History Recap / StarWarsRebelsStepsIntoShadow

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: 16-year-old Ezra has been taking initiative over the past six months and gets promoted to Lieutenant. His very first mission without either of his adult authority figures results in extremely impulsive, short-sighted decisions that result in a station collapse that nearly kills everyone and destroys the Phantom, then alerts Imperial forces which swarm and attack the underequipped team. All of his adult superiors immediately realize something is wrong when he misses the check-in (with Kanan sensing Ezra in danger through the Force) and head over to rescue the team. Hera chews him out in front of the team and demotes him, and Kanan returns as a mentor figure for him and to get him back on track.

* ArtifactOfDoom: Discussed between Kanan and the Bendu over the Sith holocron. Kanan worries that the holocron is corrupting Ezra, but the Bendu believes that it's an object alone can't "change" anyone, but rather a combination of factors, such as the desire for knowledge or power, and that ultimately the person is responsible for themselves.

* TookALevelInJerkass: In addition to badass, Ezra is more of a dick, thanks to his time with Maul and the Sith holocron. He catches Chopper before he falls into a spotlight, but then drops him the remaining twenty feet only for Zeb to catch him. He also shows does a PsychicAssistedSuicide. This is lampshaded by Sabine.

'''Sabine:''' Mot of the time.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: He is silently annoyed at Konstantine's confusion when the latter asks Pryce why Thrawn doesn't want them to attack the rebel fleet in "Steps Into Shadow". Probably in part due to Kallus learning that his VillainousFriendship with Konstantine apparently didn't mean anything to the admiral six months ago.

* AdultFear: Kanan does a decent job of controlling his fear in the midst of the krykna, but sensing Ezra in danger causes him to [[PapaWolf freak out]].

* RealityEnsues: 16-year-old Ezra has been taking initiative over the past six months and gets promoted to Lieutenant. His very first mission without either of his adult authority figures results in extremely impulsive, short-sighted decisions that result in a station collapse that nearly kills everyone and destroys the Phantom, then alerts Imperial forces which swarm and attack the underequipped team. All of his adult superiors immediately realize something is wrong when he misses the check-in (with Kanan sensing Ezra in danger through the Force) and head over to rescue the team. Hera chews him out in front of the team and demotes him, and Kanan returns as a mentor figure for him and to get him back on track.

* WhamLine: After Kanan confiscates the Sith Holocron, Ezra angrily lashes out at him "I don't need it. Just like I don't need ''you''." Kanan's reaction to this, even with his blindfold on, clearly says Ezra just hit him below the belt.

* AdultFear: Kanan does a decent job of controlling his fear in the midst of the krykna, but sensing Ezra in danger causes him to freak out.

* EverybodyHasStandards: When Ezra has the AT-DP fire on the other Stormtroopers and then forces it walk off the platform into the abyss, Sabine, Zeb, and Hondo are disturbed.

* HopeSpot: For Terba, who happily charges out of the prison and onto the platform outside . . . right into the sights of a AT-DP.

* ThreatBackfire: Titus warns Ezra that knocking out the station's power cores will only leave Ezra and his party in danger. Ezra replies that he has enough faith in their abilities that he isn't worried. [[DeconstructedTrope This ends up biting him]] [[NiceJobBreakingItHero in the back only minutes later]].

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Ezra's on his way to becoming this. He may want to help his friends, but it's leading him to TheDarkSide.
* WhamLine: After Kanan confiscates the Sith Holocron, Ezra angrily lashes out at him "I don't need it. Just like I don't need ''you''." Kanan's reaction to this, even with his blindfold on, all but says Ezra just hit him below the belt before leaving.

* BeardOfSorrow: Kanan grew his goatee into a beard during his depression.

** Ezra ''brags'' about what he's learned from listening to the Sith holocron, how it's helped him move up in the Rebellion's hierarchy, and how he can use it to defeat the Sith. He doesn't pay much heed to Kanan's warnings about the Sith holocron, but Hera's scolding after the fiasco at Reklam Station and the loss of the ''Phantom'', pointing out the consequences of his actions and reprimanding him, knocks him down a peg or two.

** Hondo gets rescued in the intro mission, after we last saw him in custody back in [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS2E12LegendsOfTheLasat "Legends of the Lasat"]].

* ItsAllMyFault: Ezra blames himself for what happened to Kanan and Ahsoka. It's one reason why he's so hell-bent on becoming more powerful.

** Ezra, when Kanan unexpectedly comes into his cabin while the Sith holocron is sitting on the table.

* PsychologicalProjection: When the Bendu tells Kanan that he brings conflict with him, Kanan immediately assumes he's talking about the Sith holocron, even though the Bendu made clear that it's Kanan causing imbalance in the Force. Later, Kanan pins the fear he's feeling on the krykna, then Ezra, before realizing it's his own.
* PsychosomaticSuperpowerOutage: Kanan repressing his emotions and distancing himself from everyone has severely limited his ability to sense things through the Force, to the point where he can't feel the Sith holocron, the krykna, or even Ezra. The Bendu helps him deal with it, at which point he immediately senses Ezra in danger.
* RealityEnsues: 16 year old Ezra has been taking initiative over the past six months and gets promoted to Lieutenant. His very first mission without either of his adult authority figures result in extremely impulsive, short-sighted decisions that result in a station collapse that nearly kills everyone and destroys the Phantom, then alerts Imperial forces which swarm and attack the underequipped team. All of his adult superiors immediately realize something is wrong when he misses the check-in (with Kanan sensing Ezra in danger through the Force) and head over to rescue the team. Hera chews him out in front of the team and demotes him, and Kanan returns as mentor figure.

** PlayedWith. Ezra has the Sith holocron stored in his cadet helmet. When it glows, the eye holes on the helmet glow red.

* StatusQuoIsGod: After having it for one episode (though there ''was'' a 6-month TimeSkip between this and the last), Ezra gets the Sith holocron confiscated. [[SubvertedTrope Too bad the damage is already done]], because the Presence taught Ezra enough that he's at risk of falling to the Dark Side. And it turns out they have to get it back in the next episode, but if the Season 3 trailer means anything, it's a DoubleSubversion.
* StealthInsult: Pryce complains about Konstantine's incompetence by saying that he's more politician than soldier. This is likely a shot at the late [[BeleagueredBureaucrat Minister Tua]].

* WhamLine: After Kanan confiscates the Sith holocron, Ezra angrily tells him "I don't need it. Just like I don't need ''you''." Jesus Christ, Ezra.

** Kanan tells Ezra off for committing Dark Side acts and listening to the Presence again, leading to him confiscating the Sith holocron. Ezra returns fire by telling him off for isolating himself.

* CallForward: The Y-Wings are going to be sent to [[Film/ANewHope General Dodonna's Yavin cell]].

** Kanan tells Ezra off for committing Dark Side acts and listening to the Presence again, leading to him confiscating the Sith holocron.

* EverybodyHasStandards: When Ezra has the AT-ST fire on the other Stormtroopers and then forces it walk off the platform into the abyss, Sabine, Zeb, and Hondo are disturbed.

* RealityEnsues: 16 year old Ezra has been taking initiative over the past six months and gets promoted to Lieutenant. His very first mission without either of his adult authority figures result in extremely impulsive, short-sighted decisions that result in [[spoiler:a station collapse that nearly kills everyone and destroys the Phantom, then alerts Imperial forces which swarm and attack the underequipped team]]. All of his adult superiors immediately realize something is wrong when he misses the check-in (with Kanan sensing Ezra in danger through the Force) and head over to rescue the team. Hera chews him out in front of the team and demotes him, and Kanan returns as mentor figure.

* ButtMonkey: It's not PlayedForLaughs anywhere near as much as other examples of the trope, but Konstantine is constantly getting taken down a peg since he's the Imperial with the longest standing rivalry with Phoenix Squadron but with the least amount of success compared to fellow veteran Kallus. First, he's mocked by Pryce in private. He's then humiliated when he hasn't heard about Thrawn's promotion. Finally, he is completely baffled at the Imperials allowing Phoenix Squadron to escape as part of Thrawn's larger plan.

** Hera reprimands Ezra for letting Terba get killed, as he was Hondo's other half of the intel. Sato, on the other hand, is fine with this, as Hondo still has enough information for them and promotes Ezra to lieutenant, letting him lead the mission to do recon on the Y-Wings.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Titus' fate is unknown as the station falls. Turns out he was fine after this -- Thrawn called him over to be interrogated in [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS3E15ThroughImperialEyes "Through Imperial Eyes"]].

'''Ezra:''' He didn't.

** More specifically, Pryce's comment is the casualties were within "acceptable limits". Suggesting that this trope is LITERALLY in play as it's more surprising the Empire has guidelines for what are considered acceptable civilian casualties.