Ahsoka Episode 4 is full of lightsaber duels, interesting plot twists, and a moment that Clone Wars fans have been waiting for an extremely long time!
Excitement, fear, joy, this episode has everything!
Recap of the story
Thanks to the tracking device that Chopper planted on the transport, Sabine and Ahsoka managed to learn where Morgan Elsbeth was preparing for Thrawn’s search. When they reached the planet, multiple fighters attacked and damaged the ship.
Meanwhile, General Syndulla urges the New Republic Council to take action against the imminent threat. Chancellor Mothma is seriously concerned but the other politicians who surround her don’t know the horrors of war, so they denied Hera’s request.
Unprepared For Battle
Baylan and Morgan aren’t amateurs, they know that even if the enemy hasn’t revealed itself it’s still necessary to keep looking for them. Ahsoka and Sabine aren’t amateurs either, but they simply wait for Huyang to fix the ship while no one watches out.
This doesn’t even have to do with being experienced or not, it’s common sense. The enemy is desperately trying to find Thrawn and is just minutes before being able to leave the galaxy. There’s no one with the technology to follow them so if they’re gone, Thrawn returns, as simple as that.
I understand that having backup is needed in this kind of situation but time doesn’t allow that. If Huyang didn’t alert them it would be a completely different story. It was very cool to see Professor Huyang use some of his experience to fight an HK Droid one versus one. He was subdued but it still was an enjoyable moment.
Once A Rebel, Always A Rebel
The New Republic Council decided that Thrawn’s return was nothing but an unfounded rumor. I can’t tell if it’s incompetence or stupidity but I guess Hera has the same thought because as soon as she’s told that no one will be sent to confirm her suspects, she heads to the Ghost with Jaycen and Chopper to do what she does best.
Hera understands that being a General is a role with a lot of influence and power. Having the authority to command war fleets is a great responsibility and she must act according to her position.
However, there are certain times when disobeying orders is necessary. Sitting with crossed arms while waiting for the new head of the Empire to return might suit the politicians but not the leader of Phoenix Squadron.
Hera fought her entire life against the Galactic Empire, she lost family, friends, and her partner in the war. Whatever the consequences are for going rogue, nothing can be worse than the regret of not helping her friends. The best thing is that Captain Carson Teva is joining her in this rescue mission.
The Last Inquisitor
Marrok is a mystery that many of us wondered about since his appearance in the first trailers. We know the fate of pretty much every Inquisitor, from the Grand Inquisitor up to the Thirteenth Sister. The fact of having an unidentified Inquisitor in this series made everything more exciting and intriguing.
Ahsoka is no stranger when it comes to fighting Inquisitors. She faced the Fifth Brother, Sixth Brother, Seventh Sister, and Eight Brother. None of them were close to matching Ahsoka in any way, and Marrok isn’t the exception.
Every member of the Inquisitorius is powerful, yes, but probably only the Grand Inquisitor has a small chance when dueling an experienced Jedi. And even he was defeated by a relatively inexperienced Kanan Jarrus.
The double-bladed lightsabers that Inquisitors use can be a very intimidating weapon but against a powerful Jedi they become a disadvantage. They use double-bladed sabers not because they’re super proficient at it but because the spinning feature of the saber allows them to do incredible amounts of damage when using two blades.
This “spinning attack” is a signature movement of the Inquisitors, once a Jedi has learned to counter this attack it will probably work against any Inquisitor. It’s dangerous to get close to the crimson blades but at the same time the enemy is “locked” when performing this attack. It doesn’t matter how good they are, their options are very limited and Ahsoka knows how to exploit this opening.
I loved how in just a single strike Ahsoka defeated Marrok, but what really surprised me was what happened next. Some sort of “dust” came out of the slashed armor and the remains collapsed to the ground. It’s like the essence of someone (or something) was being contained inside the armor but after getting damaged it vanished.
It has a greenish color to it, perhaps Nightsister magic is behind this character. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that they managed to bring someone back from death.
We might not learn who or what was inside the Inquisitor’s armor but I like the idea of it remaining a mystery. At least the dumb theories about him being Starkiller or Ezra won’t be all over the internet anymore.
