Ahsoka’s Fate: Analysis Of Dave Filoni’s Ahsoka Cards
I had the pleasure of talking about these sketch cards on the Sept.9.10 episode of the popular Star Wars podcast, Rebel Force Radio. The following is an expanded version of deciphering their mystery
J.R.R. Tolkien Letter 165
In a Q & A panel just after the S2 finale of Star Wars Rebels, Dave Filoni said to read Tolkien’s letters for clues, by reading about Gandalf. (He also chided the audience to read!). This letter shows how the Valar’s plan for Gandalf failed. So, I’m guessing The Force’s ‘Chosen One’ plan failed for Anakin. As Filoni recently said on the Rebels Season 2 Blu Ray special feature, Yoda gave Anakin a Padawan to help him find balance. By being balanced Anakin could have balanced The Force as well, by dealing with Palatine in Revenge Of The Sith. He failed. Yoda failed. Ahsoka failed. The Force’s plan failed. The new plan was that his son (Luke) would save Vader and the galaxy. In S2 of Rebels, Ahsoka says in the Lothal temple, in the episode Shroud Of Darkness, “There is still a way” (she seems to have been given a vision). So later, she goes to Malachor to get “knowledge” - she is going there for more insight on this new way and vision she had. I think that she goes into the unconscious in the temple on Malachor and finds evidence that Vader has Anakin buried in his unconscious. Therefore, she now knows that the other “way” (for Luke to save Vader) is possible, because Anakin is still there, however buried by Vader. Anyhow, Vader thinks he kills Ahsoka in the temple… but she doesn’t die, like Gandalf, The Force has her pass “beyond thought and time”, until her yet to be seen “Re-clothing.” Ahsoka wears grey in Rebels. At this point, I would not be surprised if she come back in white clothing!
The Malachor temple isn’t necessarily a Sith temple. Filoni confirmed that the altar is same as the one on Mortis. It could have been a Mortis related temple before it became a Sith one. So this might be a place connected to the Force Wielders of Mortis. Interestingly, the one on Malachor seems to be removed from it’s base like structure, as seen on Mortis. It could suggest that this is not it’s rightful place. Did the Sith steal it?!
Note: I have arranged Dave Filoni’s Ahsoka cards into what I think may be their order.
‘A’ symbol for Ahsoka, Anakin, or “Afterlife” as Filoni mentioned in the Rebels Star Wars Celebration London panel 2016. Also, it’s interesting to note that a ‘V’ is sort of a graphic inversion of A . Dave Filoni also said that the underworld of Malachor was an inversion of the surface. So a person in the dark side is sort of an inversion of their true self.
Card 2. Vader’s Eye
Ahsoka cut open Vader’s mask to see if Anakin might still be in there. She descends into Anakin’s unconscious. Vader truly had come to a point where he was now unaware of any Anakin in him. Anakin is dead to Vader. In this moment, Vader also aware that Ahsoka has found some small evidence of Anakin. He would not like being shown that! Dave Filoni mentions this on an interview with Rebel Force Radio (Listen here).
She descends into her unconscious. Shaped ‘A’ for her name, afterlife, Anakin etc.
She descends into the “hell’ of her current subconscious - the red river “Styx” (very Revenge Of The Sith). Hades. This is new path before her, water is the unconscious in myth and to find what is there inside her. She finds the Owl (or Daughter). The Owl is often also representative of death and wisdom in mythology. In this case, she possibly has The Daughter’s consciousness buried within her, even her “wisdom”. It may now be her fate to help maintain balance in the universe, in some way. Also, the Owl has the exact same colour scheme as The Daughter.
Further proof may be this moment when Ahsoka seemed to use The Force to deactivate the power of the Seventh Sister’s lightsaber. The only time we’ve seen this power, is from it’s use by The Father on Mortis. (Thanks to Nicky Kumar for pointing this out - a great contributor to the Rebel Force Radio Group on facebook)
Card 5. Into The Deep Unconscious
She accepts this new “Daughter” path, that she was formerly unaware of being inside her. This descent into the unconscious is also the whole Jonah and the Whale thing – when you have nothing, when you have been stripped of everything, you can see ‘who you really are’. While Jonah was submerged in water, in the darkness of the whale’s belly, he realized he wanted to accept God’s call. Ahsoka is now accepting her new calling in The Force. She is diving in. Water is also spiritual rebirth, like The Baptism.
She follows the Daughter to find her new path, and is given her new “assignment” from The Force. The new “adjusted” plan.
Card 8. The Return Journey
She ascends back to “reality”, from being beyond “thought and time” with her new assignment. She just had a Hero’s Journey to and from the unconscious. Her new role will be to help herself and others to be lifted out of “hell”, somehow.
Card 9. Wolves Of Destiny
Often the circle is a spiritual symbol of oneness and wholeness. Her new calling will be to find completeness and a new purpose in helping to restore wholeness to herself, Anakin and the galaxy.
Vader looks back (as is Mother Shmi once told him not to do). Vader leaves the Tempe but sees the Owl rising. Does he think Ahsoka is dead? Does he have any feeling that the Owl may represent more in terms of Ahsoka? He did physically aid the Daughters life force transference to Ahsoka on Mortis. As he was touching both the Daughter and Ahsoka. Interestingly, Ahsoka’s journey in the temple could have been only an instant in time. But he is looking back only a moment after he believes he left her for dead, In George Lucas’ Star Wars mythology, the lesson is to not look back. So now he is looking back into his past, this could be weakness, as Vader would want to completely forget his past to be able to be the monster he has become. There is a literal and metaphorical crack in his armor. He will want to bury Anakin further after this.
Finally, I should point out that in “Shroud Of Darkness”, the very next scene after Ahsoka says “There is still a way” in the Jedi Temple on Lothal, Yoda gives Ezra a telling insight. Ezra believes the Jedi can only win by fighting. Yoda says “How the Jedi chose to win, the question is.” This directly connects to how Luke throws down his saber in Return Of The Jedi, as Luke chooses to win through a non-violent and unconditional love for his father. He is willing to commit self-sacrifice, by letting himself be murdered by the Emperor. For Yoda, Ahsoka and all the Jedi after, the new way seems to be in selfless love, sacrifice and even a presence in the afterlife, to help guide future Jedi. The afterlife being something a selfish Sith could never achieve.
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Addendum: It is now a few years after writing this, and Ahsoka’s fate was further revealed in Rebels season 4 episode “A World Between Worlds.” Seems like I wasn’t too far off. Here is a recent interview with Dave Filoni explaining the cards
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