SPOILER WARNING AHEAD FOR ALL STAR WARS CONTENT!
“She is tenacious.”
“So was her master.”
“Yeah? What was he like?”
“Intense.”
The fifth episode of Ahsoka was a real treat for fans of the Star Wars prequels and the folks who love The Clone Wars cartoon series. We see Ahsoka reunited with her master, running alongside Clone Troopers, slicing separatist droids in half, and then using the Force to talk to space whales.
A quick recap: With Jacen and Chopper, Hera arrives on Seatos and sees no signs of her friends, Ahsoka and Sabine. She does find Huyang, who is seen holding Sabine’s Mandalorian helmet. Meanwhile, in the World Between Worlds, Ahsoka catches up with ANAKIN FREAKING SKYWALKER, who says he is there to finish her training. The two begin sparring, and just when Ahsoka thinks she has surpassed her master, he shatters the floor beneath her, sending her back into her teenage body and into a Clone Wars-era flashback battle. The training soon turns adversarial as Anakin’s saber turns red. Ahsoka wins the duel and spares Anakin – and then he smiles and says, “there’s hope for you yet,” as he disappears after teaching his pupil a final lesson. Ahsoka returns to the real world and is found floating in the seas of Seatos by X-Wings scanning the area.
When Ahsoka awakes, she taps into the Force to figure out what happened to Sabine after she fell into the ocean. Hera is informed by Mon Mothma that the New Republic fleet are on the way and that she and Ahsoka should return to Coruscant immediately. Defiant again though, Hera and Ahsoka find a pod of purrgil, and one of them takes Ahsoka and Huyang to find Sabine and Ezra in a galaxy far, far away.
The flashback scenes were incredibly satisfying, and Ariana Greenblatt (who you might have recognized from Barbie or as a young Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War) was fantastic as a teenage Ahsoka.
Here’s what else was notable about the episode, other than, of course, seeing Hayden Christensen reprise his role as Anakin again:
Jacen Syndulla is Force-sensitive?
Early in the episode, as Hera talks with X-Wing pilot Carson Teva, she is interrupted by her son who tells her, “There’s something about the water. There’s something out there, mom. I can feel it.”
Jacen is overlooking the ledge where Ahsoka was pushed off by Baylan Skoll during their fight in Episode 4. And becomes apparent that he can hear and feel things that his mother cannot. “Don’t you hear it?” he asks her. “… the lightsabers.”
Indeed, this is the son of Kanan Jarrus. And it appears he passed on his Force-sensitive abilities to his son. As much is later confirmed by Huyang, a droid who has seen and trained his fair share of Force-sensitive younglings.
The Siege of Mandalore, in live-action
As the flashback continues in the World Between Worlds, viewers can easily see a young Ahsoka fighting Mandalorians, and Clone Troopers sporting customized helmets with paint schemes akin to Ahsoka’s face. This, as viewers quickly learn, is the Siege of Mandalore – events that are depicted in parts of the final four-episode arc of the animated Clone Wars series (which, if you haven’t seen, go check it out now).
The Siege of Mandalore takes place during the evens of Revenge of the Sith, so it’s unfamiliar territory for Anakin who tells his former padawan, “I don’t know this battle.” That’s because Anakin was saving the Chancellor from General Grievous and Count Dooku as Ahsoka and Captain Rex (who makes his live-action debut here) led a unit of soldiers on Mandalore, which had been taken over by Maul.
Unfortunately, viewers were not treated to another live-action Maul appearance. Still, it was cool to see this epic battle brought to life in this way.
Fans react
This episode of Ahsoka was directed by showrunner Dave Filoni, and fans seemed to really love it.
Dave Filoni, you are incredible.
Amazing episode. #Ahsoka
— David Cunningham (@therealdcunna) September 13, 2023
Dave Filoni just casually dropping one of the hardest transitions in Star Wars 👌🏽🔥👀 #Ahsoka #TanoTuesday #AnakinSkywalker #Anakin pic.twitter.com/Ps6d5JG2lt
— 𝙶𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚎✖️✖️//💥⏳🥀🐉 (@giselleb1234) September 13, 2023
#Ahsoka episode 5 is absolutely breathtaking
— Daye (@DayeOutAHellcat) September 13, 2023
#Ahsoka Spoilers
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HE DID THE THING#Anakin pic.twitter.com/kIYUAq42BG— 💙 Jenna 🧡 AHSOKA SPOILERS (@cap_rexofthe501) September 13, 2023
