I said what I said. Ashoka is not a Jedi. Here are some facts for you to digest.
As I sat down to watch the first two episodes of the brand-new Disney Plus series, Ahsoka, I was skeptical. Would it be a source of heartbreak for me like Obi-Wan Kenobi was? Would the story make sense and do justice to the amazing lore Star Wars has to offer that doesn’t get enough attention in shows?
I saw the opening crawl and became excited, which was quickly and unfortunately stained by a bit of frustration, as it read:
"“Former Jedi Knight AHSOKA TANO captured one of Thrawn’s allies and learned of a secret map which is vital to the enemy’s plan. (…)”"
I couldn’t help but scratch my head at that statement. Former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano does not exist. She never has.
This is going to open up a can of worms (which it already has with my personal and fellow Star Wars nerd friends and, though entertaining for a bit, it got a tad tense for a minute), but it’s something we need to address with the urgency of a distress signal.
Ahsoka Tano was never a Jedi Knight, and she is not a Jedi.
That’s right, I said it.
Spoiler alert: If you haven’t watched episodes 1 and 2 of Ahsoka yet, now is the time to set your hyperdrive outta here.
Also, go grab a
strong adult beverage
drink and maybe a snack – this is going to be long. I have a lot of feelings about this.
Why Ahsoka left and why it matters
Here’s some crucial, bread-and-butter lore for context: Ahsoka made a conscious choice to walk away from her Jedi training and the Jedi Order during the Clone Wars, right after she was falsely accused of a bombing the Jedi temple. She left the Order and never came back, and this is an explicit and well-known fact within the lore and her character arc.
The Jedi Council did acquit her of her falsely accused incrimination, but Ahsoka’s faith in the Jedi was broken. She put her foot down and rejected the Council’s offer to return to the Jedi Order, and she walked away to forge her own path.
At that point, by giving up on her Jedi training and leaving while holding the Padawan status – which makes her a Jedi apprentice – she made the conscious choice to not be a Jedi.
Fast forward a few years to the story in Star Wars Rebels – a now adult Ahsoka faces off against her own former master, Darth Vader.
While Ahsoka and Vader polite yet spicy words, he comments on her wish to avenge Anakin’s transformation into Darth Vader, saying “That is not the Jedi way.” Her reply?
"I am no Jedi."
Don’t believe me? Just watch.
She says she is not a Jedi. As it seems that her words alone aren’t convincing enough, her white lightsabers should scream this point louder than a Wookiee in distress.
She takes a different path, one that is not defined or restricted by ancient Jedi texts or Council mandates. Ahsoka makes it clear she isn’t part of that Order and religion anymore.
So why can’t everyone, including Disney, understand that?
Ahsoka is a Light Side Force user
Despite Ahsoka’s own clarifications and Star Wars’ official stance, everyone still sees her like a Jedi. I cannot tell you how hard it was not to pause the first two episodes of Ahsoka every time a character called her a Jedi or grouped her with the Jedi.
But Cam, Force users who are good-natured or heroes are seen as Jedi for the untrained folk in the Star Wars universe, so why can’t we just use that term loosely?
Let me put it this way: Just because Ahsoka trained in the Jedi Order under Anakin Skywalker, who was Knight at the time and didn’t react well when he never got granted the rank of Master, it doesn’t mean she gets to keep the title of Jedi when she leaves the Order. She left as a Padawan – not even a full-fledged Jedi – and never returned. She stripped that that title off herself and made her own path.
As one of my friends who understands this put it during a friendly debate, “the common resident of the Star Wars galaxy who mostly only knows the legends and tall tales about the Jedi is not going to make that distinction.” Which means the “normies” who live in the Star Wars universe don’t necessarily understand that she isn’t a Jedi even though she has the same Force abilities and dual-wield sabers. However, we as fans know that distinction, and it should remain constant in the Star Wars universe, not misleading new (and sometimes even long-time) fans of the franchise to making this incorrect assumption.
So how does she fight so well with lightsabers and uses the Force?
Ahsoka developed her own unique lightsaber skills, seen in both Rebels and in the amazing lightsaber fights in the first two episodes of Ahsoka, by practicing without any ties to the Jedi Order, and she does not rely on her Force abilities as a Jedi normally does. She does use them, but not all the time, and not in the same way a true Jedi does.
The problem with the first two episodes of Ahsoka
The opening crawl is hugely misleading.
Ahsoka Tano never was a Jedi Knight. She left the order as a Padawan and never returned.
The show starts to hint at Ahsoka taking Sabine Wren in as a Padawan, which is a distinctly Jedi move. It’s almost as if the show, and maybe even Ahsoka herself to some extent because of some of the things she said in the show, can’t quite divorce Ahsoka from her past and 2-and-a-half-years-long Jedi training.
Sure, you don’t have to be a Master to take on a Padawan – remember Anakin was only a Knight – but as someone who only trained for a little over 2 years and never left the rank of Padawan, Ahsoka would never be in a position to take on an apprentice.
But Cam, have you considered that her story could very well be mirroring Kanan Jarrus’ story – another Padawan who never completed his Jedi training but still took on an apprentice?
Sure, it could, potentially paving the way for guidance from Anakin Skywalker’s Force ghost. That would not only be a fantastic way to correct this absolute mess this topic has created, but it would only add more amazing achievements and depth to Ahsoka’s character and her arc.
What makes Ahsoka Ahsoka?
The beauty and complexity of Ahsoka Tano boils down to her being a nexus of conflicts and contrasts. She’s a character so distinct and compelling that she doesn’t fit into the Jedi versus Sith debacle. She’s a beacon of hope for those who don’t fall on either sides of the Force spectrum, which can open the doors to many possibilities for lore enrichment:
- Ahsoka could be a Gray Jedi though it has never been implied and that order is not canon at this time.
- Ahsoka could very well “restart” the Jedi Order and shape it as she sees fit – it’s hard to argue with the fact that she embodies everything a Jedi should be but
the Jedi are lame and the Order is ridiculously archaicvery often isn’t. - Ahsoka could serve as a prime example that one does not have to join a side simply because they are Force-sensitive, that it’s okay to be an outcast and still fight evil and do good.
Call her what you want – a Force-sensitive warrior, a Light Side Force user, a former Padawan, a galactic renegade – but do not call her a Jedi. She is not one.
Fans (and Ahsoka itself) need to respect her agency to define herself. The Jedi Order may have provided the platform, but Ahsoka has been writing her own destiny ever since she saw what the Council truly thought of her and left without ever looking back.
Ahsoka is a so-far-wonderful series, with new episodes being released on Tuesday nights at 6 pm PT / 9 pm ET. Tune into Disney+ and let’s journey alongside Ahsoka as she ventures into new and exciting parts of the Star Wars lore.
Just remember, she’s not a Jedi.
Got it?
Good.