Ahsoka “Shadow Warrior” makes Entertainment Weekly’s top 20 episodes of 2023
Entertainment Weekly ranked the 20 best TV episodes of 2023 and at number 2 in the list in Ahsoka Episode 5, “Shadow Warrior.” The fan-favorite episode is also the highest-rated episode of the series overall on IMDb.com, with a 9.1/10 rating.
Episode 4 ended when Ahsoka lost her duel with Baylan Skoll on Seatos, after which she plunged into the ocean. She woke up in the World Between Worlds after hearing Anakin calling her “Snips.” This ending blew everyone’s minds. The next episode was even better, as it was written and directed by Dave Filoni himself, who left most of the directorial duties for Ahsoka in the hands of others. However, he was behind the camera for “Shadow Warrior,” which marked the return of Hayden Christensen as both Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader.
From there, it was a matter of how deep the rabbit hole goes, as the adult Ahsoka found herself back in the middle of the Clone Wars as her teenage self, played by Ariana Greenblatt. Forced to face her demons, Ahsoka had to come to terms with what Anakin taught her, as well as his tragic fate, something she struggled to accept over the years. Anakin taught her one last lesson and helped her see that her life is what she makes of it and that she should take the best of his teachings and move forward.
“Shadow Warrior” is the best episode of Ahsoka thanks to brilliant writing and direction by Dave Filoni, incredible performances by Hayden Christensen and Rosario Dawson, music by Kevin Kiner, and the many unforgettable moments from animation that are brought to live-action. The episode boasts some of the best visuals in the series, including iconic shots of Hayden Christensen walking into the shadows in The Clone Wars flashback, flickering from Anakin to Darth Vader. It happens again in the World Between Words, as Anakin walks towards Ahsoka, lightsaber in hand, and suddenly turns into Darth Vader.
“Shadow Warrior” has several moments you’ll wanna watch over and over, easily making it the best episode of the series and, perhaps, the best episode of live-action Star Wars in 2023.
Ahsoka is streaming on Disney+.