That “Ahsoka ”finale, explained

Devan Coggan
·6 min read
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That “Ahsoka ”finale, explained

Warning: This story contains major spoilers for the Ahsoka season finale, "The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord."

Has the Star Wars galaxy seen the last of Ahsoka Tano?

Ahsoka concluded its eight-episode run Tuesday night, wrapping up with an action-packed finale. All season long, Lucasfilm has remained tight-lipped about whether the show might return for a second season — or whether Rosario Dawson's warrior might be limited to a standalone miniseries. Tuesday's finale provided no answers — no end-credits tease, no cryptic title card, no hint toward the future. Instead, it wrapped up several key stories, while hinting at much, much bigger things to come.

After reuniting on the distant planet Peridea, Ahsoka, Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and the newly rescued Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) make their way to Thrawn's fortress, hoping to stop the warlord before he journeys back to their galaxy. They soon come face to face with a squadron of Thrawn's Night Troopers, and the three Jedi make quick work of them. Unfortunately, Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) has the Grand Mothers on his side, and they use magic to resurrect the dead stormtroopers.

That's right: Star Wars just introduced zombie stormtroopers. It's a chilling scene with a horror-tinged score, and Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra struggle against their resurrected foes — undead beings who seem oblivious to pain or injury.

STAR WARS: AHSOKA
STAR WARS: AHSOKA

Lucasfilm Huyang (David Tennant) and Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson)

Eventually, the heroes escape and encounter Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto), who's been promoted by the Nightsisters and given extraordinary new powers. She's now wielding the Blade of Talzin, a flaming green sword summoned by magic. The sword was first introduced in the Clone Wars series, then wielded by Mother Talzin (the leader of the Nightsisters and mother to one Darth Maul). She used it then in a clash against Mace Windu, and here, Morgan Elsbeth picks up the sword to face off against Ahsoka, a rematch of their last duel in The Mandalorian.

As Morgan and Ahsoka circle each other, Thrawn's Star Destroyer prepares to depart. With help from a little Force push by Sabine (who's finally managed to connect with the Force), Ezra makes it on board. But Sabine stays behind to help her master, and together, Sabine and Ahsoka dispatch Morgan and the remaining stormtroopers. It's no victory, though: Thrawn has escaped, bringing his hordes of zombie troopers back to the regular Star Wars galaxy. He hopes to rebuild the Empire, and we last see him on the outskirts of Dathomir, home to the Nightsisters. Whatever he has planned, it's bad news for the burgeoning New Republic.

Meanwhile, at least one character gets a happy ending. After being stranded for years, Ezra makes it back to his home galaxy as a stowaway, stealing a ship from Thrawn and finding his way back to the New Republic. There, he reunites with friends like Chopper and Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), the partner of his late master Kanan Jarrus. He's even got a spiffy new lightsaber, constructed back on Peridea with help from Huyang (David Tennant).

As for the rest? A number of familiar faces are left stranded on Peridea, with no way to get back home. Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) is left wandering the wilderness, where she meets up with a group of bandits. Her former master Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) has left her to go search for some other great power, something hidden on the planet that he's heard tell of in old Jedi legends.

STAR WARS: AHSOKA
STAR WARS: AHSOKA

Lucasfilm Rosario Dawson in 'Ahsoka'

We see one final shot of Baylan, staring at a light in the distance and standing amidst giant, crumbling statues. The statues themselves are in disrepair, but they seem to be depicting the Mortis gods, a.k.a. the Ones — three ancient beings with deep connections to the Force. The three family members made their debut in the Clone Wars series, and they each have a history with Ahsoka and Anakin Skywalker. On the right, viewers can see a statue of the Son, who has aligned himself with the Dark Side. On the left, an almost destroyed statue of the Daughter, who represented the Light Side. And Baylan is seen standing on the outstretched hand of the Father, who found balance between the two sides of the Force. It's also worth noting that the Ones have ties to the World between Worlds, the ethereal Force dimension where Ahsoka encountered a vision of Anakin.

Speaking of poor Ahsoka, she's stuck on Peridea with Huyang and Sabine. They've met back up with the native Noti, and all three seem resigned to their new life in a distant galaxy. But in the episode's final moments, Ahsoka is seen staring at the horizon, and eventually, Sabine senses something, too. As master and apprentice finally turn away, the audience sees a familiar face: the Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen). Anakin looks concerned for his former Padawan, but he soon cracks a smile. Is that a look of pride? Hope for the future? A hint at a second season? We'll have to wait and see.

It's an ending that raises as many questions as it answers, and Lucasfilm has yet to announce whether Ahsoka will return. Series creator Dave Filoni is currently developing a film for the big screen, which is expected to reunite characters from Ahsoka and The Mandalorian for a climactic, Avengers-style showdown. (It sure seems like he's setting up Thrawn to be the overarching big bad.) There's also the possibility that Ahsoka characters could pop up on other Star Wars shows, similar to what we've seen on The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.

And of course, if Ahsoka does return, it will do so without Stevenson, who unexpectedly died this summer, just weeks before the show's premiere. Fans and critics alike have hailed Stevenson's performance as one of the best parts of Ahsoka, and if the show does continue, it will have to figure out how to navigate Stevenson's tragic loss.

As for Dawson? Earlier this year, she spoke to EW before the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike, and at the time, she was tight-lipped about whether Ahsoka might return. Still, she said, she hopes to play the character for a long time to come.

"If more comes next, I'd be really excited and grateful," Dawson said at the time. "I feel like every time I get to step into her shoes, I learn more. I experience what I could never experience otherwise, and I feel like I keep getting better."

To hear exclusive interviews with the Ahsoka cast, as well as full episode recaps, listen to EW's Dagobah Dispatch podcast.

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