Ahsoka Episode 4 Sent Clone Wars Fans Reeling With Just Two Words
This article contains spoilers for "Ahsoka" episode 4, "Fallen Jedi."
It doesn't take much to excite fans of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." Tell them there would be new episodes, or that Captain Rex would appear somewhere, and they might get worked up. But hearing two simple words on the latest episode of "Ahsoka" was enough to send them reeling:
"Hey, Snips."
That's it. Those are the two words. Those two simple words promised the first appearance of Hayden Christensen reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker in "Star Wars: Ahsoka," and we were not let down. This live-action iteration of Anakin never got to interact with his fan-favorite Padawan until now, and he certainly never had a chance to use her old nickname. Hearing it uttered in Christensen's voice at the end of episode 4, "Fallen Jedi," is nothing short of spine-tingling.
What makes this moment all the more important is that Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) is meeting her master again, perhaps for the last time. But when did they first meet and how did she get that nickname?
Their first meeting
This moment on "Ahsoka" echoes the first time Anakin and Ahsoka ever met. We've already covered why he calls her Snips here at /Film, but their first meeting was especially important. Anakin hadn't applied for a Padawan and it was to his great shock when Ahsoka arrived on the planet Christophsis, reporting for duty. This occurred in the original animated feature film, released theatrically in 2008, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." Some fans were not initially receptive to the revelation that Anakin would be shepherding an apprentice throughout the Clone Wars, particularly since there was no sign of her before during "Revenge of the Sith."
Anakin and Ahsoka's relationship got off to a rocky start, but they eventually grew closer as Ahsoka quickly became an exceedingly competent apprentice (not to mention, a fan favorite). Together, they went on adventures across the galaxy, and Anakin not only taught Ahsoka everything he knew, he treated her like he wanted to be treated when he was a Padawan. They made an unusual but somehow perfect pair.
The way Ahsoka turns around to look at Anakin in "Fallen Jedi" also recalls the shots of Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order and walking away from Anakin during the fifth season of the "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" TV series. It is another bit of rhyming across the rest of the saga that rewards those who are up to date on all of the storytelling across shows and media.
But where are they?
But where are Ahsoka and Anakin that would allow this moment to happen?
Some have guessed that the pair are in the World Between Worlds. This was a concept first introduced during "Star Wars Rebels." The World Between Worlds is a realm that exists outside the Force and connects different points in time. It allowed Ezra Bridger, who accessed it through a Jedi Temple on Lothal, to pluck Ahsoka from her showdown with Darth Vader on Malachor and strand her in a different place on the timeline. That could be what we're seeing here, though the visuals of that setting are different than the one featured in "Fallen Jedi."
Another theory is that this is the netherworld of the Force Qui-Gon Jinn spoke of on the path to immortality. We've never seen the inside of it, and that could explain why Anakin is in his final form here and not glowing like a Force Ghost.
What it actually is remains to be seen.
Either way, the promise this moment makes is a big one. It seems likely that next week we'll get that important conversation between Anakin and Ahsoka where he finally explains his actions to her, including why he turned to the dark side. It's the moment many of us were hoping for in the sequel trilogy with Luke, and now it looks like we're getting it here in the best episode of "Ahsoka" so far.
New episodes of "Ahsoka" premiere on Tuesday nights on Disney+ at 6:00pm Pacific, 9:00pm Eastern.