Ezra Bridger Learned to Be a Jedi by Gaming: Eman Esfandi and Battlefront II's Luke

Some stories feel like they were written for a community like ours. As reported by Vida Extra, Eman Esfandi, the actor who brought Ezra Bridger to life in live action in the series Ahsoka, learned his first Jedi move from Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Battlefront II. It didn't happen on a film set with a Hollywood choreographer, but with a controller in his hands. On top of that, the actor has his own Twitch channel, where he has shown off some of the skills he never quite got to display on screen.

Why does it matter? Because the news arrives in the middle of an ongoing debate among fans about the declining quality of lightsaber duels in Star Wars. When an actor from the franchise admits that a video game was his starting point, it says a lot about how games have become a top-tier cultural reference, including for the people who make the shows and movies.

What you need to know

• Eman Esfandi played Ezra Bridger, the character from Star Wars Rebels, in the live-action series Ahsoka.
• He learned his first Jedi move from Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Battlefront II.
• The actor trained for the series just like the rest of the cast, although his character never got to show his full potential in combat.
• He has a Twitch channel and has played at least Battlefront II and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
• It was during a livestream that he showed off some of what he can do with a lightsaber.

The context: duels that don't thrill like they used to

Vida Extra opens its piece with an idea many fans share: lightsaber choreography has been losing quality over the years. The most common comparison pits the Obi-Wan vs. Anakin duel in Revenge of the Sith against many of the scenes from the most recent trilogy and the series, and the community's verdict tends to be pretty clear.

That doesn't mean the cast isn't putting in the effort. As the source points out, actors can only go as far as each production's decision-makers allow. Esfandi's case illustrates this well: he prepared like any other cast member to play the former apprentice of Kanan Jarrus, but the script and direction didn't give him much room to shine with the saber.

From controller to film set

The interesting part is where it all started. Battlefront II is a multiplayer shooter with playable heroes, not a fencing simulator, and yet it was Esfandi's gateway into the Jedi fighting style. Add to that Fallen Order, a game that really does revolve around lightsaber combat. The result is an actor who knows the franchise from the player's side, something that shows when he shares his gameplay live with his community.

Our take

Here at Underworld Lordz, we're clear on this: this anecdote is much more than a fun fact for Star Wars fans. It's further proof that video games are no longer just a spin-off of the movie, but a point of reference in their own right. If an actor from a Disney+ series learns to move like a Jedi thanks to a game, maybe studios should pay more attention to what players have been enjoying for years: well-paced combat, reading your opponent and animations that convey weight.

And now for the critical part. It's frustrating to see a trained performer with obvious passion for the character held back because the production didn't commit to making the most of him. Ezra Bridger is a much-loved character, and the fandom was hoping to see him in action with more ambition. The fact that we have to turn to Twitch to get a sense of what he's capable of says a lot about the show's priorities.

There's another lesson here for content creators: having a channel and streaming live makes you relatable. Esfandi doesn't need a trailer to connect with the community; all he has to do is turn on the camera and share what he loves. For a competitive player or a streamer, that's gold: authenticity over marketing. Hopefully more figures in the industry will start doing the same.

What do you think?

Video games have been shaping how we imagine Jedi combat for years, and now they're even teaching the people who portray it on screen. Do you think Star Wars series should take more inspiration from games like Battlefront II or Fallen Order for their duels? Let us know in the team chat or on our Discord.