10 burning questions before the Ahsoka finale
Which of the many mysteries set up in the first season will be resolved in the final episode, and which will have to wait for further installments?
TV Features Ahsoka
The season finale of Ahsoka is just hours away, and even after seven episodes there’s still a lot we don’t know about where the storylines and the characters are headed next. In its initial season, the Disney+ series followed Ahsoka and her allies as they fought to prevent the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn from exile in a different galaxy. Some of those heroes eventually wound up in that galaxy themselves, and it’s starting to look like their efforts were in vain, as Thrawn is poised to escape with the help of the creepy Nightsisters. And while Sabine did find Ezra Bridger—the one good thing to come out of all of this—if they can’t stop Thrawn in time the grand admiral may become exactly what Ahsoka feared: heir to the Empire.
Of course, with just one episode left this season we’re not counting on all of our questions being answered. Some may have to wait for another season, another show (it wouldn’t be the first time a storyline from one Star Wars TV show was resolved in an entirely different one), or for Dave Filoni’s upcoming crossover movie. One way or another, this almost certainly won’t be the last time Ahsoka and her fellow Rebels are seen in live action. Here are all the loose ends we’ve been tracking across the season and that we hope will be addressed before the end.
1. What caused the rift between Ahsoka and Sabine?
If you tuned into Ahsoka without having watched the animated series Rebels you might have assumed that whatever went down the first time Ahsoka took on Sabine as her Padawan was covered in that series; it wasn’t. Rebels fans were just as much in the dark as anyone else with this new information. They still are, since the show hasn’t gotten into what caused the rift between Ahsoka and Sabine. The two of them never really hashed it out. They just put their disagreements aside while they focused on the bigger problems in front of them.
Now that they’ve found both Thrawn and Ezra, though, those tensions might come back to the forefront. If so, they’ll be compounded by Sabine’s most recent betrayal. Ahsoka seemed genuinely happy to see both Ezra and Sabine in the last episode, and she’s in a better place after her ordeal in the World Between Worlds (or wherever that was). But how long will that last? Ezra is probably just as curious as we are, so that could be a natural way to catch us up on that missing piece of personal history.
2. How will Ezra react when he discovers how Sabine found him?
Ezra still doesn’t know that Sabine got to this galaxy by making a deal with Thrawn’s allies. She’s managed to avoid talking about it so far, but the longer she stonewalls, the greater the chances are that Thrawn will make his escape and leave them behind. Ezra sacrificed himself at the end of Rebels by calling the purrgil to whisk both him and Thrawn away (he didn’t even know where they’d take them). His plan worked, but at the cost of a decade or more in exile on an unknown planet in a remote galaxy. If Thrawn manages to go back and pick up where he left off, Ezra’s sacrifice will have meant nothing.
Sabine doesn’t have a good justification for being in this galaxy, either. She can pretend it was for Ezra’s sake, but really she just wanted to see him again. Her very un-Jedi-like decision to hand over the star map came from a place of emotion, rather than logic or strategy. We were as happy as she was to see Ezra again, but regardless of the outcome, it will be disappointing if he and Ahsoka give Sabine a pass for her actions.
3. What do the Great Mothers want from Thrawn?
The witchy Nightsisters of Dathomir have a deep and complicated mythology developed through previous appearances in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, as well as various Star Wars games and literature. Ahsoka added to the lore with the new information that Peridea is their original homeworld, though we still don’t know how much they factor into Thrawn’s endgame. Thrawn is no fan of the Jedi, but apparently he has no problem aligning with these particular Force wielders. At least, as long as their goals are compatible.
We know that Thrawn wants to go back to his own galaxy, but it’s not clear exactly what Morgan Elsbeth and the Great Mothers are getting out of the deal. Thrawn mentions some kind of cargo transfer and Morgan tells him it will take three rotations to retrieve it all from the catacombs. Later, we see the Night Troopers transporting long, floating crates onto Thrawn’s ship. Whatever is in them, the Nightsisters went to a lot of trouble to get them off the planet.
