New 'Ahsoka' Poster Confirms a Wild Anakin Skywalker Theory — And Debunks Another One

The live-action television world of Star Wars has been stuffed full of familiar faces. After The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and now Ahsoka, character after character from the animated shows are making their live-action debut and tying the two segments of canon together. But in Ahsoka Episode 4, the most exciting cameo was a movie character showing up on TV.

Ahsoka has brought Anakin Skywalker to the Mandoverse. Not the glowering Darth Vader we saw in Obi-Wan, but an Anakin who apparently still has some good in him. And now, a new poster, of all things, reveals just how this is possible.

The latest poster for Ahsoka, featuring an apparitional Anakin Skywalker.

Now that the Anakin is officially part of Ahsoka, that fact can be used in the show’s marketing. The show’s latest poster takes full advantage of this, making Anakin the second-biggest figure. Notably, Anakin is pictured with a ghostly transparency, seemingly confirming what fans have long suspected: that this version of Anakin is officially a Force ghost.

This may seem obvious for fans who recall a ghostly Anakin popping up at the end of Return of the Jedi, but there were other prominent theories for how Anakin could make an appearance from beyond the grave. The realm Ahsoka wakes up in at the end of Episode 4 closely resembles the World Between Worlds, the plane outside of time and space introduced in Rebels. If that is where she’s found herself, then this could be a version of Anakin from the past who’s somehow found himself in the World Between Worlds.

This, presumably, is Anakin’s Force ghost. But why doesn’t he look like he did the other time we saw his ghost?

But this poster seems to confirm that Anakin is just a Force ghost, and that there’s no time travel chicanery afoot. That, however, opens up even more questions about his appearance. Why hasn’t he previously appeared as a ghost to Ahsoka, like he did to Luke in Return of the Jedi? Why isn’t he wearing the brown robes he wore then? Why is he here at all?

This huge reveal was easily the most shocking moment in Ahsoka so far, although Episode 5 looks to top it. The upcoming episode is one of the longest in the series, it’s directed by showrunner and Ahsoka Tano co-creator Dave Filoni, and it’s even playing in select theaters. It should provide us with some firm answers, even if Anakin is anything but solid right now.

Ahsoka is streaming on Disney+.