Sabine Wren lost her family twice throughout Star Wars, but both tragedies made her stronger in the end.
The bond between two or more Mandalorians is an important part of the culture in Star Wars. In The Mandalorian, Din Djarin and Grogu are a prime example of how important a Mandalorian’s clan is to them. Din lets Grogu train with Luke Skywalker because he knows it might be best for him, even though it wasn’t the choice he wanted to make. When a Mandalorian is part of a clan — which often also means part of a family by blood or adoption — they will do anything to protect their own. This is one of the most tragic things about the story of Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian warrior who lost everything twice.
Sabine’s relationship with her family was not perfect. They disagreed on plenty, especially when Sabine severed her ties with the Imperial Academy and associated parties. That didn’t mean she stopped caring about them or that she no longer mattered to them. Losing them devastated her, the same way they must have felt when she left home and vowed never to return. The resulting grief, however, led her down the path she needed to explore in order to find her true purpose. Sabine Wren’s hero’s journey demanded that she suffer, but she eventually ended up right where she needed to be in order to help save the galaxy.
Why Did Sabine Wren Leave the Empire and Her Family?
When Sabine Wren was first introduced at the beginning of Star Wars Rebels, it stood out that she was a Mandalorian partnered up with a mismatched squad. Mandalorians heavily value community and family, and she seemed to be the only Mandalorian around. As the show progressed, viewers learned bits and pieces of her troubled past. It wasn’t until Season 3, Episode 15, “Trials of the Darksaber” that fans learned the truth. Not only did Sabine have parents and a brother whom she loved, but she also had a secret she’d kept even from her crew. She used to serve the Empire until she could no longer sit with the terrible things the regime was having her do.
When Sabine left the Empire and tried to speak out against their wrongdoings, her family didn’t support her. Because they remained loyal to the Empire, and she couldn’t bear to any longer, she left her clan ashamed. Throughout the rest of Seasons 3 and 4, she eventually reunited with her parents and brother on uncertain terms. All was mended when Sabine and Bo-Katan Kryze led a rescue mission to save the former’s father from capture. She would continue to carry the guilt of what she had done at the Imperial Academy for years to come, especially after tragedy struck again.
Did Sabine Wren’s Family Survive the Night of a Thousand Tears?
The Book of Boba Fett was the first Star Wars TV show to introduce The Night of a Thousand Tears — a large-scale event that would alter the course of Mandalorian history forever. Countless Mandalorians lost their lives during the Empire’s attack on Mandalore’s capital city, and the civilization was never quite the same after that. Most survivors were forced to scatter across the galaxy, and it wasn’t until Season 3 of The Mandalorian that the planet’s people were finally able to return and start over. Unfortunately, Bo-Katan was not the only Mandalorian who emerged from The Night of a Thousand Tears as the last in her family line.
Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 1, Episode 4, “Fallen Jedi” revealed that Sabine’s parents and brother were among the Mandalorians lost during the massacre. Clan Wren had only one survivor by the time the Mandalorians took Mandalore back for themselves in the finale of The Mandalorian Season 3. This was one of the reasons Sabine struggled prior to and during the events of Ahsoka’s first season. Having only just reconciled with her family shortly before The Night of a Thousand Tears, she lost them a second time, and this time it was for good. Her grief caused her to withdraw from her friends, her art, and even her Mandalorian armor. Following Ahsoka Tano in her quest to find Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger may have been the only thing that ultimately saved her.
Why Did Sabine Leave Lothal With Ahsoka?
The beginning of the Ahsoka series revealed that Sabine had been the title character’s Jedi apprentice before the two parted and went their separate ways. Both characters had their own reasons for letting their relationship fizzle out, but Sabine’s grief likely played a role in making her difficult to train in the ways of the Force. Deep down, Ahsoka must have known that a journey to locate Ezra would be exactly what her former apprentice needed to snap out of her funk and find her new purpose. Even though Sabine made a few bad decisions along the way, in the end, Ahsoka’s assumptions proved correct.
Reuniting with Ezra was a final turning point for Sabine on her journey of rediscovering herself. She had always considered him a brother, even though she knew he had a crush on her during their Rebels adventures. Sabine had no other family left, and was still grieving the loss of her parents and brother. Ezra provided a sense of comfort and belonging for her. Seeing how strong he had become in the Force and the wisdom he had gained during his years stranded in a different galaxy gave Sabine the courage to let go of her grief and embrace her full potential as a Jedi. Her bravery made her a hero, even when she and Ezra were forced to separate once again.
Sabine Wren likely spent much of her time on Lothal wishing she had mended things with her family sooner. Had she wasted much of her teenage years estranged from them when they could have set aside their differences and avoided spending so much time apart? It’s part of a hero’s journey, however, to mourn a loss before setting it aside for the sake of saving the world. The New Republic has a fighting chance against Thrawn because Sabine stepped up and played her part in making sure Ezra made it back safely to Hera and her fleet. Despite the mistakes she made along the way, Sabine learned from tragedy and let it fuel her fire.