4. What exactly are the Night Troopers?
The Night Troopers don’t look like any stormtroopers we’ve seen before. Their armor is battered and broken, held together with bits of red tape or cloth. They’ve clearly seen some things under Thrawn’s command. Could they be, as a popular fan theory suggests, a zombie army raised from the dead by the Nightsisters? Thrawn’s comment to Morgan after learning that Ahsoka is alive seems to support that theory: “After all, death and resurrection are common deceptions played out by both Nightsister and Jedi.” When they saw combat in episode seven they didn’t burst into a cloud of dust like Marrok did, so they’re something different. And what’s the deal with Enoch, the golden-faced captain of Thrawn’s guard? Is he like the others, or is he special for some reason? It could be that they’re all just regular stormtroopers in janky armor, but that’s the least likely—and least interesting—explanation.
5. What is Baylan Skoll’s plan?
Baylan Skoll, played with wonderful gravitas by the late Ray Stevenson, has had his own hidden agenda since we first met him. What that might be remains a big mystery. Though we’ve only had a few scarce hints of his plans so far, we do know some of his backstory. He was raised in the Jedi Temple and escaped Order 66. He’s no longer a Jedi, but still has some respect for the order and upholds some of the old traditions. He hasn’t fully gone to the dark side, yet he was working with an Inquisitor at the beginning of the series. At one point he told his apprentice, Shin Hati, that power was his end goal. Then, in episode six he expresses his desire to break the endless cycle of conflict between the Jedi and the Empire. “What I seek is the beginning,” he says. “So I may finally bring this cycle to an end.” Perhaps the finale will clear up exactly what he means by that. And also why he sent Shin away so abruptly without completing her training, not as a Jedi but as “something more.” Did he change course once he got to this world of “dreams and madness” or was this his plan all along?
6. What is the mysterious power that Baylan sensed on Peridea?
Baylan’s words later in episode six prompted another line of inquiry that deserve a section of its own. He talks about the planet Peridea itself, once the Great Witch Kingdom of the Dathmiri, and what might be going on under the surface there. “Perhaps they flee a power greater than their own,” he says of the Great Mothers, when Shin points out how eager they are to get the hell out of there. “Something calls to me. Can’t you hear it? Something stirs here. Can’t you see it?” Is this power connected to the Force? Could it be a creature? If it’s real, it could affect not just Baylan’s fate, but the fates of our heroes as well.
7. How will our heroes make it back to their home galaxy?
Now that Thrawn’s space mine blockade has chased the purrgil away, there’s only one way back home from Peridea. (It’s likely that the space whales wouldn’t have been an option anyway, otherwise Ezra would have hitched a ride back with them years ago.) Any outcome that gives Thrawn a chance to start rebuilding the Empire can’t be considered a win. The best case scenario would be Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra (plus, let’s not forget Huyang) somehow using the Eye of Sion to return without Thrawn and company on board, leaving the enemy stranded. That seems like an extremely tall order and a lot of things would need to fall into place for something like that to happen. It’s more likely we’ll get a mixed outcome, with some characters making the trip and others being left behind.
8. Will anyone be left behind?
If anyone is stuck on Peridea, we really hope it’s not Ezra. He’s been gone long enough and he deserves to go home. The rest of the characters are all fair game, though. There’s plenty more of the planet left to explore in season two. If it comes down to someone sacrificing themselves so Ezra can get home, both Ahsoka and Sabine would easily make that choice. Will one of them be taking Ezra’s place in the crab caravan? Baylan doesn’t seem like he even wants to leave, so he’ll probably be sticking around. And though Shin is now a free agent, the chances that she’ll be welcomed back into the fold by Thrawn’s crew aren’t good. Whoever is left to continue the story here, we think it’s very likely we haven’t seen the last of Peridea.
