Is it possible that Ahsoka Tano trained Luke Skywalker between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi?
The last time we saw Ahsoka Tano, she was facing off against her former Master Anakin Skywalker — now Darth Vader — in an epic duel inside an ancient Sith temple. With her fate up in the air after the doors on Malachor’s Sith temple closed on us without seeing the result of that conflict, her current state of being is anyone’s guess.
If she survived, Ahsoka could have gone anywhere within the galaxy, seeking answers on the mysteries of the Force. What better way to teach those lessons to none other than your former Master’s offspring?
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
When we meet Luke Skywalker after his failure on Cloud City in The Empire Strikes Back, his power ended up growing ever so rapidly in just one year after those events when we see him again during Return of the Jedi.
How could the once shaken and confused Jedi learner turn into a confident Jedi Knight seemingly overnight? Ahoska could be the means of that end in answering this question.
After getting his head — or hand in this case — handed to him by his father, Luke Skywalker defeated him nearly a year later with relative ease. Granted he did tap into the Dark Side of the Force a bit, but other Dark Side users have attempted to best Darth Vader and failed miserably. Luke’s skills in lightsaber training had drastically improved by the time the second duel rolled around.
We learned within the Star Wars canon that Luke had visited other worlds, learning how to train via lightsaber combat a bit. However, these events took place before his duel with Vader so he must have discovered these new set of particular skills elsewhere.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
Is it possible that Ahsoka survived her duel with Vader? If so, it’s likely that she would have discovered that her former Master had a son, where she would likely seek the young man out.
Ahsoka has stated that she is no longer a Jedi, but what better way to redeem her past failures than to train Anakin’s son? Talk about coming around full-circle.
Luke’s new found confidence and Force abilities would now make sense, with Ahsoka now taking on the role of Master. When we see her in Rebels, Ahsoka’s skills are that of a seasoned Jedi Master by that point.
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She could quickly teach the young Skywalker, completing his training in the process. Darth Vader said it himself: “Your skills are now complete.” Yoda also comes to the same observation: “No more training do you require. Already know you, that which you need.”
Of course answering this question leaves another still unanswered. What happened to Ahsoka Tano? She is nowhere in sight during the final battle of the Rebellion against the Empire on Endor, the same Rebellion she helps build.
Like Luke’s training, the question of Ahsoka’s fate comes back around full circle to where we began. Is it Ahoska lives? Or Ahoska lives! If it’s the latter, meeting up with Luke Skywalker could fill in some plot holes on Luke’s quick turnaround.
Imagine the emotion of Ahsoka if she discovers who Luke is and Leia too? What a massive opportunity for Lucasfilm to add this connection and we hope they take advantage of it.
Next: Ahsoka (not Anakin) is the true hero of The Clone Wars
Lastly, this would also explain the story group’s neglect of not telling stories during this time-frame since the canon became official. What a way to kick of that one year gap with a bang by Ahsoka Tano training Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force?!