One thing is clear, whether the fans hate or love the story arc for the character of Ahsoka Tano, the creative team behind The Clone Wars is putting a lot of effort into trying to get the story right. But Dave’s quote from Comic-Con got me thinking, what are these eight possible fates of Ahsoka Tano and in how many of them does she survive The Clone Wars?
Starting from the premise that there are two potential fates for Ahsoka Tano at the conclusion of TCW series, one path is that she emerges alive, the other is that she perishes. That is the easy part, the difficult part is figuring out and interesting and significant resolution for a character that millions have come to love.
The big question of the series is now that Ahsoka Tano has become so popular, particularly with the female audience would George Lucas be willing to kill her off for the sake of the story, or will he spare her and keep her around for potential future Expanded Universe, animated spin-off or Live-Action series use?
I don’t have any inside information about what Dave Filoni is thinking, but below you will find some informed speculation about potential directions I think he is pondering.
Fate #1: Ahsoka Lives: Leaves Jedi Order before Order 66
If Ahsoka is to live following the Clone Wars, then one likely scenario would be her leaving the Jedi Order and Republic military before Order 66 is initiated. There are a number of storylines that could play out to explain Ahsoka leaving the Order. Perhaps she falls in love with Lux and they decide to leave the conflict behind and run away together. This one seems far fetched, but Ahsoka’s friendship with Lux certainly exposes her to life and relationships outside of the Jedi Order and opens up this possibility.
Perhaps Ahsoka simply becomes disillusioned with the Republic’s war effort. Does Chancellor Palpatine order Ahsoka to do some particularly heinous act. If she does it perhaps it drives a wedge between her and Anakin, or if she refuses perhaps she is removed from the war effort. Maybe she simply cannot emotionally handle killing any more and leaves the Order and the war for those reasons.
Perhaps Ahsoka leaves the Jedi Order and joins a splinter group such as those Jedi following Master Altis.
What if Master Yoda fears the war is costing the Jedi to many lives and decides to send a select few Jedi far away into the Unknown Regions or another area of the galaxy to hide and keep the Jedi flame lit should the worst case scenario happen, the Separatists win and the Jedi be crushed in the war. Ahsoka, as a young and powerful Jedi who has learned from some of the Order’s greatest modern Jedi could be a logical choice for such a group.
Fate #2: Ahsoka Dies: Killed before Battle of Coruscant
The continuity police are all over the fact that Ahsoka doesn’t appear in Episode III, nor is she mentioned in the film. The fact that the events in Episode III happen in fairly quick succession, makes it possible that she simply didn’t come up in the discussions between the characters, but what if there is another reason. What if Ahsoka is not mentioned because the other characters are still dealing with her death and are aware of how emotionally affected by the death Anakin was. Members of the Order and Padme would be extra sensitive to Anakin’s emotion because in the case of the Jedi, he is viewed as the Chosen One, but he is also viewed as having attachment issues that could be a path to the Dark Side. As such the Jedi Masters would be wary of wanting to push him for fear that he could fall. Padme may not bring it up out of love, because she knows how much the death affected her husband.
We have a number of characters that could potentially bring about the death of Ahsoka. I don’t think they would have a minor character kill Ahsoka, and I also think it is more likely then not she would be killed by a Force-user The most likely of which would be in no particular order, Count Dooku, Asajj Ventress, Savage Opress, and Darth Maul.
Darth Maul is set to make a return to the realm of the living in TCW, presumably we will see him at some point in Season 4. His return was foreshadowed in the Season 3 Nightsisters Trilogy. Dual-bladed lightsaber versus Ahsoka and her two lightsaber fighting style would be a real cool battle to see. It would also set up the scenario where Anakin kills the resurrected Maul out of revenge or hatred and furthers his inevitable fall to the Dark Side. The Savage Opress killing Ahsoka story would be roughly the same as the Darth Maul one.
Asajj Ventress began the series as one of the main villains and even though she has broken with Dooku, perhaps she could hunt and kill Ahsoka in a bid to get back into Dooku’s good graces after the Nightsisters, potentially her only ally are defeated.
Count Dooku of the villains would be my favorite candidate to kill Ahsoka. Lets take a look back at Episode III, when Anakin kills Dooku.
Supreme Chancellor: [Anakin cuts off Dooku’s hands ending the battle. Anakin catches Dooku’s lightsabre and ignites it and puts both lightsabres to his neck] Good, Anakin, good. Kill him.
[Dooku looks at Palpatine in shock]
Supreme Chancellor: Kill him now.
Anakin Skywalker: I shouldn’t…
Supreme Chancellor: Do it!
Anakin Skywalker: [Anakin decapitates Dooku] I couldn’t stop myself.
Supreme Chancellor: You did well, Anakin. He was too dangerous to be kept alive.
Anakin Skywalker: Yes, but he was an unarmed prisoner.
[frees Chancellor Palpatine]
Anakin Skywalker: I shouldn’t have done that. It’s not the Jedi way.
~IMDB Ep. III Quotes
Why might Dooku have been to dangerous to be kept alive, why might Anakin have been angry enough with him to kill him in cold blood? Perhaps Dooku killed Ahsoka in the waning days of the Clone Wars.
One potential odd ball fate is related to the Mortis trilogy in which Ahsoka died and was brought back to life by the life force of the Daughter channeled into her by Anakin. Perhaps this fix was only temporary and Ahsoka eventually weakens and dies as the Daughter’s life force fades within her.
