Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Ahsoka
The Big Picture
In Ahsoka’s Season 1 finale, Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra engage in a climactic battle against Thrawn’s Night Troopers, resulting in shocking twists and a victory for our heroes. Thrawn returns to the Star Wars galaxy, potentially becoming the new leader of the Imperial Remnant and paving the way for the rise of the First Order. Ezra disguises himself as a Night Trooper and reunites with Hera, while Ahsoka, Sabine, and Huyang are stranded on the planet Peridea, where Shin Hati and Baylan Skoll also reside. The series ends by giving us a glimpse of the powerful Mortis Gods and Anakin’s force ghost.
Ahsoka Tano’s (Rosario Dawson) trip to “A Galaxy Far, Far Away” has officially concluded with the Season 1 finale of Ahsoka. Here, she, Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) finally have a bold confrontation with Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and his legion of Night Troopers. The resulting finale continues Star Wars superfan and series creator Dave Filoni’s streak of impactful finales, being packed with all the action and adventure one would expect from a Star Wars show. The ending of this season finale is one to behold, resulting in more than a few shocking twists and a couple teases of what’s to come. With Ahsoka Season 2 confirmed to be in early development, it’s abundantly clear that we will be seeing these fan-favorite characters again in the near future. After all, the galaxy will need its most dedicated heroes if they hope to stop the inevitable return of the Galactic Empire.
The Heroes of ‘Ahsoka’ Are Stranded in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
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The climactic final battle see Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra lead the charge against Thrawn and his massive Star Destroyer, hoping to stop him before he returns to their home galaxy. This is a task easier said than done, as it’s only the three of them against seemingly endless hordes of Thrawn’s Night Trooper legions, who have been training non-stop for all their recent lives to return home. Though, perhaps a more appropriate term is their recent afterlives, as it’s revealed that these soldiers are no longer mortal. Instead, their undead husks brought back to life by Nightsister Magik.
Speaking of dark sorcery, the biggest thing standing in the way of the trio of heroes is Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto), who has been imbued with Nightsister Magik and now fields the dreaded Blade of Talzin (a nod to the villain from Star Wars: The Clone Wars). Elsbeth has eagerly been awaiting the chance for a rematch against Ahsoka Tano since being defeated by her in The Mandalorian Season 2, and their resulting duel is explosive, to say the least. Still, it ultimately ends with Ahsoka victorious and Elsbeth slain.
Meanwhile, Sabine and Ezra are fighting off some zombified Death Troopers, whom Sabine is able to defeat by finally using the Force. However, they’re running out of time, as Thrawn’s ship is mere moments away from launching into orbit. In a desperate move, Sabine Force pushes Ezra onto the ship, where he hopefully will be able to find a way back to the rebellion. However, this sacrifice comes at a cost, as Ahsoka, Sabine, and their droid companion Huyang (David Tennant) are stranded on the planet Peridea.
Grand Admiral Thrawn Returns to the ‘Star Wars’ Galaxy
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Knowing their almost out of time, our heroes get in their repaired ship and chase after Thrawn’s Star Destroyer. It’s a valiant effort but ultimately a vain one, as they’re already too late. Before Thrawn, his Nightsister council and the Night Trooper legion return to their galaxy, Thrawn gives some parting words to his adversaries. He laments how he likely will never meet Ahsoka in person, but still knows all about her having served with her master, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) during the Clone Wars. With a final “Long live the Empire”, Thrawn enters hyperspace, leaving Ahsoka and her companions to rot with no Purrgil allies in sight. With the Grand Amiral back in the fold, the Imperial Remnant now has a potential new leader to replace the presumed deceased Grand Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). Under Thrawn’s leadership, we could very well see the ruthless military leader pave the way for the rise of the First Order.
Ezra Reunites with Hera and Chopper
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Once Thrawn returns to their galaxy, a mysterious shuttle finds itself heading towards a New Republic fleet. Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Chopper (Dave Filoni), and some other New Republic troops head to the hangar to see what this is all about. When a lone Night Trooper steps out, they are immediately on guard. However, Chopper seems to recognize the helmeted individual, and it doesn’t take long to realize that it’s Ezra Bridger in disguise. Hera recognizes her former companion, and for the first time in several years, the two heroes from Star Wars Rebels are finally reunited. One can only imagine how Ezra will react when he learns about the existence Jacen (Evan Whitten) — the son of Hera and his beloved master, Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.).
RELATED: Did ‘Ahsoka’ Just Tease a Link to ‘Jedi: Fallen Order’?
Shin Hati and Baylan Skoll Are Also Stranded on Peridea
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Ahsoka, Sabine, and Huyang aren’t the only people stuck on the planet. We also see that the still-mysterious dark Force-users, Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) and Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) are also still up to something. Shin, no longer with her master, has formed another alliance with the Peridean Raiders, though what she hopes to use them for remains to be seen. Baylan on the other hand, appears to be on the cusp of discovering one of the Star Wars galaxy’s most mysterious entities. After seeing a mysterious light in the sky, we see that Baylan is standing atop statues of the Mortis Gods, first seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Effectively the Star Wars equivalent of the Holy Trinity, the evil Son (Sam Witwer), the good Daughter (Adrienne Wilkinson), and the neutral Father (Lloyd Sherr) exist in between the recesses of time and space, and they’re easily some of the most powerful beings in all of Star Wars canon.
While the prospect of seeing Baylan, Shin, and the Mortis Gods again is absolutely exciting, it does come with an unfortunate caveat. Following the tragic and untimely passing of actor Ray Stevenson, Baylan will likely be recast or won’t appear in a future season. It’s a true shame, but at least Stevenson’s posthumous performance as the complex villain has already gone down as one of the show’s best characters.
Hayden Christensen Makes One Last Appearance as Anakin Skywalker
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The final thing we see in Ahsoka is the Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker. Ahsoka and her companions, while hopeful, are still lost and wondering what to do and where to go next. Perhaps in the prospective future season of Ahsoka, we could see Anakin giving more advice to his pupil.
Ahsoka Season 1 is streaming on Disney+ now.
This post was modified on 2023-10-04 21:52:24