9. Is Hera’s story resolved, or will she be back?
As much as Rebels fans have enjoyed seeing Hera in live action (and Mary Elizabeth Winstead has done a fine job playing her), she didn’t have much impact on the story, other than giving Ahsoka and Huyang cover to hop inside a purrgil before they took off into hyperspace. Mostly she dealt with the annoying bureaucracy of the New Republic and its stubborn insistence that Thrawn and the “Imperial remnants” are not a threat (we shared Hera’s frustration). A fan service appearance by a certain OG protocol droid aside, the opening scene of the penultimate episode in which Hera faced a senate tribunal was redundant and took away from the storylines we actually cared about. It feels like her story is done for now, but maybe there will be something more to set in motion future stories. We wouldn’t object to a reunion with Ezra. Maybe he’ll even offer to take on Jacen as his Padawan. Here’s hoping General Syndulla and her son will be more of a factor in the next season.
10. How will the ending connect to future Star Wars projects?
We can’t help but wonder how Ahsoka and its first season will tie into the rest of the Star Wars TV galaxy. We now know that it takes place just after the end of The Mandalorian season 3. The next series on the slate is Skeleton Crew, a title that has been the subject of a lot of speculation lately in relation to those Night Trooper theories and the crates Thrawn is transporting (could the title be more literal than we thought?). After that we should be getting The Acolyte, which is set during the High Republic era, so any tie-ins will have to be indirect. The most likely connection will be the aforementioned live-action feature film to be directed by Dave Filoni, a crossover event that will bring together many of the shows we’ve seen so far. We know that Filoni has been gradually incorporating aspects of the Star Wars Legends universe and making it officially canon (the character of Thrawn being one such example) so what other aspects of those stories will he bring in next? We’re looking forward to finding out.
62 Comments
not sure i would call these “burning” questions, i guess i’m mildly curious about the answers to some of them.the real burning question is “who decided Ahsoka should be the most boring character in her own series?”
I know every scene she is in just sucks the enjoyment out of watching and you just waiting to get back to a scene with Ray. Would not even mind if a second season was cancled.
I remember cartoon Ahsoka being a three dimensional character with intelligence, chutzpah and good cheer. Live action Ahsoka is a one dimensional: sullen.
“who decided Ahsoka should be the most boring character in her own series?”This is the way (of all the D+ series)
For anyone experiencing burning questions, consult your doctor.
It doesn’t really matter what happened between Sabine and Ahsoka the first time, it just matters that it didn’t work out.
I assumed the tension was just… from the fact that it didn’t work out. Ahsoka to my knowledge was never on the other side of the master/padawan relationship before then and Sabine it seems doesn’t really have the midichlorian count to be a traditional Jedi. It’s not hard to imagine it was frustrating for both of them and lead to a rift.
Right, we don’t need every single little bit of background shit spelled out here.
But then how will you know that it was a SKYWALKER who done it!? Or perhaps a lost Solo cousin.
I like the idea that the imperial clerk who gave Han his name does that all the time. He’s created hundreds of Solos.
It would be insane if they all joined together.
yeah its like jon snow. they could’ve had a spartacus moment where everyone stands up and says “i am solo” with the catch being its actually true this time
You were kind of right. Anakin Skywalker going dark side gave Ahsoka PTSD about an apprentice whose family gets killed.
Ahsoka does ask Anakin something along the lines of “what if I don’t want a padawan?” In episode 5 of the series. I always assumed she took Sabine on because she thought she should, and then realized she was a bad teacher who didn’t want to do it
When Baylan was trying to manipulate Sabine into giving him the map, he says something about Ahsoka letting Sabine’s family die on Mandalore because Ahsoka didn’t trust them? Which is news to me and seems to indicate some larger conflict between the two. But at the same time, it’s weird that Sabine would just agree to be Ahsoka’s padawan again without hashing anything out at all.Pretty sloppy writing on this whole master/padawan thing regardless, but I hope they at least explain some of the backstory here.
Yeah I didn’t trust anything Baylan said, Huyang explained it better in the last episode.
And most importantly, if the series ends with Baylan still alive and clearly with a future role to play, how much whining will we have to endure from people who apparently think the show’s crew was well aware Ray Stevenson was going to die, just like the dipshits who said What If should have given Chadwick Boseman a better final appearance?
