WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2, Episode 5, "Chapter 13: The Jedi," streaming now on Disney+.

The Mandalorian's latest episode, "Chapter 13: The Jedi," was not light on surprises for Star Wars fans. In addition to Ahsoka Tano's live-action debut and the revelation of the Child's name and backstory, the episode also dropped that a major villain was back on the scene — Grand Admiral Thrawn. A villain from Star Wars Rebels who originated from the non canon, pre-Disney novels, he's a fan favorite and a major threat. Thrawn's reappearance could also signal the hotly anticipated return of other Rebels characters, Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren; however, this could very well be a tragic reunion.

Thrawn's return is somewhat of a surprise. He was last seen trapped on an Imperial Star Destroyer with Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger. Ezra used his Force connection with space whales to take the ship with their herd into hyperspace, sending Ezra and Thrawn deep into the Unknown Regions. This took a major player in the Empire off the board at a critical time for the Rebellion, but it came at the cost of Ezra Bridger, one of the few trained Force users left in the galaxy.

RELATED: Is The Mandalorian’s Armor Stronger Than Captain America’s Shield?

Ezra's former crewmate, the Mandalorian Sabine Wren, was determined not to allow her friend to remained lost for all time. At the end of Rebels, Sabine had relinquished the Darksaber to Bo-Katan Kryze and set out in search of Ezra with Ahsoka's help. Now that Ahsoka has reemerged and revealed that Thrawn has managed to make his way back from imprisonment, the question of Ezra's fate and Sabine's whereabouts have become even greater.

The Mandalorian's second season ties the series more concretely to previous Star Wars entries, and now that characters like Bo-Katan and Ahsoka are making the transition to live-action, it seems almost certain that Ezra and Sabine's fate will be examined in some capacity. It's safe to assume that beyond simply wanting to stop Thrawn, Ahsoka has every intention of finding out what she can about her missing friend.

But should Ezra return, he may not be the same young man remembered from Rebels, and his reunion with Ahsoka could end in tragedy. One of the recurring themes throughout Rebels was Ezra's susceptibility to the temptations of the Dark Side. When Darth Maul appeared on the show, he recognized this in Ezra and continually attempted to make him his apprentice.

RELATED: Mandalorian’s Character Designer Explains Ahsoka’s Shorter Montrals/Lekku

star-wars-rebels-maul-ezra

Maul ultimately failed, and Ezra's last known act was one of profoundly heroic sacrifice, but that inner darkness had never truly left him. How Thrawn became free and returned to known space remains a mystery, but he couldn't have done it without getting past Ezra. Either Ezra died, was somehow tricked by Thrawn, or more frighteningly, he might have been corrupted and freed Thrawn himself.

Beyond the Outer Rim are all sorts of unknown evils. It's where Exegol and Palpatine's secret army of Sith from Rise of Skywalker lie in wait. In the Knights of the Old Republic series, Darth Revan became truly corrupted only after venturing into these uncharted depths. Ezra, despite his good intentions, could have wound up exposing himself to places rich with the corrupting influence of the Dark Side.

If Ezra were to return in such a state and confront Ahsoka or Sabine, the results could be tragic, and any number of them could meet an untimely demise. Ahsoka is still clearly on the side of good, carrying her grudge against Thrawn. Sabine, if not still searching for Ezra, would likely be involved in Bo-Katan's efforts to restore the Mandalorian people. While uncomfortable to contemplate, Ezra is the character most susceptible to a major personality shift.

RELATED: The Mandalorian May Have Finally Explained Yoda’s Weird Way of Speaking

While a scary prospect to mull over, it's unlikely to be the approach The Mandalorian takes with Ezra, should he appear. Fans are invested in Ezra and Sabine, and such a turn would certainly be met with considerable backlash. A more likely and enjoyable outcome would be to see Ezra as the Jedi who answers Grogu's call for help and trains him once Din Djarin gets him to the Jedi Temple on Tython.

Regardless of what's in store for the remainder of The Mandalorian Season 2, "The Jedi," brought Ahsoka and Thrawn back into the spotlight and reignited fans' hopes for answers to other long-lingering questions. While unlikely, there is always a chance those answers will bring tragedy from surprising places.

Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, with guest stars Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Horatio Sanz and Giancarlo Esposito. Directors for the new season include Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rick Famuyiwa, Carl Weathers, Peyton Reed and Robert Rodriguez.

KEEP READING: The Mandalorian's Magistrate Is Bruce Lee's Goddaughter