For Better or For Worse, Anakin Will Always Be Central to Ahsoka’s Story
It looks like we’ll be seeing (or hearing) from Anakin in the Ahsoka series. And that makes sense, their stories are irrevocably intertwined.
With just a single-digit number of days left until the season premiere of Ahsoka, we are getting teaser content. A forty-five-second long teaser trailer came out this week and heavily featured references to and voice cameos from none other than Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker. But by this point in the timeline Akakin-slash-Darth-Vader has been out of Ahsoka Tano‘s story for years; in fact, by this point, he’s been dead for years. But it doesn’t really matter, because for better or for worse, Anakin will always be a central part of Ahaoka’s story.
Backstory
If you’re not familiar with the basic premise of the animated The Clone Wars series, I’ll try to hash out some of the basics. This show takes place (of course) during the clone wars and between Attack of the Clones (episode II) and Revenge of the Sith (episode III). It is also where we first meet Ahsoka Tano. She is introduced as Anakin Skywalker’s new apprentice, and if we’re being honest the first few episodes with her were rough.
She was young and annoying and not everyone’s cup of tea. And to add to that, Anakin didn’t seem terribly thrilled to have an apprentice. But just like Ahsoka grew on the fans to become one of the most beloved characters in the galaxy, she grew on the main cast to become everyone’s defacto little sister and true friend.
In case you’re watching, I won’t spoil why it is that we don’t see Ahsoka by the time Revenge of the Sith comes around. But her departure is poignant, and likely one of the key points that help disillusion Anakin with the Jedi Order.
Ahsoka and Darth Vader
Ahsoka is not only Anakin’s former apprentice, she was his only apprentice as a Jedi. She is one of the very few to enter his inner circle, and along with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme, is one of the only characters to really loose a loved-one. We see in the final episodes of The Clone Wars as well as in Star Wars: Rebels her moments of realization that Anakin has fallen and then eventually who and what he’s become.
It is always known to her who trained her and who he went on to be. Anakin Skywalker was almost as much family to Ahsoka as he was to Luke and Leia, and just like them she has to carry who he is with her for her whole life. Only, unlike them, she was able to get to know him as Anakin.
Anakin in the Ahsoka Series
So how will we see Anakin in the upcoming Ahsoka series? Well, likely just like we’ve seen him so far in the trailers and in Obi-Wan Kenobi – as a voice and in flashbacks. It’s been confirmed by Dave Filoni himself that if you haven’t seen the animated Star Wars shows, you’ll be in fine shape to watch Ahsoka.
But that leaves a lot of information regarding Anakin and Ahsoka’s relationship and history as a complete unknown. This will all have to be delved into, even in the quickest, most cliff-notes version possibly. And this is best done through flashbacks and memories.
How do you think Anakin will appear in the upcoming Ahsoka series? Are you as excited for this series as I am? Did that Ahsoka-and-Vader heavy episode in Rebels break your heart like it did mine? Let us know in the comments!
May the Force be with you, adventurers!
