Forest Whitaker to Reprise 'Rogue One' Character Saw Gerrera in 'Star Wars Rebels' Series

Marcus Errico
·Editor-in-Chief, Yahoo Entertainment

Saw Gerrera lives! The radical freedom fighter played onscreen in Rogue One by Forest Whitaker, is returning to the small screen for multiple episodes of the animated series Star Wars Rebels. The Oscar-winning actor will voice a slightly younger version of his movie character in the two-parter “Ghosts of Geonosis,” airing Jan. 7 on Disney XD.

Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera in 'Rogue One' (Lucasfilm)
Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera in ‘Rogue One’ (Lucasfilm)

“Saw Gerrera is maybe the original Rebel,” Rebels executive producer Dave Filoni says in the introductory clip above. “Forest did a great job at capturing Saw in a way that is a bit mad, a bit crazed, a bit afraid, but also a bit sympathetic. He sees something coming, but no one will take action before it’s too late.”

Related: Ultimate Guide to ‘Rogue One’ Easter Eggs and Callbacks

Created by George Lucas, an idealistic young Saw first surfaced on the Filoni-produced series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, where he was trained by Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Character studies for Saw Gerrera in 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' (Lucasfilm)
Character studies for Saw Gerrera in ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ (Lucasfilm)

During a four-episode arc, Saw suffered great tragedy, which set him on the path to extremism that reached its inevitable conclusion in Rogue One, where the grizzled, battle-damaged Saw leads a band of guerrilla fighters against the Imperial incursion in the sacred Jedi city on Jedha. Because of his role as protector to the Erso family (which plays out in the Rogue One prequel novel Catalyst), Saw also comes to learn the Imperials are building a planet-smashing battle station, and he’s willing to stop them by any means necessary.

Concept art of Saw Gerrera for 'Star Wars Rebels' (Lucasfilm)
Concept art of Saw Gerrera for ‘Star Wars Rebels’ (Lucasfilm)

Related: Pre-Forest Whitaker Saw Gerrera and Other Amazing ‘Rogue One’ Concept Art

Saw is the latest character to cross over from the films. Because Rebels is set just a few years before the events in Rogue One and A New Hope, where disparate cells of the nascent Alliance begin to come together, several familiar faces have popped up over the course of three seasons, including Princess Leia, Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, Grand Moff Tarkin, R2-D2, C-3PO, Chewbacca, Bail Organa, and Wedge Antilles. Meanwhile, eagle-eyed fans of the animated series were rewarded with shots of the Rebel team’s ship, the Ghost, parked on Yavin 4 and participating in the climactic dogfight in Rogue One.

Watch ‘Rogue One’ Stars Play With Their Action Figures:

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Brookfield Asset Management reports Q1 profit down from year ago

    TORONTO — Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. says it earned US$102 million in its first quarter from its stake in the asset management business it owns with Brookfield Corp. The company, which owns a 25 per cent stake in the asset management business that is 75 per cent owned by Brookfield Corp., says its net income in U.S. dollars amounted to 25 cents US per diluted share. The result compared with a profit of US$125 million or 31 cents US per diluted share in the same quarter last year. The asset

  • Which countries have won Eurovision the most times?

    Ahead of Eurovision 2024, we have a look at which countries have won the contest the most, and which have racked up the most points.

  • Julen Lopetegui faces early battle to win over West Ham fans with transfer question key

    Question marks over his style of play linger, with some supporters believing the Spaniard to be a ‘safe appointment’

  • Brewdog boss calls time on 17 years in charge

    Brewdog's co-founder and chief executive James Watt has revealed he is to step down from the top job after 17 years. James Arrow, Brewdog's chief operating officer, will succeed him. Mr Watt announced the decision just weeks after the TUC branded him "the worst employer of the month".

  • Pro-Palestinian Protesters Camp Out at University of Sao Paulo

    The University of Sao Paulo has become one of the latest higher-learning institutions to be taken over by pro-Palestinian protesters, as tents were pitched on its campus on Tuesday, May 7.According to O Globo, the Student Committee in Solidarity With the Palestinian People was leading the protest.Footage from the student group Faisca Revolucionaria shows the encampment on Tuesday, with a second clip showing tents in place early on the morning of May 8. Credit: Faisca Revolucionaria via Storyful

  • Dow Jones Futures Fall As Uber Dives On Surprise Loss; Tesla Slides On Autopilot Probe

    Stock Market Today: Dow Jones futures dropped Wednesday as Uber stock dived on a surprise loss. And Shopify plunged on earnings.

  • REFILE-FOCUS-Gaza war cools Israel's once red-hot business ties with UAE

    The war in Gaza has cooled Israeli business activity with the United Arab Emirates, with the once-celebrated relationship now conducted away from public scrutiny amid anger in the Arab world over the conflict. The UAE became the most prominent Arab state in 30 years to establish formal ties with Israel under a U.S.-brokered agreement in 2020, dubbed the Abraham Accords.

  • Edmunds: Trade or sell your car? What's best might surprise you

    According to a recent Edmunds used vehicle report, demand for used cars is dropping and so are their values as the new-car market rebounds from pandemic-induced shortages. This is especially true for 1- and 2-year-old vehicles. So there’s never been a more critical time to know whether it’s better to sell your car privately or trade it in. Both options have their advantages and drawbacks, and the best decision largely depends on your circumstances, priorities and preferences. Edmunds’ experts ru

  • Westfield Stratford evacuated over 'bomb scare'

    The item was found to be non-suspicious

  • GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks trade mixed, dollar climbs as Fed rate path pondered

    European stocks rose on Wednesday, boosted by company earnings, while U.S. futures dipped and the dollar climbed as investors assessed signals on the path for Federal Reserve interest rates. The yen fell even with the threat of currency intervention from Japanese authorities to support it. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.45% overnight.

  • U.S. Pauses Weapons Shipment to Israel Over Possible Rafah Offensive

    Israel said it had reopened a key Gaza border crossing to allow aid through. It comes after the U.S. paused a shipment of weapons in opposition to a possible offensive on the southern city of Rafah. Photo: Associated Press

  • Mattress retailer Sleep Country $8.7M Q1 profit, down from $11.3M a year earlier

    TORONTO — Sleep Country Canada Holdings Inc. reported its first-quarter profit fell compared with a year ago as its revenue edged higher. Sleep Country chief executive Stewart Schaefer says shopping patterns remained volatile as consumers continued to navigate uncertain times. The mattress retailer says it earned $8.7 million or 26 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31 compared with a profit of $11.3 million or 32 cents per diluted share a year earlier. Revenue totalled $209.7 m

  • E-commerce company Shopify reports Q1 loss, revenue up 23% from year ago

    OTTAWA — Shopify Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter as its revenue increased 23 per cent compared with a year ago. The e-commerce software company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says its net loss amounted to US$273 million or 21 cents US per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31. The result for the quarter compared with a profit of US$68 million or five cents US per diluted share in the same quarter last year. Revenue for the quarter totalled US$1.86 billion, up from US$1

  • Nokia 3210 relaunched to mark handset’s 25th anniversary

    The device is described as ‘one of the best-selling mobile phones of all time’.

  • Lion Electric reports US$21.7M Q1 loss compared with US$15.6M loss a year earlier

    MONTREAL — The Lion Electric Co. says it lost US$21.7 million in its latest quarter compared with a loss of US$15.6 million in the same quarter last year as it faced higher manufacturing costs related to the ramp up of new products. The maker of all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says the loss amounted to 10 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31 compared with a loss of seven cents per share a year earlier. Revenue for the quarter

  • Piers Morgan questions Israel spokesperson over civilian deaths

    Piers Morgan questions Israel spokesperson over civilian deaths. Credit: Piers Morgan Uncensored Via Youtube

  • Starmer: How many more defections until PM takes the hint

    Keir Starmer has welcomed two new MPs into Parliament - including former Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke whose defection to Labour followed that of Dan Poulter two weeks ago. The Labour leader asked the prime minister how many more times he'd have to be rejected by his own MPs until he 'takes the hint'.

  • UPDATE 1-Zambia's kwacha hits record low against U.S. dollar

    Zambia's kwacha currency hit a record low against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday, touching 27.30 to the dollar amid hard currency shortages and a punishing drought that has led to power cuts in the southern African copper producer. The kwacha has lost almost 5% of its value against the greenback this year and 17% in the last six months, according to LSEG data. The U.S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of currencies, has strengthened 4% to 105.58 this year.

  • Malaysian soccer player splashed with acid, two others attacked in a week of rare violence

    KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A Malaysian international footballer has been splashed by acid and two other top players were attacked within a week by unknown assailants, in a rare outbreak of violence targeting athletes in the country. Police criminal investigation chief Mohamad Shuhaily Mohamad Zain said Wednesday that there were similarities in the three attacks and that the victims appeared to have been targeted. But investigators have not determined whether the cases were linked. Faisal Hali

  • Energy bosses call for ‘progressive social tariff’ on bills amid price hikes

    The chief executives of Centrica and E.On told MPs the new measures would help support poorer consumers.