Anakin Skywalker's Star Wars timeline.

Because of this importance, many have questioned whether Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order played a role in Anakin's fall to the dark side. I know firsthand how both Dawson and Anakin Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen would answer this question, as I attended a last year during which they addressed it head on. Even in those responses, though, there is one aspect of Ahsoka's experience with the Jedi that did shape Anakin's fall to the dark side, and I've not seen it pointed out anywhere else.

Rosario Dawson And Hayden Christensen Disagree About Anakin's Fall

The Actors Shared Opposing Viewpoints Regarding This Question

At FAN EXPO Philadelphia 2024, Rosario Dawson and Hayden Christensen participated in a , during which they were asked whether Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order influenced Anakin's fall to the dark side. Although Christensen said he felt there was something to that (but that it wasn't Ahsoka's fault), Dawson disagreed. In fact, Dawson not only said that she didn't believe Ahsoka's departure played a role but also that Dave Filoni himself had told her this didn't cause Anakin's fall.

In Dawson's view, at least in of what she shared during the , Ahsoka didn't have a bearing on Anakin's fall, and the issue (however jokingly she said it) comes down to Anakin's own ability. Christensen's perspective was quite different. As Christensen articulated during the , "There's a lot to Anakin's fall that has to do with circumstance and timing." Christensen added:

"That's sort of the interesting concept that is presented is how much of it is fate and destiny or how much of it is by happenstance or the events that Anakin has absolutely no control over. How much free will does he really have?"

Realistically, neither Dawson nor Christensen was wrong, and I don't believe their responses were really all that contradictory.

It's true, as both Dawson and Filoni evidently agree, that Ahsoka was not responsible for what happened to Anakin. Anakin almost certainly still would have turned to the dark side had she stuck around—the prequel trilogy suggested he'd fallen to the dark side without her even existing at that time, after all. Yet, Christensen is also right. Anakin's fall did not happen in a vacuum. Rather, there was a series of defining moments in Anakin's fall to the dark side.

Ahsoka leaving the Order was among these key moments, certainly, as this was yet another attachment that Anakin had and ultimately lost in a way that he felt partially responsible for. This still does not make Anakin's fall Ahsoka's fault; she was doing what was right for herself at the time, and it was more than fair given how the Jedi had treated her. However, there is another aspect of Ahsoka's departure that may have had a much bigger impact on Anakin's fall.

Ahsoka Didn't Cause Anakin's Fall, But Her Situation Made Him Think He Had No Choice

Anakin Had Witnessed The Jedi Council's Treatment Of Ahsoka, And That Changed Things

Yes, Anakin was heartbroken over Ahsoka's departure, and he struggled with the loss of that close bond, but Anakin witnessing how horribly the Jedi Council treated Ahsoka was equally damaging, if not more so. On the one hand, this reified for Anakin that the Jedi were flawed, which contributed to his belief that the Jedi had become the evil ones in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Whereas that has been discussed, though, the fact that witnessing the Council's treatment of Ahsoka made Anakin believe he was irredeemable has often been overlooked.

Witnessing the Council's treatment of Ahsoka made Anakin believe he was irredeemable.

In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Anakin watched as Ahsoka—who he knew was innocent—was falsely accused of murder. What made this so much worse was that, rather than trusting her, the Jedi Council turned their backs on Ahsoka, kicking her out of the Order and leaving her entirely in the hands of the Senate, which wanted the penalty for this crime to be death. In addition to revealing just how cold the Jedi could be, this taught Anakin that, when push came to shove, the Jedi would not trust him or keep him safe.

This became most pivotal when Anakin confronted Mace Windu and Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith. He clearly hadn't meant for Mace to die when he cut off his arm, given his immediate response was "What have I done?" He had acted on pure instinct, desperate to save Pé. However, when he realized that he'd just contributed to Mace Windu's death, Anakin knew he was too far gone in the eyes of the Jedi, and because of what had happened to Ahsoka, he knew there was no turning back.

Even When He Fell, Anakin Was A Victim Of His Circumstances

None Of This Was Really What Anakin Wanted

After watching what had happened to Ahsoka, Anakin felt he had no choice but to Palpatine due to his role in Mace Windu's death. He knew, because of how the Jedi had reacted to the charges against Ahsoka, that if they were to discover what he'd done, they wouldn't have forgiven him, much less allowed him to continue to be a Jedi. However sorry he may have been, Anakin was aware that, from then on, he would be kicked out of the Order, put on trial, or worse.

As Christensen himself indicated, Anakin's fall was an amalgamation of things, some within his control and some far beyond it. None of this is to say that Anakin was blameless—that would be an absurd assertion. Yet, the situation with Ahsoka made Anakin feel as though he had no chance to redeem himself from the second Mace Windu went out that window in Palpatine's office. In that sense, Ahsoka Tano didn't cause Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader's fall to the dark side, but her departure had a major impact nevertheless.