Disney Plus’s series Star Wars Ahsoka, Season 2 Episode 5, called “Shadow Warrior,” explores the story of Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and Huyang (David Tenant) learning of the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelson). They are on a mission to locate Thrawn’s location to not only eliminate Thrawn as a threat but to find their friend Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), who likely survived alongside the Grand Admiral during the aftermath of the Battle of Lothal during the Age of the Rebellion. However, the Dark Jedi mercenary Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson), Baylan’s apprentice Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno), and Nightsister Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) seek to bring Thrawn back as Heir to the Empire. Therefore, the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant are on a race to find Thrawn, and the fate of the Known Galaxy lies on who reaches the Grand Admiral first.
The episode begins with Ahsoka reuniting with Anakin (Hayden Christensen) in the World Between Worlds. Ahsoka questions her master’s appearance, and he responds with his wish to complete his padawan’s training. Her final training from the Chosen One is to find her will to live and a desire to stay alive. Anakin trains Ahsoka via a duel until they travel through flashbacks of their past journeys during the Battle of Ryloth and Ahsoka’s past participation in the Siege of Mandalore during The Clone Wars. During those two battles, Ahsoka takes on her young padawan appearance (Ariana Greenblatt) to fight through the droids and Maul’s Mandalorians. Also, Captain Rex (Temuera Morrison) appears in the flashbacks during the two battles. Frustrated, Ahsoka does not get the point of Anakin’s training, causing Anakin to use the Dark Side and shift between his Vader form to fight his apprentice. Ahsoka defeats her master in the duel and proclaims her desire and will to live. With her proclamation, Anakin lets go of the Dark Side and smiles because he is proud she passed his final training and test: Finding the will to live. After the training, Anakin disappears, and Ahsoka returns to Seastos, albeit in the ocean.
Hera and Phoenix Squadron save Ahsoka. The combined efforts of Hera and Phoenix Squadron’s search, Chopper’s monitoring, and Jacen’s use of the Force helped them find Ahsoka. One rotation later, Ahsoka wakes up and wears white robes to signify her change following Anakin’s final training. She becomes more expressive and emotional compared to before when she wore grey robes. From that point, Ahsoka aids in finding out what happened to Sabine and discovers, with Psychometry, that Baylan and Shin took Sabine on the Eye of Sion’s journey to Peridea in the unknown galaxy.
Ahsoka learns she and Huyang can ride the Purgill by flying their T6 Ship into an adult Purgill’s mouth. However, the heroes face a problem with Chancellor Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) and Senator Leia Organa unable to hold off the New Republic Senate Comission’s desire to send a fleet to bring Ahsoka and Hera back to Coruscant. Thus, Hera and Carson Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) stall the New Republic fleet while Ahsoka Force bonds with an adult Purgill, which allows Ahsoka and Huyang, in their T6 Ship, to enter its mouth and take them to Peridea. The T6 Ship enters the Purgill’s mouth and waits as the Purgill pack leaves Seastos and jumps into hyperspace to Peridea to the amazement and awe of the New Republic fleet and Phoenix Squadron. Riding the Purgill, both Ahsoka and Huyang travel to a galaxy far, far away.
Anakin (Skyguy) and Ahsoka (Snips) in Siege of Mandalore Vision
In Ahsoka Season 1, Director and Writer Dave Filoni made the fifth episode magnificent and awesome. Anakin’s return is sad and emotional because it is a redeemed Anakin after Luke saved him from Sidious and the Dark Side in Return of the Jedi. Anakin’s redemption and strong connections with the Force and the Mortis Gods likely gave him another chance to save and train Ahsoka one final time in the World Between Worlds. Anakin’s last training for Ahsoka resembles Anakin’s training for Cade Skywalker in Legends, in which he relies on his Light Side as Anakin and his Dark Side as Vader to train someone as a Force Ghost.
Regarding Ahsoka’s decision to wear white robes after completing her final training with Anakin, Dave Filoni wanted to make Ahsoka go through a similar journey as Gandalf when he changed and grew from Gandalf the Grey to Gandalf the White, enlightened and more powerful than ever. Thanks to Anakin’s final training, Ahsoka found peace in Anakin’s death and transformation into Vader, and she regained the joy and exciting emotions she displayed during The Clone Wars as a Padawan and a Jedi Knight. Ahsoka the Grey is no more. Ahsoka the White is born. Some theories suggest Ahsoka will become the new Daughter, the embodiment of the Light Side, similar to how Anakin might’ve become the embodiment of The Father and the balance between the Light Side and the Dark Side of the Force. Ahsoka was blessed and gifted powers from The Daughter, while Anakin somewhat became The Father’s successor in The Mortis Arc during The Clone Wars series.
Rating: 9/10