Rematch
Sabine Wren might not be the greatest lightsaber wielder but she’s a fast learner. After getting her butt kicked by Shin Hati during their first encounter she has done some training but even then, the Mandalorian girl knows that there are many other ways to win a battle.
Sabine knows that she can’t defeat Shin in a pure lightsaber battle. This is why as soon as the battle began, Sabine used her Mandalorian weapons to compensate for her lack of lightsaber prowess.
Shin didn’t take this into account, the overconfidence and superior ability of Baylan’s apprentice led her to believe that raw power is what determines the outcome of a battle.
When it looked like Sabine was defeated, she used one of her many Mandalorian weapons to disarm Shin. This caught the dark Jedi by surprise, causing her to run away from Sabine when the opportunity appeared.
The duel between the two apprentices might not have ended in Sabine’s favor, but it’s definitely an improvement over the first time that they fought. She used every resource at her disposal and kept her head cool. Too bad that it wouldn’t last long.
Baylan vs Ahsoka
Even though Baylan is sided with Morgan Elsbeth, I still don’t fully buy that he’s a completely evil man. He has his own agenda and getting Thrawn back is just a means to an end. Obviously doing anything necessary regardless of who it hurts isn’t something a “good” person would do, but many things in Star Wars can’t simply be seen in white or black terms.
He reminds me of Count Dooku, focused and never losing his temper when being in the middle of an intense battle. Baylan also uses words in an attempt to unbalance Ahsoka, even if this doesn’t work, it shows that he’s willing to use anything to gain advantage.
The funny thing is that even if it comes to his dueling abilities, Baylan Skoll could stand his ground against some of the most formidable opponents. His movements are simple but extremely powerful, he certainly reminds me of Darth Vader or the Crossguard Stance in Star Wars Jedi Survivor.
Ahsoka uses her superior speed and agility to counter Baylan’s powerful but slow attacks. The fight appears to be pretty even until she manages to take the map. First, I thought that the easiest thing to do was to destroy it with her lightsaber.
She said Sabine that leaving Ezra stranded would be better than risking the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn. But despite this, she tried to recover the map so that they could go and find Ezra themselves. Sadly, it all went downhill after this.
Ahsoka’s hand was seriously injured, making it impossible to properly block Baylan’s strikes with just one hand. Not only does her body become unbalanced, but when Shin returns, Ahsoka immediately assumes the worst and she channels her anger towards Shin, slamming her against the wall.
It’s true that she also did it to prevent Shin from taking the map, but I felt like that was very personal. I think this is the first time that we see Ahsoka despair since the trial related to the bombing of the Jedi Temple during the Clone Wars.
When this happened, the small hope that remained of Ahsoka coming victorious vanished. Even when Sabine showed up, Baylan knew that she wouldn’t shoot him so he continued to strike until Ahsoka fell to her doom.
Attachments Lead To The Dark Side
Since the beginning of the series, we’ve seen a broken version of Sabine. The brave and confident Mandalorian girl that we met on Star Wars Rebels is long gone. The Battle of Lothal might have been one of the greatest victories for the rebels, but Sabine lost something that hurts to this day.
Baylan is a practical man, he doesn’t kill unless it’s necessary. Turning your enemy to your side is a greater achievement than defeating it. Sabine’s training was extremely basic and without the ability to use the Force her mind is an open book to Baylan. Without any effort, he’s able to read her emotions and use all of Sabine’s fears to convince her to give up the map.
Ahsoka has always been extremely afraid of creating attachments, she refused to train Grogu because of this and I assume it’s also one of the reasons why she left Sabine. Sabine is the exact opposite, she created incredibly strong bonds with everyone in the Ghost Crew.
For a good part of her life, Kanan, Hera, Zeb, Chopper, and Ezra became her new family. They supported Sabine and didn’t judge her for all of her past mistakes. As good as it is, it also has its downsides. In just a very short period of time, her newfound family disappeared. Kanan died, and Ezra disappeared. After the defeat of the Galactic Empire, Zeb, Hera, and Chopper joined the New Republic.
In a matter of months, everything was gone. Even the Wren clan, whom she managed to make amends with, disappeared on the Night of a Thousand Tears. Sabine had no one else left, this pain and sadness have grown over the years to a point that it dictates Sabine’s actions.
