Why The Return Of Anakin Skywalker In Ahsoka Was Deliberately Uncertain And Mysterious
It was the reunion "Star Wars" animation enthusiasts had been eagerly anticipating since Ahsoka Tano faced off against Darth Vader in the ancient Sith Temple on Malachor during the emotionally charged and action-packed "Star Wars Rebels" season 2 finale, "Twilight of the Apprentice." Titled "Shadow Warrior," the fifth episode of "Ahsoka" finally brought Snips (now significantly older and played by Rosario Dawson) face to face with her beloved mentor Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) for the first time since his death.
Or did it?
Setting aside the fact that Ahsoka and Anakin reuniting didn't necessarily mean much to those unfamiliar with "Star War" animation (yes, I'm still sore about "Ahsoka" being live-action and not animated), it was never entirely clear whether Anakin was the real deal or a figment of Ahsoka's imagination as she slowly drowned in the oceans of Seatos after losing a lightsaber duel with the fallen Jedi Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson). While he certainly acted like the real Anakin (and all that implies), he also looked unusually solid for a translucent Force ghost. Then there's the matter of Ahsoka inexplicably finding her way into the World Between Worlds for her chat with Anakin, with nary an explanation of how she got there.
"That's the beauty of how the episode is constructed, in my opinion," Christensen told Vanity Fair. He added:
"Inevitably, the audience has to question what it is they're watching. Is this really the World Between Worlds? What is the World Between Worlds? Is this actually the spirit of Anakin Skywalker, or is this all in Ahsoka's subconscious and we're just going down the yellow brick road as she's drowning and fighting for her life? I think that the episode provides a few really good clues, but it doesn't spell it out for you."
Anakin's story is done (but Ahsoka's isn't)
Where Ahsoka's journey remains unfinished, Anakin's story seemed to reach its natural conclusion with him sacrificing his life in "Return of the Jedi." At least, that's how "Star Wars" animation head honcho, "Ahsoka" writer, and now — as revealed exclusively by Vanity Fair — newly-appointed Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni sees it. Feeling that "Star Wars" creator and serial photo-bomber George Lucas had already "resolved everything about Anakin," Filoni sought to avoid undermining his own mentor by leaving it unclear whether that was really Anakin in "Ahsoka." In his own words:
"I don't think I have anything to do there. I'm not trying to add anything to that. Everything Anakin's involved with is about her. It's about her point of view on Anakin. It's about what Anakin taught her. He's there in more of an Obi-Wan role that we saw in the old movies."
Naturally, this affected the way Christensen portrayed the character:
"There's a lot there to unpack, potentially. I was getting to play a version of this character that I hadn't before, and that was the all-knowing, all-powerful Jedi master who could wield both sides of the force — light and dark — at will, and maybe has the power to save Ahsoka's life, which also is very interesting because that's the power that he was trying to achieve when he pledged himself to the dark side."
Indeed, that duality was reflected in this version of Anakin, who could switch from the charming, good-natured teacher Ahsoka knew during the Clone Wars to a vindictive, glaring Sith lord in the blink of an eye. Whether he was real or not, he perfectly symbolized the conflicting emotions his former Padawan was wrestling with throughout the series.
(Sky)walking with a ghost
While the mystery of Ahsoka's encounter with Anakin will have to remain unsolved, we can seemingly confirm that it was actually his Force ghost keeping a watch over her in the final shot of "Ahsoka." Notably, unlike the events from "Shadow Warrior," this scene isn't shown from Ahsoka's point of view, which suggests it's really happening. Filoni, for his part, didn't shoot this idea down either, telling Vanity Fair:
"Anakin ...of course, he's there with her. He's always been there with her, but she just couldn't see it. She couldn't feel it. She didn't know. She had isolated herself and made herself alone because she was afraid."
His appearance in this moment also speaks to what Filoni sees as the essence of Force ghosts and the reason for their very existence:
"He has done a great deal to alleviate that fear in her. And so there's a moment. I think he's proud of her in the end. He sees that she's going to be a better mentor. I debate Force ghosts with people all the time. To me, what they are mainly is inspiration. You have people in your life that I'm sure have inspired you. And you feel that all the time. You feel that when you need it."
Filoni's argument that Force ghosts only show up when truly needed is supported by past "Star Wars" films and series, whether it's Obi-Wan Kenobi's ghost appearing to Luke Skywalker when he's on the verge of death in "The Empire Strikes Back," Yoda's ghost burning the Jedi library when Luke falters in "The Last Jedi," or Qui-Gon Jinn's ghost revealing himself once Obi-Wan is ready to move forward at the end of "Obi-Wan Kenobi." In that respect, Anakin's appearance on "Ahsoka" keeps the tradition going strong.