Summary
- Ahsoka Tano's journey mirrors that of Gandalf the White in "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," as she emerges stronger and more enlightened after surviving her emotional duel with Darth Vader.
- Similar to Kanan Jarrus in "Star Wars Rebels," Ahsoka must attain a new level and take on the role of a true Jedi Master in order for her transformation into Ahsoka the White to be complete.
- While the show is named after Ahsoka, the real hero of the story may be Sabine Wren, who will rise to demonstrate her role as the next generation's hero in the Mandalorian storytelling era, potentially playing a vital role in the conflict on Mandalore.
Ahsoka Tano may be the Ahsoka show’s titular character, but its true hero is hiding in plain sight. Ahsoka has had a tumultuous history in Star Wars. Starting as Anakin Skywalker’s brazen Padawan, she eventually became the embodiment of a true Jedi despite no longer belonging to the Jedi Order. She rallied against the Empire during the Dark Times, fought alongside fellow Jedi Kanan Jarrus, his Padawan Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, and the other of the Ghost crew, and eventually learned the truth of Vader’s existence in a harrowing showdown. All of these events and more have led Ahsoka to where she is in the Ahsoka show, ready for one final transformation.
In the Star Wars Rebels epilogue, Ahsoka Tano is resplendent in a white robe, carrying a simple, yet elegant staff. The imagery parallels that of “Gandalf the White” in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, as he emerges from his fight against the demonic Balrog as a stronger, more enlightened version of himself. The same could be said for Ahsoka – the Rebels epilogue takes place after she’s fought and survived a confrontation with Darth Vader, undoubtedly her most arduous and emotional duel yet. Creator Dave Filoni has confirmed that Gandalf was the inspiration for Ahsoka’s character arc, but she still has to take on one final role for her Gandalf-esque transformation to be complete. This final role will be revealed in the Ahsoka show, unveiling the story’s true hero in the process.
This Isn't The First Time Dave Filoni Has Been Inspired By Gandalf
Ahsoka’s journey isn’t the only time Filoni has been inspired by Gandalf’s transformative character arc. Kanan Jarrus went on a similar journey throughout Rebels, albeit with less overt visual references. Instead, Kanan’s character arc focused on his role as a mentor to Ezra Bridger. As reported by Nerdist, Filoni had this to say about Kanan’s development as a Jedi Master and how that compares to Gandalf’s experiences in Tolkien’s work:
“A lot of my modeling comes from a lot of my exposure to reading Tolkien. Gandalf is not a complete mentor. He’s way more down the path than anyone else, but he’s not complete. That’s why he’s very symbolically gray. He has to figure it out along the way and then attain a new level. Kanan has to also attain a new level before his apprentice can attain anything.”
Kanan attaining a new level refers to his sacrifice in Star Wars Rebels season 4, episode 10 “Jedi Night.” Without Kanan’s sacrifice to save his friends from an Imperial fuel tank explosion, Ezra Bridger never would have similarly sacrificed his future to defeat Grand iral Thrawn and liberate Lothal. Kanan needed to learn a lesson first for it to be imparted on Ezra, essentially completing Kanan’s role as a mentor. After learning to let go, there was nothing left for him to teach.
Gandalf, similarly, sacrificed himself to save the Fellowship from the Balrog’s wrath. This allowed him to attain new wisdom, which in turn helped defeat the enemy’s various forces and allowed Frodo and Sam to complete their quest to destroy the One Ring. Mentorship and imparted knowledge are a large part of Gandalf’s character arc. If Ahsoka Tano is to become “Ahsoka the White,” as shown in the Rebels epilogue, there is one final role she must embrace.
Star Wars Rebels Introduced Ahsoka The White... In Her Reunion With Sabine
The trailer implies that the Rebels epilogue is partially being retconned by Ahsoka. A few shots in Ahsoka’s promotional material recreate the final scene between Ahsoka and the Mandalorian Sabine Wren in live-action, though Ahsoka is wearing a gray robe, not white. This likely means the show will feature Ahsoka’s journey to becoming Ahsoka the White, as she and Sabine search the galaxy for Ezra Bridger and Grand iral Thrawn together. Her final transformation may be delayed and altered, but it is certainly still coming, especially now that it has been confirmed Ahsoka and Sabine have traveled and worked together as a Master and an apprentice.
Ahsoka’s new role as master is another step in her Gandalf-like transformation. This is an uncharted responsibility for her. Previously, in The Mandalorian season 2, Ahsoka refused to train Grogu for fear of his attachment to Din Djarin, and she never had a Padawan of her own. Just as Kanan did, Ahsoka will have to learn what it means to truly be a Jedi Master. This doesn’t necessarily mean she needs to sacrifice her life as both Kanan and Gandalf were forced to (though this is a possibility, considering Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker heavily implied Ahsoka’s fate), but Sabine needs to learn more from Ahsoka than just how to wield a lightsaber or even use the Force, should that theory turn out to be true.
Instead, Sabine needs to understand not just what it means to be a Jedi in theoretical , but in practice, as well. It’s one thing to say you are selfless, and another thing to act selflessly. If Sabine learns that lesson from her master in the Ahsoka show, not only will Ahsoka truly be ready to become Ahsoka the White, but Sabine will also be revealed as the real hero of the story.
Sabine Is The Real Hero Of Ahsoka
Once Ahsoka becomes Ahsoka the White, she will take on the archetype of “Mentor.” She’s been through a lot in the galaxy’s history, fought and won battles against countless foes, learned to make her own choices, and will, in all likelihood, overcome her final emotional roadblocks as well. She has plenty of life experience to impart to her trainee. But as a Mentor, Ahsoka cannot embody the “Hero” archetype as well. Instead, that role will shift to Sabine Wren. While that may seem like an odd decision to make in a show titled Ahsoka, it makes sense in the context of Star Wars’ thematic storytelling and the period in which Ahsoka and the other “Mandoverse” projects take place, such as The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.
Star Wars is built on a generational mentor-and-mentee storytelling pattern. A Jedi Master takes on a Padawan, that Padawan becomes a Jedi Knight and eventually takes on their own apprentice, and so on. It is about learning from those that came before, using their knowledge to better themselves and the galaxy at large. Ahsoka’s transformation into Ahsoka the White is certainly enough narrative fodder to warrant the show being named after her character, but it also allows the next generation to come forth and stake their claim. As Ahsoka embraces the Mentor role in her own show, Sabine can rise and demonstrate how she will take on the mantle of Hero in the next one.
Additionally, this era of the Star Wars timeline is dominated by Mandalorian storytelling. The Mandalorian season 3 saw the remaining Mandalorians take back Mandalore and prepare themselves to defend their homeworld. Bo-Katan Kryze and Sabine Wren know each other well, linked not only by their culture but because of their history with the Darksaber. Mandalore will need all the heroes it can find if the Imperial Remnants and Thrawn come to seek revenge. Mandalore’s vast resources and Sabine becoming a true hero in Ahsoka can set the stage for what may be her vital role in the conflict.