This article contains spoilers for Ahsoka Episode 5, “Shadow Warrior.”
We open on Seastos with the ocean waves crashing against the cliffside. The shattered star map lies in ruin. Hera Syndulla arrives, finding no one. Jacen and Chopper come out of the Ghost to look about. But Hera hears a noise and finds Huyang holding Sabine’s helmet. He laments that he told Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren to stay together, but they never listen.
The opening credits play revealing “Part 5: Shadow Warrior.”
We shift to the World Between Worlds, where Ahsoka is face to face with Anakin Skywalker. He says that Ahaoka still has a chance to live and offers to finish her training.
He then draws his lightsaber and attacks her, as they echo eerily similar dialogue to their last duel from “Twilight of the Apprentice” in Star Wars Rebels as Anakin tells her to fight or die essentially.
Back with the other heroes, Hera and Huyang are trying to figure out where Sabine and Ahsoka are. Carson arrives, giving a nice shoutout to our Princess Leia, stating that General Organa is trying to buy them back at New Republic headquarters as much time as possible.
Then Jacen tells his mom that he can feel something about the water. He has her listen to the waves because he can hear lightsabers crashing. This is enough to get Hera moving to look for Ahsoka. Huyang then confirms for good that Jacen is Force sensitive, and we finally get a shoutout to Kanan Jarrus, the fallen Jedi who was Hera’s romantic partner, Jacen’s father, and the Jedi master to the missing Ezra Bridger.
You know, in case you needed a refresher.
In the World Between Worlds, Anakin is still dueling Ahsoka. He slices out the bridge from under her feet, and she falls into a red mist. Ahsoka returns to the Clone Wars and becomes a teenager again as it clears.
They’re on one of their first missions. Ahsoka draws her once green lightsaber and charges into battle with Anakin.
In the aftermath of the battle (with Captain Rex in the background!), amidst the injured and dead clones, Ahsoka hesitates as she looks over her men. She calls out that she, as a Jedi, was trained to be a soldier, not a peacekeeper. She wonders if she will have to teach her own future padawan in combat and war.
Ahsoka says she wants to stop fighting. Anakin says she will die if she does. The battle picks back up again, and she catches a glimpse of Darth Vader in the distance in the smoke and carnage.
Back with Jacen and Chopper, they watch as Carson and his men continue to look for whatever Jacen is feeling. Hera questions why she’s here, and Huyang offers his support for her unauthorized mission. Jacen calls in that Chopper has picked up something on his scanners, and Hera heads out to check it.
Back in the Clone Wars flashback, we are firmly in season seven during the Siege of Mandalore as younger Ahsoka fights the Mandalorians who sided with Darth Maul (no Maul cameo sadly). We do get a confirmation of Temuera Morrison playing Captain Rex as the clones push forward in battle. Ahsoka watches the battle unfold.
But then, Anakin comes out, saying he wasn’t part of this battle. As she questions being a warrior, he says that she will soon be everything he is and have all of his knowledge. She’s part of his legacy.
She says they’re part of a lineage of death and war, but Anakin says they’re both more than that. She agrees but notes he was far more dangerous and powerful than anyone else knew.
He draws his now red lightsaber and attacks her once again. This fight isn’t as measured as Ahsoka is kicked out of the flashback. Anakin shifts slowly into Darth Vader, stalking towards his student. It’s a frenzied battle, but Ahsoka regains her composure as she faces the demon.
Ahsoka disarms him, holding the red blade to his throat.
She turns off the blade.
And Ahsoka says that she chooses to live.
Anakin backs away as his eyes return to normal. With his last well wish, Anakin vanishes, leaving Ahsoka on her own. As the pathways of the World Between World vanish, Ashoka sinks into rising water and emerges in the ocean of Seatos.
The New Republic pilots rescue her, pulling her onto the Ghost.
Sometime later, Ahsoka awakens and is greeted by Huyang, who shares that Jacen is the one who found her. They join the others, as Ahsoka is wearing a white shawl. Hera and Ahsoka try to piece together what happened, as Ahsoka uses a particular Force impression ability to discover what happened to Sabine. She hears the echo of Baylan coaxing Sabine to join him from the last episode, but Carson interrupts.
The New Republic fleet is coming for Hera, Carson, and their troopers, and they’re not happy. Hera leaves finding Sabine to Ahsoka while she deals with the New Republic. Ahsoka then sees the Purrgil, the space-whale-like creatures who took Ezra the first time.
It’s here that Hera faces a very unhappy Mon Mothma. The Chancellor’s hands are tied to help them, and if Hera doesn’t return with Ahsoka, Hera could lose her rank. As Mon cuts the call, Ahsoka arrives and knows how to find Sabine.
Ahsoka and Hera fly their ships up to the Purrgil, joining in with their pod. They find the largest of the beasts they can get, and Ahsoka goes outside onto her ship. She communes with the Purrgil, but more complications happen.
The New Republic has arrived, so Carson goes to keep them occupied as long as they can.
Jacen looks on in wonder as Ahsoka connects through the Force with the Purrgil. Ahsoka tells Huyang to fly into the Purrgil’s very big mouth. They set down their ship, and Ahsoka muses that she has no idea where they’re going.
The Purrgil fly up into space between the New Republic ships. Hera and Ahsoka say their goodbyes, and the Purrgil zip off into hyperspace with Ahsoka and Huyang in tow, where the episode ends.