Star Wars TV shows play off each other all the time, and Ahsoka Tano is the perfect example. She was created for The Clone Wars, but was also included in Rebels. Then she had a big jump to live action, with Rosario Dawson bringing her to life in The Mandalorian, and she appeared in its spinoff, The Book of Boba Fett. Now she’s getting a spinoff of her own, Ahsoka.
Andor’s self-contained story seemed like it would be the exception to Ahsoka’s show-hopping adventures. However, Episode 4 revealed that not only are her fingerprints all over this world, but we actually have a clue as to what might be next for her.
Episode 4 of Andor brought the action to Coruscant, and with that came a slew of references to Imperial people and places we haven’t thought about in years. Sly Moore, Palpatine’s aide and possible lover, is invited to dinner, and the Imperial Security Bureau mentions construction on Scarif, which Rogue One fans know means the creation of a certain superweapon.
But the most intriguing references didn’t come from the conversations, but rather the background decor. When Mon Mothma visited Luthen Rael in his antique gallery, there were a plethora of artifacts that looked familiar. Plo Koon’s mask was one of the most recognizable artifacts, but there were even more in the background.
It’s clear that most of these artifacts are simply Easter eggs that won’t play into any Star Wars adventures. It’s unlikely that Indiana Jones’ whip somehow ended up in Carbonite in a galaxy far, far away, or that Starkiller, Darth Vader’s secret apprentice from the 2008 and 2010 Force Unleashed video games, will appear later in the series. But one antique is featured too prominently to not mean something.
On the gallery wall we can see several stone tablets carved with curved lines and what looks like a sigil. It’s hard to make out, but look closely and it’s clear these tablets are related to the mystical World Between Worlds.
Introduced in Rebels, the World Between Worlds was a collection of doors and paths that connected time and space. Essentially, it allowed those who knew how to access it — or who stumbled across it — to travel through time and alter reality. Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger uses it to save Ahsoka’s life by yanking her out of a fight she’s losing, although he later learns that some changes could have unforeseen consequences.
On its own, this is a fun nod to one of the best parts of Rebels. But it also confirms a major Ahsoka theory. Ever since Ahsoka’s show was announced, fans have noticed how the logo for the series contains lines and circles similar to those seen in the World Between Worlds. This led fans to believe that the series would revisit this mysterious location in live action, possibly as a way to reunite Ahsoka and Sabine Wren with Ezra Bridger.
This isn’t very direct foreshadowing, and it’s still possible that Ahsoka won’t return to this strange realm. But either way, it’s a reminder to Star Wars fans that the World Between Worlds remains canon, and is on the minds of the creatives at Lucasfilm. Its live-action debut may no longer be a question of if, but when.
Andor is now streaming on Disney+.
