Ahsoka‘s first season ended with Thrawn back in the galaxy far, far away. The proverbial heir to the Empire is also returning with a potential army of dark magic witches beholden to him. That was far from the episode’s only big development, though. In Ahsoka‘s finale Sabine finally learned how to use the Force, Ezra made it home while his friends didn’t, Baylan took a big step on a journey with major connections to the Force itself, and an important little green bird from Star Wars‘ past returned. Anakin Skywalker’s ghost even appeared during the season’s final moment, in an episode that will huge ramifications for the entire franchise.
Here’s everything you need to know about Ahsoka‘s finale, what it all means, and what questions still need answers.
Jump to: The Meaning of Ahsoka‘s Finale Title // The Great Mothers, Morgan Elsbeth, and the Blade of Talzin // How Did the Nightsisters Create Zombie Stormtroopers? // Why Did the Great Mothers and Thrawn Bring the Catacombs to Dathomir? // Who Does Thrawn Actually Serve? // Who is Kanan Jarrus, and What Was His Relationship With Ezra Bridger? // Why Did Ahsoka Walk Previously Away from Sabine’s Training? // Why Does Thrawn Not Really Understand Ahsoka Tano? // Will the New Republic Listen to Ezra Bridger? // What Happened to Shin Hati? // What Were Those Statues Baylan Skoll Stood on in Ahsoka‘s Finale? // What Was the Bird Ahsoka Tano Saw on Peridea? // Why Did Anakin Skywalker’s Ghost Appear in Ahsoka‘s Finale?
What Did the Title of Ahsoka‘s Season One Finale Mean?
The title of Ahsoka‘s season one finale, “The Jedi, The Witch, and The Warlord,” was a direct reference to C.S. Lewis’ classic kids book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Both stories feature evil witches, prophecies, resurrections, connections to gods, and a magical portal that can transport people between worlds.
Liam Neeson probably loved it.
What Did the Great Mothers Do to Morgan Elsbeth and What Is the Blade of Talzin?
The Great Mothers rewarded Morgan Elsbeth “who heard our dreams across the stars,” by giving her “the gift of shadows.” Once Lady Elsbeth swore to dedicate her life to the Nightsisters and the old ways they imbued her with their strongest dark majiks. Powers like that are reserved for their clan’s most powerful witches. When Morgan Elsbeth’s eyes went green and then dark with the Nightsisters’ powers and markings appeared on her face, she truly became a full-fledged member of the witches.
The Great Mothers then conjured up “the blade of Talzin” to bestow on Elsbeth. This Ahsoka finale weapon first appeared on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. In the animated series Mother Talzin, the coven’s spiritual guide and leader, summoned it to fight Mace Windu. The sword also harnesses the Nightsisters’ magical ichor.
How Did the Nightsisters Resurrect the Dead Stormtroopers in Ahsoka‘s Finale?
In Ahsoka‘s finale, the Nightsisters used their dark-side magic to resurrect the dead stormtroopers who fell fighting Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra and turned them into zombie stormtroopers. That was a new trick for Ezra and Sabine, but not for Star Wars fans. The coven raised an army of the dead on The Clone Wars. Those recently deceased night troopers were not the episode’s scariest, though.
The two powerful stormtroopers Sabine and Ezra fought on the platform had been dead for much longer. When Sabine partially destroyed one of their helmets she revealed a rotting, horrifying corpse underneath. The Nightsisters’ ability to summon the dead on their behalf is long-lasting and terrifying than we knew. We wonder if we’ll see an army of these zombie stormtroopers in Star Wars outings to come.
Why Did the Great Mothers and Thrawn Bring the Catacombs With Them to Dathomir?
Ahsoka‘s season one finale revealed Thrawn did not simply encounter the Great Mothers on Peridea. Ezra said the Grand Admiral “woke up the witches.” Why were they asleep? Were they actually dead themselves? How old are they? And how did they know about Talzin and her sword?
More importantly, can Thrawn or the Great Mothers now “wake up” all those dead Nightsisters they took with them? They must have emptied the catacombs on Peridea for a reason. Was it simply a matter of respecting the dead? Or are they going to resurrect dead Nightsisters to restore the lost coven on Dathomir? Morgan Elsbeth gave her life in her home world’s name. Would she have done that without a guarantee Dathomir’s Nightsisters would reign there once again?
