‘Ahsoka’ Episode 8 Breakdown: “The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord”
The season finale of Ahsoka cleared up some things, vindicated our theories, and then left us with more questions than we started.
The season finale of Ahsoka tied up a lot of loose ends while creating about a dozen more, and answered a few burning questions and theories we’ve had. But most importantly, it looks like there will have to be a second season. Let’s break down what happened, what it all means, and where the next season may go from here.
The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord
This week’s episode may have my favorite title of the season, and it’s felt like this season has been full of little literary nods. This is a reference to The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. A book where a bunch of kids travel through a portal in a magic wardrobe, end up in a mysterious land of magic, meet a lion, defeat a witch, become the kings and queens of their new kingdom, and eventually return home the way they entered. It’s also a series known for its biblical parallels and imagery. This can also be said for Star Wars. Take Anakin’s whole “conceived through the force to be the chosen one” thing, for example.
For the Empire
Grand Admiral Thrawn is overseeing final preparations to leave through most of this episode, and after learning who Ahsoka’s master was he’s sure that she will do something equally as reckless and ill-advised. Which, to be fair, is a good assumption. Because of this he’s not looking to take any precautions and sends out two TIE Fighters and later a small squad of troopers to slow down the Jedis. Morgan says that the troopers were all happy to ‘sacrifice themselves’ for Thrawn, but he corrects her that it’s for the Empire.
Only, it likely isn’t for the Empire. We’re given the impression that the troopers under Thrawn’s command are loyal to him because of his leadership in the past decade- a theme we actually see come up in all of the Thrawn novels time and time again. We also see this when instead of repeating “For the Empire” later in the episode, Morgan says, “For Dathomir.” She has no loyalty to the Empire but to Thrawn, her home planet, and her few remaining people.
Blade of Talzin
For her many successes, Morgan is rewarded by the Great Mothers with power and a brand new glowing green sword that can go up against lightsabers. The Blade of Talzin has come up before in The Clone Wars. Mother Talzin summoned it from the ether and was able to take on Mace Windu in a battle with it.
Huyang, Ezra, and Kanan
We see Ezra and Huyang attempting to build a lightsaber. Huyang is annoyed because Ezra’s ‘system’ is a disaster, but he insists he knows what he needs and has been taught how to build a lightsaber already. Huyang learns that Ezra’s master is Kanan and immediately knows what piece he needs. As a youngling at the Jedi Temple, Kanan Jarrus was known to Huyang as Caleb Dume and was actually taught how to construct sabers by the droid. It opens up parallels between Kanan and Ezra’s relationship versus Anakin and Ahsoka’s and Ahsoka and Sabine’s. They are all masters and apprentices, but also very different people with very different training and effects on each other.
Night Troopers
At last, the entire fandom got to say, “We knew it!” The true nature of the Night Troopers was revealed.
When Morgan said that the troopers were willing to sacrifice themselves for Thrawn, it’s easy to think she meant that they knew going up against two Jedi and a Mandalorian with some Jedi training was a suicide mission. And it was. But the true implication was that they all knew they would fall in battle and be brought back as Night Sister zombies.
Night Sister zombies aren’t a new concept in Star Wars, and zombies in general have turned up in Legends in Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber. But it seemed like the kind of thing they wouldn’t dare do in live-action. Turns out, they absolutely will! This means that the coffin-shaped boxes being loaded onto the Chimaera actually are coffins and possibly that Thrawn is planning to retake the Republic/Empire with an army of the undead.
The Final Battle and Ezra’s Return
The final battle of the season was a bit of a mess with some enemies being zombie troopers, some being normal-living troopers, Morgan joining the fight, and Ezra and Sabine briefly breaking off from Ahsoka.
In the end, though, Ahsoka defeated Morgan, Sabine was finally able to use the force, and Ezra got onto the Chimaera before they jumped to hyperspace. This means that once again he is on his own, flying millions of lightyears away from the rest of his group on Thrawn’s ship.
Only this time he’s returning home and is able to steal a TIE Fighter, split off, and be reunited with Hera and Chopper.
Next Season’s Set Up
When we leave the season, Sabine, Ahsoka, and Huyang are still on the trapped on Peridea and regrouping, Thrawn and the Great Mothers are approaching Dathomir, Shin seems to be looking for Baylan, and Baylan is standing on a mountain with the Mortis Gods carved into it.
Unfortunately, fans had hoped that with Ray Stevensen’s passing that Baylan’s story wouldn’t end on a cliffhanger. But here he is, on a literal cliff.
From here I assume that Baylan and Shin will unlock a secret of the Mortis Gods or an ancient force power meant to be left untouched, Thrawn will bring havoc and zombies to the New Republic, and Sabine, Ahsoka, and Huyang will find a way to make it back home–possibly with the help of the Purrgil; the way they came. I would also like to see Ezra train Jacen in the force finally.
What did you think of this season of Ahsoka? What do you think is in store for season two? Did you expect the Night Troopers? Let us know in the comments!
May the Force be with you, adventurers!
