Written by Amanda Clark
Ahsoka Episode 5, ‘Shadow Warrior,’ proves it is the Ahsoka show and not Star Wars Rebels Season 5, as the first episode might’ve led Rebel fans to believe.
This episode focuses on Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson, The Defenders) in the World Between Worlds with a better-looking Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen, Obi Wan Kenobi). Or maybe it still looks as bad as the previous episode, but since he has more screen time, it’s something that’s easy to get used to and not distracting.
Now, a previous article on Ahsoka Episode 4 ‘Fallen Jedi’ might’ve mentioned how the show should stay in the present, and well, let’s just say that didn’t happen. But of course, Dave Filoni, the series creator, knows what he is doing, and the way Ahsoka and Anakin went to the past is done beautifully. Filoni now needs to create a live-action limited series of these two in the Clone Wars.
The best part of this “time travel” is being able to see Christensen’s Anakin with a red lightsaber, not as Darth Vader. Or it might be seeing him in his Clone Wars uniform during Ahsoka’s very first mission with Anakin. Whatever each fan will say their favorite moment of this episode is (because it will be hard to choose), no one can disagree that it’s the best episode so far, and that’s saying a lot as each episode keeps destroying any possibility of there being a chance that there will be a bad episode.
Another great tidbit of the episode is the small cameo of Captain Rex (voiced by Temuera Morrison), and it is the perfect screentime length for the character as this shouldn’t become another season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars or become connected with the catastrophe of The Book of Boba Fett by having Morrison on board.
As it is the past, viewers are able to see young Ahsoka in live action. Choosing Ariana Greenblatt to play the younger version of this beloved character is spot on. On top of the casting to have worked well, Greenblatt is creating a killer resume, including Avengers: Infinity War and Barbie on top of Star Wars now. Seems like Warner Bros. and Disney might have to duel for her, which could be entertaining to see unfold.
But back to Anakin and Ahsoka’s interactions, of course, fans were served with a lightsaber duel. And within this fight, Ahsoka says how she won’t fight Anakin, and lo and behold, Anakin responds by recalling how she said that already (aka she said that in the one clip every fan has seen even if they don’t watch Star Wars Rebels — the duel between Ahsoka and Darth Vader). For any Rebels fan, this probably made them giddy. But even for those who haven’t watched the animated series, the scenes between the master and Padawon are just great to have.
Seeing more of an interaction between live-action Anakin and Ahsoka (even though it felt too short) helps tie it to the prequels and back to the lighter personality of Ahsoka that’s missed. There were a few jokes thrown around, and seeing the two converse as if Anakin knows everything (like he always was training Ahsoka) leaves no words except please bring more of this. Even if it’s just short episodes in a limited series like the series Tales of the Jedi.
And from the duel with these two is how Jacen Syndulla (Evan Whitten) helped his mom, Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), find Ahsoka. But this scene leads to a question and an answer. The answer is that Jacen is force-sensitive and will possibly become a Jedi like his father. The question to ask now is, is Hera force-sensitive? If Hera is able to hear the lightsaber fight happening in the World Between Worlds like Jacen, then she must be more than a pilot. So, will she be learning from Ahsoka in the future once this mission is complete, or will that get ignored and only the force sensitivity be focused on Jacen? What happens in the rest of the season (and hopefully another season) can only answer this.
Lastly, the Purrgils, as predicted in Socially Distanced #174, do have a larger role in this universe for the viewers to see (thankfully). This helps conclude the episode in a perfect way by leading up to Grand Admiral Thrawn’s return and how Ahsoka will get to the destination. Purrgils are more than just flying space whales, which is how it should be.
Ahsoka only continues to prove that good writing and care for a character is the key to a successful show — not having fanservice, or what creators believe is fanservice, is the answer. Many fans say how they want Hondo Ohnaka in the show. But if Disney does fanservice, then Ahsoka might not be what it is today: a near-perfect show, aka the best Disney+ show.
Ahsoka Episode 5, ‘Shadow Warrior’ is now streaming on Disney+
Comments are closed.