Jump to: The Meaning of Ahsoka‘s Finale Title // The Great Mothers, Morgan Elsbeth, and the Blade of Talzin // How Did the Nightsisters Create Zombie Stormtroopers? // Why Did the Great Mothers and Thrawn Bring the Catacombs to Dathomir? // Who Does Thrawn Actually Serve? // Who is Kanan Jarrus, and What Was His Relationship With Ezra Bridger? // Why Did Ahsoka Walk Previously Away from Sabine’s Training? // Why Does Thrawn Not Really Understand Ahsoka Tano? // Will the New Republic Listen to Ezra Bridger? // What Happened to Shin Hati? // What Were Those Statues Baylan Skoll Stood on in Ahsoka‘s Finale? // What Was the Bird Ahsoka Tano Saw on Peridea? // Why Did Anakin Skywalker’s Ghost Appear in Ahsoka‘s Finale?
Who Does Thrawn Actually Serve: Himself or the Empire?
A decade of exile in a distant galaxy resulted in Thrawn becoming a kind of cult leader. Not only did Force-using witches serve him loyally (to the death in Morgan Elsbeth’s case), his night troopers willingly volunteered to die for him, even though a return home was mere moments away.
Thrawn continuously dismissed any suggestion people serve him personally. He said they all serve the Empire and “the security of our galaxy.” But does he mean that? How much did his exile and being entirely in charge change him? How will that impact his working relationship with the Imperial leaders on the Shadow Council? And if Thrawn does consider himself the rightful heir to the Empire, how will he feel about plans to resurrect Palpatine? (Especially when the Great Mothers might be able to help with that endeavor?)
Who is Kanan Jarrus, and What Was His Relationship With Ezra Bridger?
The great Kanan Jarrus was born Caleb Dume. As a young Padawan, he learned how to build a lightsaber from Huyang. Caleb also survived Order 66 and changed his name while in hiding. Later in life, he became Ezra Bridger’s Master and sacrificed himself to save his fellow rebels. He was also the love of Hera Syndulla’s life, but Kanan died before the birth of their son Jacen. He also was the first Jedi to teach Sabine Wren how to use a lightsaber.
In Ahsoka‘s finale, Huyang brings Kanan Jarrus up when he offers Ezra a necessary piece for the lightsaber he is fixing. The hilt Huyang gives Ezra was meant for Kanan Jarrus’ lightsaber. In Ahsoka‘s finale, the conversation about Ezra and Kanan’s relationship evokes many considerations of the bond between a Jedi and his Padawan.
Why Did Ahsoka Walk Away from Sabine’s Training Before the Series?
Huyang told Ezra the real reason Ahsoka Tano walked away from training Sabine Wren originally. Ahsoka feared Sabine wanted to become a Jedi so she could get revenge for the Siege of Mandalore. The Empire’s destruction of the planet killed hundreds of thousands of Mandalorians. That included Sabine’s entire family. Ahsoka feared that if Sabine “unlocked her potential” Sabine’s anger would make her “dangerous.”
That didn’t happen when Sabine finally did tap into the Force during her fight with the powerful zombie trooper. Sabine helped Ezra onto the Eye of Sion before going back to help Ahsoka rather than go after Thrawn. She also accepted their seeming fate on Peridea.
Why Does Thrawn Not Really Understand Ahsoka Tano?
Thrawn knew Ahsoka Tano’s Master. The Grand Admiral believed that gave him meaningful insight into who Ahsoka is; he says as much in Ahsoka‘s finale. But it’s clear he doesn’t fully understand her.
Thrawn openly wondered if Ahsoka might one day also follow Anakin’s path to the dark side. Even suggesting she’s capable of that (especially after Ahsoka passed her final lesson with Anakin in the World Between Worlds) shows Thrawn isn’t Ahsoka expert he believes. He does not really understand who Ahsoka is and why. That could one day result in him underestimating her when it matters most.
Jump to: The Meaning of Ahsoka‘s Finale Title // The Great Mothers, Morgan Elsbeth, and the Blade of Talzin // How Did the Nightsisters Create Zombie Stormtroopers? // Why Did the Great Mothers and Thrawn Bring the Catacombs to Dathomir? // Who Does Thrawn Actually Serve? // Who is Kanan Jarrus, and What Was His Relationship With Ezra Bridger? // Why Did Ahsoka Walk Previously Away from Sabine’s Training? // Why Does Thrawn Not Really Understand Ahsoka Tano? // Will the New Republic Listen to Ezra Bridger? // What Happened to Shin Hati? // What Were Those Statues Baylan Skoll Stood on in Ahsoka‘s Finale? // What Was the Bird Ahsoka Tano Saw on Peridea? // Why Did Anakin Skywalker’s Ghost Appear in Ahsoka‘s Finale?
Will the New Republic Listen to Ezra Bridger After Ahsoka‘s Finale?
