According to the episode guide on Starwars.com, season 3 takes place about 6 months after the season 2 finale. Most of the main character's character models have been updated. Ezra is taller and sports a closed shaved haircut. Kanan has grown a beard and wears a mask over his eyes. Sabine has changed her hair color to white and purple and her redecorated armor features an illustrated Convor owl on her left shoulder. Zeb now wears an illustration of the Joopa (or Big Bongo) from Season Two on his armor. Hera has a Rebel rank captain's badge on her left sleeve.
The term "Bendu" first appeared in George Lucas's earliest story treatments for the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)., in which the Jedi Knights were called "Jedi Bendu" and the light and dark side of the Force were referred to as the "Ashla" and the "Bogan".
Arihnda Pryce, governor of Lothal makes her first on screen appearance, despite having been mentioned in both previous seasons, starting with Spark of Rebellion (2014), as well as being mentioned in several spin-off books such as 2014's "Servants of the Empire: Edge of the Galaxy". Her appearance is based on that of Irina Spalko, Cate Blanchett's character in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Imperial Brom Titus has been demoted from Admiral in charge of the Interdictor project (as seen in Stealth Strike (2015)) to a Commander.
In Ezra's bedroom you can see several posters on his walls. One of the posters is that of Podracer Ben Quadinaros from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) (first seen in Anakin Skywalker's quarters in The Clone Wars episode The Rise of Clovis (2014)) Another poster features a ship identical to the Millennium Falcon and reads "Correlian YT-1300" in the Aurebesh font (even though the correct spelling should be 'Corellian').