Unlike Boseman, Ray Stevenson’s performance, as great as it is, does not have any kind of major cultural importance.
Liev Schrieber or Clive Owen would be just fine.
I never thought of this, but Clive Owen would be fantastic in the role. Though having heard no rumors of recasting, my instinct is that Baylin doesn’t survive somehow
I was trying to figure out who would take over Baylan’s role. Both those choices would work, though I would lean toward Owen. He’s already played King Arthur so he’s got the whole sword-and-horses thing down. And it’s not like Star Wars characters haven’t been recast in the past. This would just be one of the few times they don’t retcon the original actors out of the earlier appearances.
i mean, dollars to donuts it’s just a digital ray stevenson right?
As long as they just cut in footage of Titus Pullo, sure.
R.ai Stevenson, if you will.
(I’m sorry.)
I’m gonna go ahead and say that Hera is not only not done, but her big moment in the actual finale will be her turning up to recruit Zeb for some nebulous Rebel-style mission. Probably Carson Teva, too.
Hell I’ll go a step further and venture that some form of the following exchange will happen for sure in the episode:
Hera: We have to prepare, they’re going to need our help.
Zeb: It’s gonna take a lot more than just the three of us.
Carson Teva: Actually, I might know a guy.
This is disgustingly plausible. No bets.
Carson Teva: Actually, I might know a guy.Cue fade to black, with…
It would be awesome if she was wearing a long black trenchcoat and an eyepatch while discussing her new initiative with Zeb…
On the Rebels finale, Ezra is on the Star Destroyer bridge with Thrawn when they get hurled to another galaxy.
In Ahsoka, it’s never explained what happened next. Did Thrawn just drop off Ezra on the planet and go about his way? Why didn’t Ezra just kill Thrawn, knowing how dangerous he’d be if he ever returned to their home galaxy? And why didn’t Thrawn try killing Ezra, knowing how dangerous he was? Was there a stalemate?
I will say it is a breath of fresh air to read a review that actually understands that finale questions are answered in the actual finale.
I’m now catching up on Rebels, and my big question is, when is Kanan going to show up? Can’t wait to see who plays him.That’s a joke, by the way.
You know how we told you that we sent Kanan to live at a nice farm upstate…?
Force ghost! Which doesn’t really make sense because it was supposed to be like the ultimate jedi power that Qui-Gon learned and taught Yoda who then taught Obi-Wan somehow during their exile if I remember right. But they’ve shown Anakin as one so apparently you can learn it after death, even if you’re a child murderer.
Force ghosts aren’t about being good or evil, it’s just a connection with the force!That being said, I don’t know how Anakin could have figured out that skill without Yoda and Qui-Gon guiding him. But then again, he is the chosen one, and who’s to say QG didn’t make some appearances on the death star at some point?
For some reason I have it in my head that force ghosts are a Jedi/light side thing. I could be mistaken though.
He’s my fave Jedi. So not funny. But still funny. Anything can happen!
It could be that they’re all just regular stormtroopers in janky armor, but that’s the least likely—and least interesting—explanation.Eh? Least likely? I’d be shocked if that wasn’t the explanation.They’ve been trapped in another universe for a decade having to scavenge for repairs. That’s why their armour is held together with cloth and their Star Destroyer is full of holes.
11. Why did this series need to be made?
It was a drawn out shuffling of characters for a future project I am significantly less interested in. It had some great moments (that episode that with Ahsoka and Anakin which featured actual growth the series name sake) but too much of it was just generated content.
I was hoping for more out of How Ahsoka Got Her Thrawn Back.
11. Why everybody in the show seems to be on decaf?
12. How the fuck does she put on T-shirts?
Except the turtle-y folk.
And young Ahsoka in the flashbacks. The actress brought (or was allowed to bring) some welcome energy into something that’s otherwise extremely pedestrian, even if the fate of at least one galaxy is involved. Ezra has also started to bring some charisma.But in the main cast, Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Hera as if she had been prescribed a bunch of painkillers. She’s reaching “Jace Windu according to Mr. Plinkett’s reviews of the prelogy” level of energy.