Fate #3: Ahsoka Lives: Escapes Order 66
The Dark Times between Episodes III and IV is part of the Star Wars timeline that is ripe for storytelling and exploration. This happens to be the setting of the currently on-hold Live-Action series. What little we know about the Live-Action series is that it isn’t going to focus on Jedi or the main characters from the movies, but instead will focus on other parts of the Star Wars universe. As a result it seems likely that Ahsoka wouldn’t be planned on appearing in the series, however her surviving the Clone Wars and appearing in the series would certainly help bring some fans from the cartoon to the Live-Action series as they grow up and mature. Even if she was not to be in the Live-Action series, there is always the possibility they could do another cartoon series or use Ahsoka in novels, comics or games in the future.
How exactly could Ahsoka escape Order 66? Ahsoka could pull a Yoda and kill the Clones sent to execute her then go into hiding. Ahsoka could be saved by a friendly clone such as Captain Rex or ARC Trooper Fives. The Clone could desert and go on the run with Ahsoka or could die protecting her while she escaped. One idea that I like is to have someone help Ahsoka escape, perhaps Mon Mothma performs a service for Ahsoka similar to what Bail Organa did for Obi-Wan and Anakin in Episode III.
Fate #4: Ahsoka Dies: Darth Vader’s Jedi Purge
If by chance Ahsoka managed to escape Order 66, The Clone Wars series could do a story arc set in the immediate aftermath of Episode III where Vader is doing the initial purge of any Jedi suspected or rumored to have escaped the Clones assassinations. Darth Vader in his suit in the Clone Wars animated style would be awesome to see and would also create tons of merchandising opportunities for the franchise.
This would be a very dark way to end the series, but not the darkest. Just wait till I get to the end of the list.
Fate #5: Ahsoka Lives: Spared by Darth Vader
An interesting twist on the Jedi Purge storyline would be for Vader (in armor) after Episode III to track down a rumored Jedi only for it to turn out to be Ahsoka. In the last compassionate act we see on screen by Vader until Episode VI, he would spare Ahsoka, leaving her to go into hiding. Ahsoka wouldn’t have knowledge that Vader is Anakin unless they wrote it in a way that he told her. She could simply be confused but thankful for the mercy.
I kind of like this ending because it shows that there is still some good in Anakin, no matter how far he has fallen. It would also show that his attachment issue is a problem for his commitment both to the Jedi and now to the Sith.
Fate #6: Ahsoka Dies: Anakin Kills Ahsoka
Ahsoka dying at the hands of Anakin would only add to the tragedy that is the Anakin Skywalker story. But this loss, the grief, fear and regret that it would cause could only help explain Anakin’s extreme fear of losing Padme in Episode III. There are two major scenarios that I would see in my mind for this one. The first is that Anakin accidentally kills Ahsoka. One idea is that the accidental death could occur during a battle when Anakin loses control and uses the Dark Side in some way, perhaps he accidentally unleashes a massive bout of Force Lightning and Ahsoka is caught in its path.
The other major scenario, would be very dark and may just be too extreme to be likely. If Ahsoka learns of Anakin’s relationship with Padme and threatens to to the Jedi Council, perhaps Anakin may lose control in a fit of anger/fear and kill her. Not in a premeditated action, but in the spur of the moment, either overwhelmed by emotion or the Dark Side. Immediately he would regret it and it would stain his soul.
Fate #7: Ahsoka Lives: Anakin mindwipes Ahsoka
One off-beat scenario would only be potentially possible because Anakin is so immensely powerful in the Force. I can see a story-line where Ahsoka learns of Anakin’s marriage to Padme. Ahsoka doesn’t want to betray her Master but feels duty bound to inform the Council. Anakin resorts to the drastic measure of using his Force powers to mind wipe Ahsoka. Perhaps he goes to far and creates a permanent amnesia. This amnesia could be total, or only to a certain point in the past, or only temporary. After he wipes her memory of him and being a Jedi he could maroon her on some out of the way planet and hope that she never finds her way back to Coruscant or anyone that knows who she is. Inadvertently this act would save Ahsoka’s life because she would be safe from the initial slaughter of Order 66. It could also set up a story where she slowly regains her memory, realizing that she is a Jedi, but becoming aware of what she is in a galaxy that fears and hunts her kind.
Fate #8: Ahsoka Dies: Darth Vader’s Assault on the Jedi Temple
The final scenario I will present you with, is the most unlikely, the most controversial, yet one that because George Lucas is a tinkerer, one that I wouldn’t be shocked to see.
[Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda are escaping the Jedi temple as Obi-Wan noticed the hologram center]
Obi-Wan: Wait, Master. There is something I must know.
Yoda: If into the security recordings you go, only pain will you find.
Obi-Wan: I must know the truth, Master.
[Obi-Wan watches the recordings of Jedi, even younglings, being slaughtered]
Obi-Wan: It can’t be… It can’t be…
Anakin Skywalker: The traitors have been taken care of, Lord Sidious.
Darth Sidious: Good… Good… you have done well, my apprentice. Now Lord Vader, go and bring peace to the Empire.
Obi-Wan: [switches off the hologram] I can’t watch any more.
Yoda: Destroy the Sith we must.
~IMDB Ep. III Quotes
What if Ahsoka was in the Jedi Temple when Anakin arrived to do “what must be done?” Ahsoka giving her life in a massive lightsaber duel against her Master, attempting to protect younglings from his slaughter. This would be an incredibly heroic way for Ahsoka to go out. Perhaps she even protects some Padawans or Knights who manage to escape and then are used in future Expanded Universe stories or in the Live-Action series.
It would of course be extremely controversial with fans. Obi-Wan seeing Anakin kill fellow Jedi and younglings would be bad enough, but it would be the ultimate gut punch to see Anakin kill Ahsoka.
In the end, the fate of Ahsoka Tano is in the hands of George Lucas and Dave Filoni, based on the quality of the series so far I am sure they will come up with something pretty good and it will probably be something I haven’t even thought of.
