Star Wars Rebels: The origins of Ahsoka the White

Photo Credit Lucasfilm, IMGFlip

Ahsoka Tano returned in the Star Wars Rebels series finale donning some new robes and looking wiser than ever.

Star Wars Rebels has officially come to an end. The series finale was both powerful and satisfying. The show previously brought back fan favorite Ahsoka Tano after her season 2 showdown with Vader left us wondering if she was still alive. Ahsoka’s initial season 4 return was brief but had a huge impact as she helped Ezra navigate the World Between Worlds, where he learned his final lesson from Kanan. After her appearance there, fans wondered once more whether or not Ahsoka would return in the series finale.

Thankfully, Ahsoka Tano made an appearance in the last few minutes of Star Wars Rebels. Fans noticed almost immediately that Lady Tano was donning some very Gandalf-esque robes when she arrived to join Sabine in seeking out Ezra after his heroic Thrawn-entangled jump to lightspeed.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with him, Gandalf is the beloved wizard from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Throughout the books, and Peter Jackson’s film adaptations, Gandalf serves as a wise leader and a mentor to Frodo Baggins, the series’ main protagonist. Ian McKellen masterfully portrayed the wizard in both the Lord of the Rings trilogy and, more recently, the Hobbit trilogy.

Photo Credit: New Line Cinema

Not only do Ahsoka and Gandalf share wardrobes by the end of Rebels Season 4, they share similar character journeys, especially if you go back and chart Ahsoka’s Star Wars Rebels path from Season 1

Throughout the first film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf the Grey serves as the unofficial leader of the Fellowship. It becomes his duty to educate Frodo about the power, and subsequent dangers, of the One Ring. Gandalf leads the party before sacrificing himself for the good of his friends and falling prey to an ancient Balrog in the Mines of Moria.

For the remainder of The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo and company, as well as the fans, mourn the loss of Gandalf and feel the harrowing weight of his absence. Fortunately, Gandalf returns in the second installment of the trilogy, The Two Towers, in the form of the White Wizard and becomes an integral part of the remainder of the series. Gandalf’s journey begins as a humble mentor who eventually faces down a far more powerful opponent before returning from certain death all the wiser.

Photo Credit: New Line Cinema

Ahsoka Tano’s journey seems to have been influenced by Tolkien’s depiction of Gandalf. Even before physically showing up, Ahsoka was helping to mentor and lead the Ghost’s crew. It’s revealed at the end of the first season of Rebels that Ahsoka is “Fulcrum,” the mysterious figure who provided the fledgling group of Rebels with information to help them fight the Empire.

Season 2 gave fans more Ahsoka action as she became an important part of the Rebels cast. The season, however, culminated in her showdown with none other than Darth Vader – her very own Balrog – in which she delayed her former master in order to let Ezra and company escape from the impending darkness on Malachor. The season 2 finale left fans wondering if Ahsoka had survived her encounter with Vader. We don’t learn it until two entire seasons later, but, just like Gandalf, Ahsoka did indeed survive certain death. In the World Between Worlds in season 4, episode 13, Ezra actually saved Ahsoka by reaching into the past and pulling her away from her dual with Vader.

Photo Credit: Lucasfilm

After a brief, yet thrilling, encounter with the Emperor in The World Between Worlds, Ezra and Ahsoka were forced to part ways, and fans were left to once again wonder whether or not they had seen the last of Anakin Skywalker’s former apprentice.

Thankfully, the Rebels series finale, in the last few minutes, brings Ahsoka back. Just like Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings, Ahsoka dons pristine white robes.

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Her return surprises Sabine, who had no idea that she was actually still alive.

The series ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger, as Ahsoka doesn’t have any dialogue in these final moments. Instead, fans are left to assume that she has achieved immense wisdom since we saw her last – remember, the epilogue to Rebels occurs after Return of the Jedi, meaning Ahsoka has now witnessed both the rise and fall of the Empire.

It will be interesting to see how Ahsoka uses her earlier Jedi teachings, knowledge of the events surrounding the plot of Rebels, and wisdom concerning the Force to help the galaxy moving forward.

As Ahsoka and Sabine set out to find Ezra, we can only hope that more of Ahsoka the White’s past, present, and future will be revealed in new Star Wars books, comics, and maybe even new television shows or movies.

Next: Rebels series finale Easter eggs you may have missed

Even though Rebels is over, Disney XD has all of the episodes for free (for the time being).

Watch all the episodes here while you still can!