9

(Mild spoilers below!)

In the TV show Star Wars: Rebels we meet a protagonist named Ezra Bridger.

Ezra Bridger vs Aladdin

His physical appearance is strikingly similar to that of Aladdin: they both have similar hairdos, hair color, nose shape, complexion etc.

Beside their appearance, they even share similar character traits and bios: Both are poor orphans who have resorted to marketplace thievery and such to survive. Both then discover they have access to magical powers. Aladdin has

a Genie.

while Ezra has

the Force.

In the pilot episode/movie for Rebels they even call Ezra a "street rat", which is something Aladdin is famously know as.

Their personalities are also similar. They both can often be seen wear a smirk on their face (as seen in the image above).

Is there any evidence showing that the creators of Star Wars: Rebels based Ezra Bridger on Aladdin? If so, why?

Improve this question
4
  • That's the first thing which came to my mind after I saw him in the first episode. – Harley Quinn Nov 19 '15 at 5:31
  • And so the Disneyfication of Star Wars continues, and I love it! – Boelabaal Nov 19 '15 at 6:18
  • 8
    "Street rat?" I don't buy that. – Wolfie Inu Nov 19 '15 at 6:20
  • Technically, since Star Wars takes place a long time ago, wouldn't it be more logical for Aladdin to be based on Ezra? – Valorum Nov 18 '17 at 18:59
8

No, the creators claim that Aladdin wasn't an intentional influence.

Amy Ratcliffe Tweet

Rebels creator Dave Filoni spoke on a panel at the April 2015 Star Wars Celebration Anaheim and said the comparison is flattering but unintentional.

Ralph Macchio is an actor best known for starring in the Karate Kid film series.

enter image description here

The Aladdin comparison is definitely widely made, though, and Ezra was at least in part designed to evoke a Middle Eastern origin.

“One of the things we did say consciously was that there was a biblical sense to the naming and to sort of seriousness of purpose of the original movies." - Creator Simon Kinberg in an interview on starwars.com

Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    Thanks. apparently Amy Ratcliffe is a writer who contributes to various outlets including Nerdist, IGN, and Star Wars Insider. – RedCaio Nov 29 '15 at 0:02
  • Yep, Amy has interviewed the creators on many occasions, and the second hyperlink is to a second summary of the Rebels panel that also mentions the Aladdin thing. Sorry for the lack of links in the original post - I'm new and didn't have enough reputation to link more than 2 sources! – dunraven Nov 29 '15 at 0:05

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.