Warning! This article contains spoilers for Ahsoka Episode 8.
Ahsoka season one finale is now streaming on Disney+. Episode Seven left our heroes in a race against the clock to stop Thrawn returning to their galaxy. Episode Eight, The Jedi, The Witch and The Warlord, revolves around this.
With a runtime of 42 minutes (excluding credits), the season finale had many viewers worried that it would feel rushed. Dave Filoni, the creator of the show, hit the pacing perfectly. Of course, we would all love more Ahsoka content, but he must leave something for future projects.
Seeing Ezra (Eman Esfandi), Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) come together again is something Rebels fans have been waiting five years for. Trying to appease every fan has proven difficult for Disney Star Wars projects recently, but Filoni has gotten the closest.
Design, music, writing and acting aspects all came together to make Episode Eight extraordinary.
Night Sisters and Night Troopers
Filoni opened the possibility to several stories about the Night Sisters with the Witches of Dathomir in this series.
Witnessing the Night Troopers and Death Troopers (or Zombie Troopers) was an eerie experience, and it would be good to get more of them in the future. Having troopers that pose actual threat rather than masses of Storm Troopers that are usually sliced down in seconds is a nice change.
With Thrawn heading towards Dathomir at the end of the show, we may very well see them again.
The set design was phenomenal in this episode (as well as throughout the show). Between that and the incredible score by Kevin Kiner, the scenes of the Night Troopers are truly nail-biting.
Sabine and Ahsoka
The reveal that Ahsoka abandoned Sabine’s training due to her fears of Sabine joining the Darkside was a nice touch to their story. After this confession, Ahsoka tells Sabine that things have changed now and that she will always have her support.
Sabine gains more confidence in the Force since this conversation, a nice development to her character. Her grabbing her helmet at the end of the final battle symbolises her embracing the Force but not forgetting her Mandalorian roots.
Ahsoka’s Final Battle
Ahsoka and Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) face off in a climactic final battle. Having shown Ahsoka as “over-powered” and easily defeating enemies this season was a great move. When she does battle against someone important, such as Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) and now Morgan, a good and lengthy fight is had.
Another note on this fight is that moves appeared quicker and more animated, something fans of The Clone Wars were hoping for. Animated Star Wars has some great lightsabre fights, and Filoni managed to export this into live action amazingly.
The End?
As the heroes rush to stop Thrawn and struggle to fight off Morgan, we approach the suspenseful ending.
Sabine manages to get Ezra aboard Thrawn’s leaving ship with the help of the Force, leaving her and Ahsoka stranded. But, in typical Filoni fashion, we are teased with the possibility of a happy ending.
Huyang (David Tennent) manages to get the ship up and running just in time for Ahsoka and Sabine to catch up to Thrawn. However, they still weren’t quick enough and made it in time to witness Thrawn jump back to their home galaxy.
After watching from the edge of your seat, you are left as disappointed as those on screen at the realisation. Filoni, and the cast, have done an amazing job at getting viewers emersed in the story. So much so, that moments like these leave you feeling hollow and empty.
Before his departure, Thrawn taunted Ahsoka with the cold line, “today, victory is mine.”
Not rushing the ending to have the trio somehow defeat Thrawn in the final minutes is the choice this series deserved. You can tell every staff member loves the show and that they’ve put their all into making it.
As Ezra successfully escapes, he is reunited with Hera in a very bittersweet scene.
An Uncertain Future
Filoni loves to take viewers on a rollercoaster of emotions in his projects. With several questions being answered, we are left with as many new ones.
Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) and Baylan are notably absent from the episode. Fans of the new characters were disappointed by their lack of screentime, but to wrap up the main plotline it was a necessary cut.
Shin appears to be building an army at the end of the season, raising her red sabre to a group of scavengers.
Baylan’s ending is a lot more significant (and unfortunately sadder). We see him upon statues of The Father and The Son. The Clone Wars fans will know how important they are in Star Wars lore.
The statue of The Daughter is mysteriously missing, however, Morai visits Ahsoka at the end. Ahsoka’s presence on Peridea may be linked to the absent statue.
Baylan is looking out to Mortis, another crucial place in Star Wars lore. Sadly, Ray Stevenson passed away before Ahsoka even aired. It is uncertain if Baylan’s storyline will continue with a new actor, or simply remain a cliffhanger.
The end of Ahsoka?
Ahsoka’s line to Sabine, “it’s time to move on”, has worried fans as many are speculating that this could be the end of her story. With a Force ghost of Anakin appearing in the final shot, this further solidifies this theory.
Although, a character beloved by Filoni is sure to appear again in his work. Whether it will be in the form of a movie, or a season two, remains unknown.
Featured Image Credit: @ahsokaofficial / Twitter
Second year student journalist studying Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Journalism Studies.
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