Staying at hotels, B&Bs, and even Airbnb’s there are often concierge services available about what to see and do in the area you’re visiting, so we’ve opened the concierge desk at the Manor to offer suggestions on what to read, watch, and enjoy when wanting to find out more about your favorite Star Wars characters now that you have the free time to do so! One of the biggest stars of the new canon arrived not on the big screen, but rather on the small screen, and she was not only an impressive pilot, great leader, and committed rebel…but also the best Space Mom this side of any galaxy: Hera Syndulla! Read on to find out more about the Rebellion’s most vital asset and her many adventures with friends, family, and even rogue archaeologists!
Disclaimer: Since most people have likely already seen the Star Wars films, the Manor Suggests series will focus on the various publishing aspects of the GFFA. We also highly suggest, if a local comic shop or book store is still open/offering curbside service or other social-distancing options, please consider picking up many of the suggested titles below from them!
A New Dawn (Novel; Written by John Jackson Miller; Del Rey 2014)
Released only a month before Star Wars Rebels, A New Dawn offered a chance to see where it all began for the Ghost crew family while also shouldering the burden of the first novel in the new storytelling era. In it, we see Hera, early in her career running missions for a rebel cell, meet Kanan, a disillusioned Jedi-in-hiding who wants nothing more than a good drink and somewhere to sleep. Hera’s convictions and ideals awaken something in the former Jedi, bringing him out of a stupor and begin the growing family aboard the Ghost. Hera’s convictions and commitment to the cause, even so early in her rebellious career, is infectious to read about, while her ability to recruit and make others believe in the cause helps set up her wonderfully big and always growing Space Family in the show.
Star Wars Rebels (TV Show; Hera voiced by Vanessa Marshall; 2014-2018)
Hera’s biggest and most important role yet has been in the animated show, Star Wars Rebels! She’s one of the main stars, a Space-Mom leading the crew of the Ghost as they assist the Rebellion in the fight against the Empire, all while managing the crew’s various interests and personal problems. The whole show is a highlight for Hera, and voice actress Vanessa Marshall in the role, but I’ve narrowed down a list of some of her most important and revealing episodes:
S1 Ep. 7 “Out of Darkness” – Hera takes Sabine Wren, who’s grown impatient about not being included in knowledge about the Ghosts’ larger goals, on a mission to show her trust in the young Mandalorian. Hera and Sabine work together to hold back an infestation of fyrnocks at their mission’s location, and Sabine learns to trust Hera’s leadership, despite the lack of larger information. It’s an excellent episode highlighting Hera’s ability to juggle the dual role of rebel cell leader and Space-Mom, and it has the distinction of being one of Rebels’ first episodes focusing mainly on the female characters.
S2 Ep. 7 “Wings of the Master” – When an eccentric shipmaker contacts the rebels with plans for the Blade Wing, aka the B-wing, Hera leads the mission to retrieve it. McQuarrie won’t give the ship to just anyone and Hera’s inspiring speech about why she needs to fly, to use her gifts to help others in need, is enough for him to let her have a chance to test it. We get a deep, intriguing glimpse at what inspired Hera to be a pilot, while also seeing an absolutely mesmerizing display of her skills in Shantipole’s hazardous environment flying the prototype B-wing.
S2 Ep. 16 “Homecoming” – Hera’s father has been fighting against the oppression of Ryloth for so long, be it against the Separatists or now the Empire, he doesn’t think of or care for much else, which comes in stark contrast to Hera’s desire to help others…and leaves her without a caring, attentive father. Returning to Ryloth to secure a fighter carrier, Hera’s thrown deep into a conflict with her father she’s been avoiding for years. Despite a late betrayal on Cham’s part, they manage to work it out some of their differences in the end, for the most part. There’s an incredible scene between Cham and Hera, early in the episode, when Hera’s Twi’lek accent (basically a French accent) breaks through when arguing with her father about fighting for the greater good versus solely for yourself; it’s some of voice actress Vanessa Marshall’s best work and really helps the moment hit home with viewers and Cham himself.
S3 Ep. 5 “Hera’s Heroes” – Some of Hera’s best episodes involve her coming home, but things are far more perilous this time around: Grand Admiral Thrawn has come to Hera’s actual home in an attempt to learn more about his foes! Hera’s and Thrawn rivalry begins here, as Thrawn’s actions force her to destroy her own home, while also helping her realize her real home is the Ghost. At one point, she tries to trick the Imperials using her Twi’lek accent, but Thrawn’s not your average Imperial and discerns who she really is, taking her prized family heirloom, the Kalikori with him. She wanted it back to honor her mother, but ends this episode equating her friends to honoring her mother instead. The Kalikori comes back in the final season though…
S3 Ep. 18 “Secret Cargo” – Mon Mothma has been an icon of the Rebellion since being on screen shortly in Return of the Jedi and Hera is one of its rising stars thanks to this show, so having Hera help Mothma come to terms with taking the fight to the Empire directly was a great touch that honors both characters, one’s history and the other’s future. Also, it’s great simply since it’s Mothma (voiced by Rogue One actress Genevieve O’Reilly) and Hera talking in the cockpit of the Ghost, the same place the Rebel leader makes her fateful address, the rallying cry of the nascent Rebellion; not bad for a Space Mom, hey!?
S3 Ep. 21-22 “Zero Hour” – Hera helps Phoenix Squadron avoid total devastation from Thrawn’s relentless attacks, an awesome display of her natural leading abilities and trust in her various agents, friends, and other commanders.
S4 Ep. 9 “Rebel Assault” – Hera leads an assault group on Lothal, in an X-wing (!) of all things, but Thrawn’s too well prepared and it ends before it truly begins. Hera manages to survive a crash but ends up captured, setting into a motion a series of unforgettable or unavoidable events. Before that though? Hera manages to take out one of Thrawn’s prized TIE-Defenders, which cascades into taking out a whole Star Destroyer; The fabled X-wing never looked so deadly in Hera’s hands!
