Agent Kallus – Why Did He Defect From the Empire and (Even) the Rebellion Accept Him?

Initially a stalwart Imperialist, Agent Kallus transformed himself into a devout Rebel. This was a surprising turn of events, going from one extreme to another.

Why did Kallus defect from the Empire and the Rebellion accept him? Short and long-term experiences provide a good part of the answer. 

Agent Kallus Defected

When Alexasandr Kallus was an agent and captain of the Internal Security Bureau, he believed in the Empire and installed order in the galaxy.

Kallus fought against Saw Gerrera’s insurgents and led a massacre on the planet Lasan. He worked hand-in-hand with both Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin.

Yet, as depicted in the Rebels series, Kallus changed his mind about the Empire and became an informant of the Rebellion.

Under the codename Fulcrum, Kallus provided crucial information about imperial activities to the Rebels.

After Grand Admiral Thrawn discovered that Kallus was a spy, he was captured but managed to escape. He ultimately became a crucial member of the Rebellion.

Agent Kallus experienced a turning point when he became trapped on the outer rim planet of Bahryn with Ghost Crew Rebel Zeb, one of the few who survived the attack on Lasan.

Withstanding freezing conditions together, the two bonded, and Kallus developed a respect for the Rebellion and distaste for the Empire.

In this scene, we can see the impact of Zeb on Kallus, with the latter questioning his beliefs. We also see how they needed each other to survive.

This experience helps us understand why Kallus defected from the Imperials. 

Why Did Agent Kallus Defect from the Empire?

However, that bonding experience had to surmount a strong allegiance to Darth Vader. Other factors must have weighed in to influence Kallus’s decision to defect. 

Some fans speculate that the Empire did not care about Kallus, so he left. Others contend Kallus had more of an epiphany or “course-corrected his path of service.”

It seems that he reconsidered who the Rebels were, which coincides with the bonding experience explanation. 

Fans here also emphasize the bonding between Kallus and Zeb for why he defected but add a crucial point.

Zeb “unhesitantly risked his own life to save a long time enemy.” That was a shock that jolted him to reconsider his options and do some intense introspection. 

Other posts here indicate how Kallus was an intelligence officer who was “bound to see that the Rebellion cared for people” while the Empire did not.

He personally witnessed imperial destruction, even on imperial supporters, if it served the end of hunting down Rebels.

In that sense, Kallus’s cumulative experience culminated with his interactions with Zeb and compelled him to defect. 

Fans have also pointed out how Kallus joining the Rebels reflected “his character development and redemption arc.”

Instead of “a one dimensional antagonist,” the writers of Rebels wanted to give Kallus and the story complexity. The show had a host of writers, including creator Dave Filoni.

Why Did the Rebellion Accept Kallus?

After he defected, Kallus worked as a spy for the Rebels. The Rebellion needed all the help they could get, and Kallus could provide inside information.

However, the Rebels also rescued Kallus once Thrawn uncovered the truth. Here we see the Ghost Crew’s daring rescue of the “traitor,” a reflection of how he had become one of their own. 

Despite the horrendous act he had previously participated in or led, Kallus became a full-fledged Rebel. Why did they accept him?

By that point, Kallus had demonstrated his commitment to helping the Rebellion and that he was willing to completely abandon his past.

Soon after his rescue, Kallus became a captain in the Alliance army and flew the Ghost with Rex on a mission to Lothal.

In other words, the Rebels were willing to believe he had changed for the better, and Kallus proved it quickly.

In this scene for Season 4 of Rebels, we can see Kallus had become one of the crew and focused on the work of defeating the Imperials. 

Agent Turned Rebel Kallus

Kallus began as a loyal agent of the Empire but transformed himself into an important Rebel.

He did have an epiphany moment that helps explain why he traded sides, but he also had a longer experience that contributed to it and some help from the writers.

The Rebels may have taken him on initially to gain information, but they trusted that his transformation was complete and readily accepted him.

That’s the way of most Rebels.