Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for 'Ahsoka' Episode 6After five long and agonizing years, Star Wars fans have finally been blessed with the return of Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) in Ahsoka. Ever since the fan-favorite Jedi sacrificed himself to a life of exile in order to defeat Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) during the events of Star Wars: Rebels, fans have spent nearly half a decade theorizing where in the galaxy the beloved hero may be. As it turns out, the answer is an entirely different galaxy altogether.
Long before Ezra Bridger made his long-awaited return to the Star Wars franchise, the mystery of who would be bringing him to life was solved a long, long time ago in a galaxy not all that far away. On September 9, 2022, Lucasfilm and Disney+ announced that actor, filmmaker, and musician Eman Esfandi would be portraying the older and long-missing Ezra, confirming the character's live-action debut. While Ezra Bridger is a character we've seen before, Eman Esfandi is a new face for the franchise and one who has already made a strong first impression.
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If you found yourself watching Ahsoka and thinking that Ezra Bridger looked familiar, here is who Eman Esfandi is and where you may have seen him.
Who is Eman Esfandi?
Before joining one of the biggest science fiction franchises on planet Earth, Eman Esfandi was born in Laredo, Texas. The son of Ecuadorian and Iranian immigrants, Esfandi spent his high school years as a celebrated and experienced tennis player. After leaving the racket behind, Esfandi then obtained an Associate's Degree in Business Administration, hoping to follow in the business-owning footsteps of his parents. However, while pursuing a Bachelor's in Economics at the University of Texas, Esfandi developed a love for acting and decided to pursue a career in film.
Like most actors looking for their start, it didn't take long for Eman Esfandi to begin looking for jobs. A few commercial opportunities later, and the start of a blossoming film career had officially begun. In addition to his acting and filmmaking prowess, Esfandi has an accomplished musician career. Going under the pseudonym of DragonWulf, Esfandi's music is currently available to listen to on Spotify as well as other digital music providers.
What Did Eman Esfandi Star in Before 'Ahsoka'?
Following his work in commercials, Esfandi proceeded to star in more than a few short films. The list of debut short projects includes FU Glory Days, A Palestinian Christmas, 10 Minutes to Show, Death by Script, Mother of the Golds, Why We Fight, and Tightly Wound. In addition to his acting work, Esfandi has also dabbled in filmmaking behind the camera. In 2018, Eman Esfandi directed and produced two short films titled 120 and Pepito.
2018 would also be the year when Eman Esfandi would make his feature film debut in the low-budget horror-mystery thriller Red 11. Directed and written by legendary low-budget auteur Robert Rodriguez, who also has a connection to the Star Wars universe through directing on The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, Red 11 is loosely based on the director's experience selling his body for science in order to film his passion project, El Mariachi. Esfandi plays the character of Funny Guy in the film, who forms a rapport with Roby Attal's protagonist.
Following his feature debut in Red 11, Esfandi would continue to star in several feature films. His subsequent work includes the disco thriller Phaedra, the roommate comedy Austin Weird, the Richard Williams biopic King Richard, and the military drama The Inspection.
How Does Eman Esfandi Appear as Ezra Bridger in 'Ahsoka'?
Not only does Eman Esfandi's appearance as Ezra Bridger in Ahsoka mark the first time that the character has appeared in live-action, it also marks Eman Esfandi's television acting debut. Though we get our first proper look at Ezra Bridger in Ahsoka's sixth episode, we got a brief glimpse at Esfandi's take on the character all the way back in Episode 1. We get this glimpse through a character that has been a vital part of Ezra's journey since Star Wars: Rebels - Mandalorian freedom fighter Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo). Sabine took Ezra's disappearance especially hard following the shocking finale of Star Wars: Rebels and the only things she has to remember her lost companion by are his lightsaber and a brief holo message from the rebellion hero.
Given Sabine's close connection to Ezra, it makes sense that she would make a reluctant alliance with the dark Force users Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) and Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno). After a not-so-pleasant reunion with the long-lost Grand Admiral Thrawn, Sabine embarks into the wilds of this uncharted and mysterious planet. After fending off some raiders, Ahsoka eventually comes into contact with a cautious yet friendly race of aliens. After taking Sabine back to their village, she finally sees him - Ezra Bridger in the flesh. Now much older with a very distinguished beard, Ezra and Sabine have finally reunited after years of war and conflict. Though their reunion is sweet, they likely realize that they cannot allow Grand Admiral Thrawn to leave the planet with his vast legion of Night Troopers.
Who Plays Ezra Bridger in 'Star Wars: Rebels'?
Some actors from Star Wars: Rebels do reprise their roles for Ahsoka, such as Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn and Clancy Brown as Governor Ryder Azadi. That's not the case for all the characters, however, and one of them is Taylor Gray, who voiced Ezra for the entirety of Star Wars: Rebels. Through Gray's voiceover performance, fans got to see the Lothal-born teenager go from a selfish street thief into a selfless Jedi Knight over the course of four seasons.
After starring as Ezra Bridger in Star Wars: Rebels, Gray would also go on to star in other hit shows like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Hawaii Five-0, and American Princess.
Ahsoka is streaming now on Disney+.