S4 Ep. 11 “DUME” – It was hard to narrow down the best of Hera’s moments in the final season of Rebels, but the next stop is definitely “Dume.” The episode spends some considerable time letting Hera come to terms with Kanan’s loss, figuring how to move on and continue to the fight while honoring his memory. The Kalikori mentioned before comes into play in a big, emotional way in the episode, while grumpy droid Chopper shows his more thoughtful side.
S4 Ep. 15/16 “A Fool’s Hope & Family Reunion – and Farewell” – The grand finale to Star Wars Rebels shows the group successful in protecting Lothal, in no small part to Hera’s leadership, willingness to delegate, and bringing such a diverse and unique crew together…even without the greater Rebellion to help. The finale ends with a flashforward, giving us glimpses of our favorite characters’ next steps, and of course the big reveal involves Hera living past Endor, with child in tow: Jacen Syndulla! We had seen Hera post-Endor a few times already before the episode aired, but the story of her and Jacen has yet to be told…
Alphabet Squadron (Novel; Written by Alexander Freed; Del Rey 2019)
With the Aftermath books, we saw the victory at Endor was short lived, so the smiles and happiness mother and son share in the Ghosts’ cockpit at the end of Rebels don’t last for long. In command of the Barma Battle Group, General Syndulla has a lot on her plate, though she comes to rely on and appreciate the efforts of the ragtag Alphabet Squadron operating out of her group. It’s not the happiest of posts, it seems to take a bit of a toll on her, and she doesn’t seem to have little Jacen along (is he with Uncles Zeb and Kallus?), but it shows how far she’s come since running little missions out of her own ship, barely connected to other rebel cells, to now leading an entire battle group. We’ll likely get more General Hera in the upcoming sequel to this novel, Alphabet Squadron: Shadow Fall in June.
Doctor Aphra #17-19 “Remastered” Arc [Vol. 1] (Issues in On-going comic; Written by Kieron Gillen/Simon Spurrier; Art by Emilio Laiso; Colors by Rachelle Rosenberg; Lettering by Joe Caramagna; Marvel 2018)
A while after the destruction of the first Death Star, Hera throws herself into her work as a General, taking over pilot training duties from a repurposed Trader Federation ship; is it because she’s trying to forget the loss of Kanan and her crew going their separate ways after Lothal and her promotion? And where’s Jacen Syndulla? The Doctor Aphra series was never the place to answer those questions, but Hera gets wrapped up in the not-so-good doctor’s schemes and plans, with a considerable amount of eye-opening Imperial data ransomed by Aphra and Hera out of luck from getting it herself. It’s a slightly embarrassing moment for the General, prompting her to later sends an ex of Aphra’s after her to gain back the data (in following arc), but it was fun to see her in the comic overall, exploring how she’s expanding her role within the Rebellion as they grow in numbers. There’s some unfortunate imagery when Hera is captured in issue #17, with Aphra’s apology sounding like a meta-one later in issue #19, but other than that her appearance is rather true to form.
Forces of Destiny – “Hera” (Issue in Star Wars Adventures: Forces of Destiny miniseries; Written by Devin Grayson; Art by Eva Widermann; Colors by Monica Kubina; Lettering by Tom B. Long; IDW 2018)
Rallying together a group of farmers, offering subtle leadership and installing a competent leader before she goes back to the rebels, highlights Hera’s important skills and abilities beyond flying the Ghost. She’s also very honest with the group about the perils of fighting back, and I appreciate that even here, in an all-ages comic, this reality isn’t ignored and someone as recognizable as Hera imparts the message.
Forces of Destiny: “An Imperial Feast” (Episode of Web Series; Hera voiced by Vanessa Marshall; 2017-2018)
Han Solo is pretty sure the Millennium Falcon is the best ship in the galaxy, but Hera’s Ghost might have him beat…which Hera gets him to admit in effort to make Leia happy and the murder bears on Endor fed. It’s a fun, short little interaction, and one fans had been waiting for since we knew Hera survived past Endor, so give it a quick watch!
Women of the Galaxy (Reference Book; Written by Amy Ratcliffe; Hera Art by Little Corvus, Jennifer Aberin Johnson, and Christina Chung; Chronicle Books 2018)
Both character summary and behind-the-scenes greatest hits, Hera’s entry in Women of the Galaxy is an excellent way to learn a succinct summary of what makes the character so memorable in and out of the galaxy. The artwork, three pieces for Hera, each offer different glimpses of Hera’s many lives and are truly stunning.
Honorable mentions: I know these Suggest articles aren’t supposed to really mention the films, but the Ghost has made appearances in both Rogue One, with a Hera mention and Chopper sighting to boot, and The Rise of Skywalker’s Galaxy Fleet so that’s quite the track record for her character!
Hera’s story has definitely gotten a lot of attention thanks to Star Wars Rebels, but the various books and comic appearances reveal there’s plenty left to uncover, while plenty of unknowns remain for what’s to come of her in the many years post-Endor. We’ve seen Hera grow from rebel cell leader to Battle Group leader in the New Republic, but her trust of her subordinates, even droids or young teenagers, and her love of those who serve with and for her, proves she’s got her heart in the right place no matter the circumstances.
If you have a character you’d like us to cover, please reach out in the comments or the social media options below! And mainly, I hope you found something new to enjoy in Star Wars and make sure to return to the Manor for more Suggestions on what to look into next.
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.
OTHER MYNOCK MANOR SUGGESTS
Captain Phasma
Count Dooku
Rose Tico
Lando Calrissian