'Star Wars Rebels' first human character revealed

The first new human character from Disney XD’s Star Wars Rebels has been dubbed a “cowboy Jedi” and he’ll be voiced by actor Freddie Prinze Jr.

Meet Kanan, who according to USA Today’s first look, is on the run from the Imperials and uses a blaster instead of a lightsaber to avoid attention. Along with his crew on their spaceship The Ghost, he helps start the Rebel Alliance. “What I like about Kanan is he is a Jedi but he’s not a Jedi in the traditional sense that we’ve had before on the show,” says animation supervisor Keith Kellogg. “He’s a little more rough around the edges. He’s kept his lightsaber locked away, so he hasn’t used it in a long time.”

Rebels is set between the events in Episode III and IV, where the remaining Jedi are scattered after the Emperor’s kill-order 66. “Kanan is the perceived head of this organization, the crew of the Ghost, and when he tells you something you gotta do it,” Prinze Jr. adds. “He’s pretty much the coolest guy in the universe.” Here’s a behind-the-scenes video introducing the character: