Who Were Those Statues At The End Of Ahsoka's Season 1 Finale?
This post contains spoilers for the season finale of "Ahsoka," "The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord."
A lot transpires in the season 1 finale of "Ahsoka," which ends with a long-awaited homecoming, mingled with the ominous promise of a frightening masterplan in motion. Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) find a way to strengthen their bond while making sure that Ezra (Eman Esfandi) finally returns home, although they're unable to stop Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) from escaping to Dathomir. There are questions that still need answering, including the reason why Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) abandoned his padawan and chose to walk away in the heat of battle, only to appear standing on top of a pair of statues that resemble the Argonath from "The Lord of the Rings." While Baylan's motivations were shrouded in mystery from the get-go, the appearance of these statues makes matters more convoluted.
Previously, Baylan expressed his interest in ending the ouroboric cycle of violence and power that grips the galaxy, along with an urge to tap into a power that eclipsed definitions of being "Sith" or "Jedi." The statues that Baylan finds in Peridea are of The Ones, popularly known as the Mortis Gods, a family of powerful Force wielders who resided in the ethereal realm of Mortis. Whispers about Mortis and The Ones could be heard throughout the galaxy, but few had an informed idea about what the realm and its residents represented, making Baylan's motivations more interesting than they originally appeared. The statues depict three Force wielders — namely, The Son (representing the dark side of the Force), The Daughter (representing the light side of the Force), and the Father (a perfect balance of the two sides).
Let's dive deeper into the history of the Mortis Gods.
Who are the Ones?
In the "Clone Wars" episode "Overlords," Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan are drawn to a distant planet and accosted by the Mortis Gods, who attempt to gauge whether Anakin is truly meant to be the Chosen One. The trio meets the Ones with the aid of an intercepted transmission in the Chrelythiumn system: as it is almost impossible to map the realm of Mortis on tangible star-system maps, this invitation seems intentional, since the "planet" can only be found when it wishes to. Father tells Anakin that his days of maintaining the balance in the Force are numbered, and wishes Anakin to take over this job, but the Jedi refuses, even after passing an impossible test that proves that he is more than capable of doing so.
A lot occurs over the next two episodes, but to put it briefly, Son plans to overthrow Father in an attempt to covet more power, and as Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka are stranded on Mortis, they inevitably get involved in the chaos. After corrupting Ahsoka with the dark side of the Force, Son kills her and attempts to murder Father with the Dagger of Mortis, a weapon capable of killing Force-wielders. However, Daughter sacrifices herself by shielding Father and dies in the process. A grieving Anakin pleads with Father to save Ahsoka, and he channels some of the Daughter's life force into her, thus saving the young padawan. Since then, Ahsoka often sees Morai, a bird associated with Daughter and her brave sacrifice, which also makes a brief appearance in the season finale.
By the time the trio makes it back home, the Mortis gods are dead, as Father stabs himself with the Mortis Dagger to end the cycle of madness, while Son is run through by Anakin's lightsaber.
An ancient power, re-awakened?
These events play out in a grisly, dreamlike manner in the "Clone Wars" episodes, functioning as a reminder of the ancient, hidden secrets in the galaxy, and the true price of achieving balance, which always comes at a cost. While the true nature of the Mortis realm remains elusive, the "planet" is believed to be the origin of the Force, housing raw power in the way the stars shine and the daylight heals the flora and fauna, which wither at night. As the Mortis gods themselves are as mysterious as their realm, their "deaths" might have been more symbolic than literal, as they are pure embodiments of the Force in different stages of balance (or imbalance).
As Baylan wishes to end the cycle of power-grappling by tapping into power like no other, could he be looking for a way into Mortis? Or is Baylan's hubris urging him to take on the forgotten mantle of the Father himself, and act as the new keeper of the balance? No matter what Baylan's motivations are, this kind of power demands a deserving candidate. While Baylan is formidable in his craft, it takes more than skill to preserve balance amid chaos. There's also Abeloth, the absent Mother in the story and the embodiment of absolute chaos, who might be calling to Baylan to unleash a greater evil into the galaxy at large.
Since Ray Stevenson sadly passed away earlier this year, any continuation of Baylan Skoll's arc will require a recast. It is unclear whether "Ahsoka" will have a second season, or whether the story will be continued to another Dave Filoni-led "Star Wars" project in the near future. Till then, the mysteries will have to gestate in the darkness, while we anticipate the rebirth of an ancient power with roots in the mysterious realm of Mortis.
All episodes of "Ahsoka" season 1 are streaming on Disney+.