Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Episode 5 of Ahsoka.
The Big Picture
- The World Between Worlds is a place where Jedi can learn and experience important lessons, showcasing that even experienced Jedi have room to grow and mature, we see the live action version of this in Ahsoka Episode 5.
- Ahsoka’s emotional journey in the World Between Worlds allows her to confront her past and release the internalized regret and pain that has been holding her back.
- The figment of Anakin that Ahsoka sees in her Force visions represents her own feelings and memories, teaching her the importance of letting go of the past and embracing her own legacy.
In Star Wars, the most important enemy that a Jedi will face is the enemy that exists within them. Sometimes, a Jedi will hold themselves back because they are internalizing things like fear, regret, or trauma, but only until they face their inner demons will they truly be at peace. We have seen it through Jedi like Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), who overcame his heartache and regret by opening himself up to others again, rather than being detached and wary of them. We’ve seen it in Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), whose fear drove him to isolation, and only when he stood up with fierce bravery and faced down the entire First Order, did he find peace and purpose. And Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), whose fear of loss enticed him to the Dark Side, and only when he allowed himself to let go – sacrificing himself for his son in the name of love – did he redeem himself and bring balance back to the Force. Now it is Ahsoka Tano’s (Rosario Dawson) turn and in the fifth episode of Ahsoka titled “The Shadow Warrior,” Ahsoka finally lets go of some of that internalized regret and pain that has been holding her back for so long.
The World Between Worlds Teaches the Jedi Lessons
It all happens in the World Between Worlds – a place that has thus far only been accessed by Force users, a place that has portals to the past, a place that puts Jedi to the test, a place that shows Jedi exactly what they need to see. The World Between Worlds is a curious place, it is like the Force itself – all-encompassing and powerful and able to be wielded. But just as the Jedi must practice self-restraint when it comes to wielding the Force, they must also exercise restraint if they are to ever fall into the World Between Worlds. Because although this otherworldly place offers its visitors the chance to travel through time, the true purpose of this place isn’t to time travel at all – rather, the World Between Worlds is a place for its visitors to learn. A Jedi never stops learning, and the World Between Worlds is proving that even the most experienced Jedi have plenty of room for growth and maturity.
Ahsoka Ventures on an Emotional Journey
When Ahsoka appears in the World Between Worlds, she meets her former Master, Anakin Skywalker. Initially, Ahsoka believes her Master is there to give her guidance, but Anakin tells her that it is time to complete her training. He ignites his saber and fights Ahsoka, informing her that the lesson is a test to either live or die. And then they abruptly fall into the past. Ahsoka (played by Ariana Greenblatt now) is forced to relive some of her most intense and traumatic experiences as a Padawan fighting in the Clone Wars. Ahsoka is troubled as a Padawan; grappling with her desire to be a Jedi who is a keeper of the peace, rather than a Jedi who fights in a war. But Anakin is insistent – reminding Ahsoka that if she doesn’t fight, she will die.
Ahsoka’s Force vision of her past persists. She later lands in the midst of a battle known as the Siege of Mandalore, by this point in Ahsoka’s life, she was no longer Anakin’s Padawan, and he did not fight in this battle with her, however, in the Force vision, Anakin is there alongside Ahsoka. They are both a little older now. Once more, Anakin reiterates the importance of fighting, he proudly calls Ahsoka a warrior, and he proudly proclaims that she is a part of his legacy through the way she has inherited all his knowledge and skills. But Ahsoka is not at peace with this. She tells Anakin that he was more powerful and dangerous than anyone realized. A moment later, Anakin changes again, and so does the color of his lightsaber – he becomes a Sith, and he fights Ahsoka once more.
They then miraculously return to the World Between Worlds. Anakin is still a Sith, and he attacks Ahsoka with fierce aggression. When Ahsoka manages to get the upper hand with Anakin’s red lightsaber in her grip, held up to Anakin’s throat – the true purpose of these Force visions begins to dawn on her. She shuts off the lightsaber, stares at Anakin and says: “I choose to live.” Upon recognizing her resolve, Anakin returns to his true self, and with a small smile on his face he tells Ahsoka: “There’s hope for you yet.”
The Anakin That Ahsoka Sees Is a Figment of Her Memories and Feelings
What the World Between Worlds showed Ahsoka was indeed ambiguous. The lesson that she needed to learn was not spelled out to her as clearly as it might have been for Luke Skywalker when he saw himself behind Darth Vader’s mask in a Force vision on Dagobah. Although Anakin accompanied Ahsoka throughout her Force visions, he wasn’t really alleviating her troubles, in fact, he was sort of instigating them. But that’s just it: the Anakin we see in Ahsoka’s Force visions was a reflection of the way Ahsoka saw her former Master. Anakin appeared to Ahsoka because he had been at the heart of all her regrets, fears, and inner turmoil. He is the reason why she refuses to become attached to anyone. He is the reason why she is guarded and wary. For so long, Ahsoka has been burdened by the loss of her Master, and perhaps she feared that one day she would stumble down the same dark path that he once did.
But Ahsoka will never truly be free if she continues to carry this baggage around with her. She will never be able to teach Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) openly and fully if she continues to be closed off from others. “And that’s the lesson,” as Ezra Bridger (voiced by Taylor Gray) once said when he was in the World Between Worlds in Star Wars Rebels, and he had to face the fact that he could not save his late Master, Kanan Jarrus (voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr.), from death. Ezra learned that he needed to let go and honor Kanan’s sacrifice because to hold onto the past would only hold Ezra back. Interestingly, Ahsoka accompanied Ezra in the World Between Worlds, and she said to him: “You can’t save your Master, and I can’t save mine.” Ahsoka knows she could never save Anakin, but her second visit to the World Between Worlds has taught her that there is no reason to be haunted by her past any longer. Ahsoka will always be tied to Anakin’s legacy, and although she inherited her warrior skills from him, she also inherited his passion, his kindness, and his generosity.
Ahsoka’s Experience In the World Between Worlds Changed Her For the Better
So, as we’ve seen with other Jedi in Star Wars, their Force visions always show them something they need to see. The World Between Worlds presented Anakin to Ahsoka because he has subconsciously ruled her heart and her head for a long time, and he wasn’t lying when he said he was here to complete her training, because Ahsoka needed one more lesson to redirect her on the right path toward living and letting go.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
