Star Wars Rebels’ presence in Rogue One punctuated the fact that certain characters are bound to sit out the major of events of the of the original Star Wars; the first departure of which may have arrived with this weekend’s “Legacy of Mandalore.” Now, creator Dave Filoni addresses if said character will remain a regular presence, or if Rebels itself will continue through Season 4.

You’re warned of full spoilers through the current Star Wars Rebels Season 3 run, but Saturday’s “Legacy of Mandalore” ushered in a surprising change for the series, as Sabine opted to leave the Ghost behind, and work with Clan Wren to sift through the Mandalorian and Imperial struggle ignited by their uprising. Granted, Sabine herself thought it unlikely she’d permanently spearhead Mandalore’s reunification, the question remains if the character hasn’t left her Rebels behind for good.

Speaking with Nerdist (h/t /Film), supervising director Dave Filoni offered an explanation as to why Sabine’s exit became necessary:

It just feels right. Everything she’s learned and grown through, and everything that she’s overcome, especially in those two episodes, I think dictates that she has to continue to deal with this. It’s not something that she can just walk away from, and say, ‘Well I’m gonna go back with my rebel friends now. [laughs] Have fun! I opened up all of these things and Mandalore’s in a state of civil war now, but…’

Of course, there are plenty of episodes remaining in Season 3 for Sabine’s return; a prospect virtually guaranteed by the arrival of another major Mandalorian figure, while Filoni made clear his affinity for writing, redesigning and developing Sabine over time. Perhaps the bigger question is whether Rebels will return for Season 4 (animation would likely already be underway), to which Filoni told ComicBook:

I feel very good that this season drives us to a point where you can actually look and see these arcs within this season of where, say Kanan and Ezra, everyone started and where they end, and what the future may or may not hold for them. Imagining they survive, what’s about to happen? […]

From the very beginning, Simon [Kinberg] and I, working with the writers and story group have had a goal in mind of where we would like to get to with this, and we’ve been taking steps towards it along the way, and some surprising twists and turns even to us, but we always have a goal in mind of where we want to be. So, I think we have taken some strong steps towards that with always an eye on ‘Does the adventure continue?’ So we’ll have to see. For Sabine, hopefully the adventure will continue. That would be great because then we can change her hair again. People love that.

Not for nothing, but Filoni has also spoken to the possibility of a future season revisiting Rogue One’s climactic space battle over Scarif from the Rebels point of view, though he declined to say who beyond Chopper or Hera would theoretically be crewing the Ghost at that point.

While we wait for more official confirmation, check out the teaser for next Saturday’s “Through Imperial Eyes” below, and stay tuned for more Star Wars Rebels Season 3 and beyond.

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