The New Republic hasn’t supported Hera Syndulla or taken the threat of Thrawn returning seriously. Now that the long-missing Ezra Bridger himself is back in his right galaxy, will they finally wake up and listen to him? Or will Senator Xiono and his colleagues continue to find ways to dismiss the existential threat they all face?
What Happened to Shin Hati on Ahsoka?
After Ahsoka showed Shin Hati mercy, the former Baylan Skoll apprentice did not return to Thrawn’s side. Shin passed on a chance to take her position in a new Empire and decided to stay on Peridea. Lost and without a Master to guide her, Shin then returned to the warrior clan she’d recently fought alongside.
Shin’s now stuck in a distant galaxy on a planet with the Jedi who spared her life. (And another Jedi Shin tried to kill multiple times.) What will that mean for her future? For Ahsoka and Sabine’s? In Star Wars, Jedi showing their enemies mercy often leads to them becoming allies, but is Shin too scared to ever trust someone she learned to hate? Could she instead rejoin her former Master who is also still on Peridea?
What Were Those Statues Baylan Skoll Stood on in Ahsoka‘s Finale?
Baylan Skoll’s quest to find “the beginning” on Peridea led him to gigantic statues of major Star Wars figures introduced on The Clone Wars. The bearded statue Baylan Skoll saw was that of the Father, the powerful ancient Force being and patriarch of the Mortis gods. The Father kept his Son (representing the dark side of the Force) and his Daughter (the light) in balance for at least 25,000 years before they all died. (That dates them back to the very founding of the Jedi Order.) The Son’s statue on Peridea remains standing in full alongside the Father’s—which seems to point the way for Baylan’s next step. However, the Daughter’s statue no longer has a head. What does that mean?
Ahsoka Tano owes her life to the Daughter, and some think the Jedi is the living embodiment of the dead Mortis god. Is Baylan Skoll—a Force user who straddles light and dark and hates both the Jedi and Sith—now the dead Father’s living representative? If so, who is the Son’s? And what does the presence of tehse Ahsoka finale statues on Peridea mean for the Force and “the beginning” Baylan seeks? Does he want to bring balance by destroying the Force forever?
The implications of Baylan’s quest are now bigger and more important than ever. As the former Jedi said, the power he seeks is far greater than any Thrawn wants.
What Was the Bird Ahsoka Tano Saw on Peridea?
How will Ahsoka, Sabine, and Huyang get back to the galaxy far, far away without either the Eye of Sion or Purrgil to take them across the vast universe? They might follow a small green bird through a magical portal. That winged creature Ahsoka saw near the finale’s end looked exactly like Morai, the convor bird who was once Ahsoka’s companion. Morai also appeared on the shoulder of the Daughter in ancient paintings of the Mortis gods. And Morai helped guide Ezra and Ahsoka in and out of the World Between Worlds previously.
If this bird is Morai in some form, it might lead Ahsoka and her friends back to the World Between Worlds, which would give them a way home. That dimension exists outside space and time. It has portals to different places and times. One of which will let them return to their home galaxy.
Why Did Anakin Skywalker’s Ghost Appear at the End of Ahsoka‘s Season 1 Finale?
Anakin Skywalker has been looking after his old Padawan since she fell from the ancient temple on Seatos. He helped Ahsoka unlock her heart in the World Between Worlds, and his old lessons helped guide Ahsoka on how to best teach Sabine. He was also there on Peridea in the season’s final moment. While neither Sabine nor Ahsoka could see him, they both sensed the “shadows in the starlight.” That provided comfort to Ahsoka.
At first, Anakin—the Mortis Father’s chosen replacement who killed the Son and used the Daughter’s essence to save Ahsoka—seemed worried. But as the episode came to an end, he began to smile. In an episode and season where so many things went wrong, his presence on Peridea during the finale served as a sign that even though many dark days lie ahead, Ahsoka will continue to be a beacon of hope in every galaxy.
Jump to: The Meaning of Ahsoka‘s Finale Title // The Great Mothers, Morgan Elsbeth, and the Blade of Talzin // How Did the Nightsisters Create Zombie Stormtroopers? // Why Did the Great Mothers and Thrawn Bring the Catacombs to Dathomir? // Who Does Thrawn Actually Serve? // Who is Kanan Jarrus, and What Was His Relationship With Ezra Bridger? // Why Did Ahsoka Walk Previously Away from Sabine’s Training? // Why Does Thrawn Not Really Understand Ahsoka Tano? // Will the New Republic Listen to Ezra Bridger? // What Happened to Shin Hati? // What Were Those Statues Baylan Skoll Stood on in Ahsoka‘s Finale? // What Was the Bird Ahsoka Tano Saw on Peridea? // Why Did Anakin Skywalker’s Ghost Appear in Ahsoka‘s Finale?
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.