo-Maul vs. A New Hope era Obi-Wan? Bring it on.

Even without the Obi-Wan/Maul rematch, the Rebels trailer is filled to the brim with a galaxy of great moments and character beats. Mon Mothma’s appearance ties in Rebels somewhat to the Rebel uprising in Star Wars: Rogue One and the darksaber (it’s black, natch) making a appearance is cool as it’s a pretty darn powerful piece of kit. It was also previously owned by dun-dun-dun… Darth Maul.

This season could even set up future Star Wars movies. As if you needed another reason to watch.

Star Wars Rebels season 3 returns on Disney XD on January 7.

Image: Lucasfilm/Disney

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.