Tales of the Jedi raises an interesting question about Darth Vader’s morality and motivations during the rise of the Empire, suggesting he knew of Ahsoka Tano’s survival after Order 66 but kept it hidden from the Empire. Comics cataloging the aftermath of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith show Vader experiencing Force visions of the future, including one seeing himself fight Ahsoka. In Tales of the Jedi, however, the Inquisitor says that Ahsoka was “supposed to be dead.”
Ahsoka didn’t die during Order 66 but was, in fact, hiding from the Empire. Logically, it suggests that if Vader knew she was alive, he was duty-bound to notify and correct the Inquisitorius records, but he didn’t. This could be a simple oversight on Vader’s part or on the canon’s to align Tales of the Jedi with the comics. But it is also possible that Vader chose not to as a way to preserve the secret of his former apprentice’s survival. Therefore, Tales of the Jedi seems to color in Vader’s morality during the rise of the Empire.
Tales Of The Jedi Hints At The Good Still In Darth Vader’s Heart
Much of the canon across the comics, Star Wars Rebels, and now Tales of the Jedi, center around Anakin Skywalker’s transformation into the Darth Vader of the original Star Wars. They fascinatingly portray Anakin’s internal conflict and how the light side still tugs at him from time to time – he does not become a straightforwardly evil villain the moment he leads the Jedi Temple massacre. Ahsoka managed to survive Order 66 because of Anakin’s intense training, but it is also possible her former Master aided her in the fallout of the Purge, too.
Assuming Vader consciously decided not to inform the Inquisitorius of Ahsoka’s continued existence, it raises the question of why precisely he does so. It could be because he wants to fulfill his Force vision and challenge his former apprentice himself at a later date, as transpires in Star Wars Rebels. Still, it could also be because he retained a slither of compassion towards Ahsoka and didn’t want to see her murdered by an Inquisitor. During the Clone Wars, Anakin and Ahsoka went through countless victories and travails, and it is possible he still felt goodwill towards her to keep her safe – the kind of lasting goodwill he didn’t have towards Obi-Wan, for example.
Why Ahsoka Couldn’t Reach Darth Vader In Star Wars Rebels
The showdown between Master and Apprentice, which Vader was shown by his Force vision in the comics, was teased throughout Rebels and finally transpired on Malachor. Ahsoka badly struggled to reconcile that the monstrous Vader and her admired former Master were the same person, trying to appeal to the Anakin behind the villain. Yet Vader, perhaps because his connection to the dark side is more powerful than when he was experiencing those early Force visions, is now beyond saving.
Ahsoka reframed the trauma in her mind as Vader having murdered the kind man she once knew, freeing her of guilt to kill Vader. They battled in the Sith Temple, and Ahsoka damaged Vader’s mask, allowing her to see Anakin’s scarred face again before both managed to escape falling debris. While Tales of the Jedi fills in important gaps to her backstory, Rebels and, less prominent, The Mandalorian season 2 continue Ahsoka’s story in earnest and will be expanded upon further by the Rosario Dawson live-action TV show still to come.
