After five fateful weeks of Ahsoka, Professor Huyang (David Tennant) might just be the series’ most valuable player. He’s proven his worth in battles, mentored Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and provided much-needed moments of levity. And though he doesn’t appear in the series’ sixth episode for very long, one casual line ensures we’ll be thinking about Huyang — and his role in the Star Wars saga — long after Ahsoka ends.
When we catch up with Ahsoka and Huyang in Episode 6, they’re on their way to the fabled planet of Peridea. They have a long journey ahead of them, even with the help of the lightspeed-capable purrgil, so the duo’s been filling the hours with idle chitchat. When their conversation steers to less comfortable topics, Ahsoka changes the subject by asking Huyang for a story. The millennia-old droid has the entire history of the Jedi Order in his memory archives, so he’s happy to oblige. As Ahsoka settles in, Huyang recites a preamble that any Star Wars fan knows as well as their own names: “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...”
That Huyang begins his story with something so familiar isn’t entirely surprising. It’s the equivalent of starting a fairy tale with “Once upon a time,” and it may be a common expression in the Star Wars world. But Huyang is the first character to utter those words in-universe. They’ve always been reserved for the opening crawls that kick off the main films. Could that mean that it’s Huyang providing context for these stories, and narrating the events of the Star Wars saga?
Ahsoka wouldn’t exactly be the first show to reveal that a character is actually the narrator of the story, but it would be interesting if all (or even just some) of Star Wars was actually recounted through the eyes of a droid. Few are more qualified than Huyang: he’s been around since the dawn of the Jedi, and has recorded the bulk of their history firsthand. But the story that drives the films is notoriously critical of the Order. Huyang, by contrast, has always been sympathetic to the Jedi and their many stifling rules. It’s hard to believe he’d be keen to discuss the flaws that led to their downfall unless he eventually reevaluates the Jedi’s divisive role.
Could Huyang really be the narrator of the Skywalker saga? It would certainly be an intriguing way to weave the droid into the fabric of the franchise, especially since he’s been so underused in Ahsoka. Then again, this could just be the series’ way of nodding to Star Wars’ sprawling legacy. Ahsoka has been steadily referencing the larger saga with Easter eggs and familiar lines, some exciting, others groan-inducing (sorry, Jacen, but no one wants to hear you quip “I have a bad feeling”).
Maybe Ahsoka is hinting at a big idea, or maybe it’s just paying tribute to George Lucas’ original ideas. There may still be a larger role for Huyang in the future, but for now, he remains Ahsoka’s trusty droid with an encyclopedic memory.
