Sometimes, a character enters into a show, and it’s game over for all other characters. In Ahsoka‘s case, Sabine Wren’s Loth-cat totally stole everyone’s hearts. Even though t he Star Wars series introduced other new adorable aliens, it was the Loth-cat that stayed with us. Sadly, Sabine’s pet didn’t get too much time to shine. We only saw our favorite Loth-cat for a few scenes in episodes one and two of Ahsoka. But even worse than that, we never learned what happened to our favorite creature after the rest of our heroes took off to galaxies unknown! The entire season fans were asking, is anyone watching Sabine’s Loth-cat? Is it okay? In the season finale of Ahsoka, we didn’t exactly get answers about the creature, but in a fashion, we learned the Loth-cat’s name and who is watching it. Plot twist, it’s you. We just hope the Star Wars universe remembers to bring the Loth-cat’s fate onto our screens sooner rather than later.
Sabine Wren’s Loth-cat Is Named Murley
In the Star Wars universe, Loth-cats came onto the scene in Star Wars Rebels. They’re a feline creature that’s native to the planet of Lothal. Star Wars’ official description shares that “while at times they can be friendly—and indeed, make affectionate pets when domesticated—Loth-cats are able hunters with sharp teeth and claws.” On Ahsoka, the first live-action appearance of a Loth-cat, we saw both aspects of the Star Wars species at play. Sabine’s Loth-cat was happy to snuggle and purr against her, but was the first to squawk at signs of trouble. And honestly, the Loth-cat crucially gave both Sabine Wren and Ahsoka an important heads-up when the enemy was near.
But one thing we did not get from Ahsoka, was the Loth-cat’s name. Happily, Star Wars‘ official accounts have arrived to fill in that blank for us. Sabine Wren’s Loth-cat is named Murley. There doesn’t seem to be any particular Star Wars Easter egg or reference embedded in the name, but we’ll take it.
Who Is Watching the Loth-cat During the Events of Ahsoka?
Although a Loth-cat can probably fend for itself to some degree, it shouldn’t have to! Over the course of Ahsoka‘s episodes, fans conveyed a great deal of worry about the fate of Sabine’s pet. We see Sabine feed the Loth-cat in Ahsoka‘s first episode, so Murely is probably used to food coming several times a day. Ultimately, Ahsoka never revisited the Loth-cat’s fate throughout the season, but we assume that Sabine asked someone to look after Murley at some juncture. Between Hera Syndulla and the people of Lothal, surely someone was around to check on the Loth-cat.
Recently, Dave Filoni shed some light on this important issue. He shared with Entertainment Weekly about what Sabine’s Loth-cat is getting up to. Filoni noted, “With the cat, obviously, there’s a couple things at play… First, I think Sabine would leave the door cracked open. Second of all, I think Murley’s smart enough to be able to move through the ventilation ducts and up and down that tower. I don’t think he needs to operate the elevator. I wouldn’t question if he could, but I think he can move up and down the ductwork to get out there to the ground level. Maybe there are other Loth-cats around. He’s not the only one.”
Additionally, Filoni does point out what we already mentioned, Ahsoka‘s Loth-cat is pretty capable. He adds, “I don’t think Murley is what I would call a domestic cat… I think it’s a wild cat that lives with Sabine, and she likes that fact and feeds it. Murley knows it’s a good situation, so it hangs out. Murley’s an opportunist and probably a bit of a pain in the butt.” That said, Filoni thinks, “There could be a whole documentary on what happens to the Loth-cat.” We totally agree.
Don’t Forget, Murley the Loth-Cat Has YOU
Of course, Star Wars reminds us, there’s you. You have always been a part of the Rebellion and now you’re a part of the Loth-cat sitter’s club. Congratulations. To drive the point home, the official Star Wars team created a LoFi video of the snoozing creature. You can watch Murley dream happy dreams for 11 hours straight and content yourself with the thought that you are watching the Loth-cat. And that the creature is both safe and happy, phew.
As for the future of Ahsoka‘s Loth-cat? Well, now that Ezra Bridger has returned to his home galaxy, he’ll probably also return to his home where Sabine Wren had been staying. We’d put a little money on the fact that he’ll discover a Loth-cat waiting for him when he enters into LothalNet comm tower E-272.
Ahsoka‘s Loth-cat Is an Animatronic, Just Like Grogu
For those who want to know more about how this cute creature came to life, Murley the Loth-cat is actually an animatronic from the Legacy Effects team. This very same team created Grogu. Before Murley’s Ahsoka debut, Loth-cats featured in The Mandalorian were purely CGI.
Natasha Liu Bordizzo, who plays Sabine Wren, shared with Empire earlier in the year, “That was my little buddy!… That cat, the complexity of the design… I mean, it has a real skeleton under there, because that’s how they control such intense facial expressions and everything.” The actress also added, “Move over, Grogu!”
Star Wars‘ complex animatronic puppets continue to wow us and melt our hearts. So much so that for seven weeks fans have been asking after the health of this animatronic. We honestly hope Grogu doesn’t end up moving over, but that these paid of adorable puppets one day get to meet in the galaxy, far, far away.
Originally published on October 4, 2023.