Maybe, just maybe, growing up in a war will make people less excited about the world around them?
And the giant wolves…
It’s implying the mediocre times following that galactic civil war and proceeding…whatever the fuck was happening in the sequel trilogy.
I was trying to write “11. Why are there such long pauses after so many lines of dialogue?”
But yours is better.
what a difference an article written by someone who isn’t an illiterate hateful piece of shit like sam about star wars makes
My only burning question is whether or not it’s worth renewing. This has been a snoozefest of show. Andor was good, and unlike most I liked Obi-Wan as well. But Book of Boba Fett and Mando have been up and down, and one could hardly argue they’ve done much for the universe.
I get these articles about Star Wars on my google news feed. I know it’s my fault for clicking this one, but its “spoilers” for the finale are so stupid I had to laugh:https://comicbookmovie.com/tv/star-wars/ahsoka-season-finale-run-time-revealed-along-with-rumored-details—-possible-spoilers-a205955It’s just the dumbest fucking idea. Especially the version where it’s not fatal.
comicbookmovie is a garbage site.
Yeah that’s kinda my point. It’s just such a stupid claim.
I think the answer to 5, 6, and 7 is basically the same: The World Between Worlds, the limbo-esque void we saw in episodes 4 and 5. Baylan wants access to it, because a nexus in space-time would give someone immense power. The only known conduit to it was on Thrawn’s Star Destroyer at the end of Rebels, but beyond that, Peridea is a home world for at least the Night Sisters if not for the Jedi as well, so it’s a chance to go to the Garden of Eden, of sorts, the place where it all began, so maybe there’s another gateway. It’s potentially a way for the heroes to get back to the galaxy if they can walk into it in another galaxy and emerge on Lothal (or wherever). I wonder if droids can access it, because if not, that means Huyang gets left behind…
10 burning questions before the Ahsoka finaleWill AV Club get someone other than Sam Barsanti to review season 2?
I’m not going to be happy unless I see Chopper do something psychopathic. Or at least whap Ezra on the head.
| We know that Filoni has been gradually incorporating
| aspects of the Star Wars Legends universe and making
| it officially canon (the character of Thrawn being one
| such example) so what other aspects of those stories will
| he bring in next?
Ysalamiri. (Force-nullifying tree sloths from the original Thrawn trilogy.) I’m not saying I want them, but a lot of things feel like they’re adding up to them.
Thrawn is leading a remnant of zombified followers as his ship’s crew?Is Disney imagineering a crossover with “The Black Hole”, for a new theme park ride or something?
you have to admit it would be pretty funny of they landed on the planet and the first thing they run into is B.O.B. i’m not sure any of the actors from that movie are still around but i’m sure AI can handle it
The real burning question is, is this showing getting watched (and earning subscriptions) at anywhere near a reasonable rate? Or is it a big hit in anywhere near the same way that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was a $383m worldwide smash? Or is it a roaring success like Willow S1, which was removed from D+ until the rising squall of fan excitement demands its triumphant return?
The real burning question is, how did they manage to make me not want to watch a Star Wars show featuring my favorite Star Wars villain ever (Thrawn)?
by turning into a “Bargin Bin” Tarkin?
I’ve never seen a more lifeless performance
“Of course, with just one episode left this season we’re not counting on all of our questions being answered.”
How about only like 2. Filoni is playing this too close to the chest for only an 8 episode series; its a good thing most of us will tune in regardless.
11. What’s the deal with that Marrok guy? Why’d he disappear into a cloud of dust when Ahsoka killed(?) him?12. Why does the holoprojector on the Eye of Sion work different than literally every other one we’ve seen?13. Why does Thrawn’s uniform fit so badly now?Also: It could be that they’re all just regular stormtroopers in janky armor, but that’s the least likely—and least interesting—explanation.How exactly is that the LEAST likely explanation? There’s zero evidence of anything mysterious here besides the general spooky vibe.