She’s so desperate to find her closest friend that it only takes Baylan mere seconds to convince her that his return is possible. It’s sad seeing Sabine in such a state that she so easily betrays everything the Ghost Crew and Ahsoka have fought for. Though, I can’t deny that I’m very intrigued about where the story is going.
Master And Apprentice
The World Between Worlds finally makes its appearance. It is a place that connects everything through space and time, but according to Dave Filoni, it’s not something that allows time travel. I interpret this place as a limbo between the life and death of every living being that is connected through the Force.
Ahsoka was able to enter this place after Ezra pulled her through one of its portals. This happened in Star War Wars Rebels, in case you want to learn more about these events, check everything you need to know before Ahsoka guide. There’s a lot that we don’t know about this dimension but hopefully, more questions will be answered in the upcoming episodes.
As incredible as it is watching the World Between Worlds in live-action, it doesn’t compare to what happens next. “Hello, snips”. A phrase that we heard a dozen times during the Clone Wars animated show when Anakin Skywalker greeted his Padawan.
I knew what was about to happen, but it didn’t matter. My eyes watered out of joy and happiness when Anakin Skywalker appeared right in front Ahsoka. This has already become one of my favorite moments in all of Star Wars.
Anakin and Ahsoka are probably my two favorite Jedi of all time and watching them interact in live-action for the first time ever is priceless. The moment was set up perfectly, it relied on our nostalgia and emotions for its delivery and it couldn’t have been better. It’s incredible how the right choice of words between two characters can trigger so many emotions.
This is the first time that they see each other since their duel on Malachor V. A lot has happened since that moment and while it’s a beautiful moment, I can’t ignore the Vader theme that plays right before the episode ends, I think it foreshadows an upcoming dark event. My assumption is that Ahsoka will have to face her fears but maybe I’m wrong. Honestly, I want to be surprised with whatever happens in the next episode.
Easter eggs and references
This episode’s easter eggs can’t beat the appearance of Anakin Skywalker, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy the return of a great Republic pilot or a reference to one of the best Star Wars book trilogies.
Heir To The Empire
During a conversation with Sabine, Ahsoka mentions that Thrawn is returning as “Heir to the Empire”. This is a reference to a Thrawn novel written in 1991 by Timothy Zahn. It is not part of the Disney canon but it’s highly praised as one of the best Star Wars book trilogies ever written.
Twin Suns
The duel between Marrok and Ahsoka ended exactly as the duel between Kenobi and Maul that took place in the Rebels Episode “Twin Suns”.
Brendan Wayne
One of the X-Wing pilots is played by Brendan Wayne, one of the two men who play the Mandalorian Din Djarin when he’s wearing his helmet.
Carson Teva
I’m super happy to see that Captain Carson Teva is backing Hera Syndulla. Teva has appeared multiple times on The Mandalorian. I’m glad that Teva is back not only because I like the character but also because the actor who plays it, Paul Sun Hyung Lee, is a hardcore Star Wars fan and collector. The man is living the dream.
Final Thoughts
This has been my favorite episode so far. It manages to connect Clone Wars, Rebels, Revenge of the Sith, the Original Trilogy, The Mandalorian, and even the Sequel Trilogy into a forty-minute episode.
That doesn’t mean that I’m not frustrated with both Sabine and Ahsoka. Ahsoka’s fear of attachment and Sabine’s being overly attached to the past are two sides of the same coin. Their fears have controlled them and the consequences of it are inevitable at this point.
It’s probably that this is some type of test for them, after all, every Jedi must fight their inner darkness. I’m almost certain that both will learn and grow from this but it’s still a little upsetting.
There’s no reason for the New Republic to not prepare for Thrawn’s imminent return. A man with his skills and intelligence can take the Imperial Remnants and turn them into a force that can threaten the New Republic’s existence. Though, considering that the First Order is able to rise we can assume that if they do something, it’s not going to be enough.
I can’t wait to hear the conversation between “Snips” and “Skyguy”, even if things take a dark turn, it will be very interesting. What do you think is going to happen between Anakin and Ahsoka?
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