If Leia can Fly, Then Ezra’s Alive

“If Leia can fly, then Ezra can survive.”  The ending of the animated series “Star Wars Rebels” left fans with many questions. In the show’s final moments, the main character, Ezra Bridger, sacrifices himself to save his friends from the clutches of Admiral Thrawn.  The “Purrgil” took the Chimera into hyperspace, with Ezra and Thrawn on the destroyed, open-air bridge.

The fate of Ezra was left ambiguous, leading many fans to speculate about what happened to him. There is no doubt that Ezra survived the show’s end, and there are two reasons to support this theory:

• Leia can fly
• Eman Esfandi’s casting in the upcoming series “Ashoka” confirms Ezra’s survival.

If Leia can Fly… (sort of)

In “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” the First Order blasts Leia Organa out of the bridge of her flagship, the “Raddus,” she miraculously survives in space without a protective suit.  Initially, this survival scene perplexed many viewers.  However, Leia used the Force to remain alive in the vacuum of space.  Some fans (myself included) were not pleased with the Mary-Poppins-esque scene.

Leia Poppins from reddit.com

Leia took a deep breath as the explosion happened.  She then could “force pull” herself back to the “Raddus”.  Leia was only in the vacuum of space for about 1:50 minutes, which is scientifically plausible.

There are several instances where force was used in some way to ensure the survival of the Force wielder.  The Force user creates a small protective barrier around themselves, allowing for an extended time without a life support system.  Master Plo Koon revealed that he knew how to survive this way in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and Luke Skywalker also did this in “Heir to the Empire.”

Heir to the Empire from openlibrary.org

How Ezra Survives…

It’s worth noting that Ezra has an incredible connection to the Force, which he has used to accomplish extraordinary feats throughout the show, such as connecting with the Loth-wolf.  He has shown the ability to move objects with his mind, predict the future, and even manipulate time and save Ahsoka.  Given his mastery of the Force, it’s not unreasonable to think he could use it to survive a quick jaunt through hyperspace.

Additionally, a few clues in the show suggest that Ezra may have survived.  The “Purrgil,” featured at the end of the series jumping into hyperspace with Chimera in tow, are clearly powerful and knowledgeable in the Force.  Ezra once connected with them earlier in the series and called on them to help defeat Thrawn and save his friends.  They are organic creatures traveling through space without protection; thus, their survival in hyperspace adds to the evidence that Ezra is probably just fine.

Purril and Chimera from starwarsfangirl.tumblr.com

When will we see Ezra again…

In short, very soon.  The creators of “Star Wars Rebels” have stated that Ezra is alive.  In an interview,  showrunner Dave Filoni confirmed they are not dead.  Thrawn and Ezra both survive, so the mystery as to how will be revealed when “Ahsoka” hits Disney+ later this year.  For now, we can be confident we already know the answer.

*NOTE* All credit for the idea of this article to Zane Martin. He made a comment during the “Cantina Happy Hour Podcast” while talking about Ezra, “If Leia can fly, then Ezra can survive.”  Of course, as his father, it was difficult to swallow that he is a much more advanced apprentice at that age than I ever was.