Sabine Wren Is More Like Anakin Than You Think – & That’s Why Ahsoka Was Afraid To Train Her

Ahsoka Tano hesitated to train Sabine Wren as a Jedi in Ahsoka season 1 because she had too many similarities to Anakin Skywalker. Following his promotion to Chief Creative Officer of Lucasfilm, Ahsoka creator Dave Filoni will now oversee all Star Wars movies and TV shows from the inception phase. Speaking to Vanity Fair about this new development, Filoni was able to reflect on his past work in the Star Wars franchise. Several Ahsoka cast members also chimed in with their own views on the characters and how their similarities helped create conflict between Ahsoka and Sabine.

Sabine actor Natasha Liu Bordizzo shared more of her experience portraying the character in Ahsoka, elaborating on why she was so much like Anakin. This adds more context to Sabine’s relationship with Ahsoka before the show, Ahsoka’s experience with Anakin and the World Between Worlds, and the fate of these characters in Ahsoka season 2. It may also shape the events of The Mandalorian Star Wars movie, which is expected to conclude the stories of Ahsoka and the other Mandoverse shows. Sabine and Anakin’s similarities will be crucial to Ahsoka’s story in future Star Wars projects.

Sabine & Anakin Are Both Considered Reckless

One shared trait between Anakin and Sabine that Ahsoka focused on was their reckless nature. Anakin’s character arc in the Star Wars prequel trilogy was defined by choices and actions where he didn’t think about the consequences, from defying the Jedi Code and marrying Padmé Amidala to allying with Darth Sidious. Sabine also had a reckless side in Star Wars Rebels, especially in episodes involving other Mandalorians, where she took incredible risks to recruit her people and later defend them. Rebels season 4 revealed that Sabine created a powerful weapon for the Empire because she was obsessed with the challenge, ignoring what it meant for her people.

Ahsoka Feared Sabine Was Too Much Like Anakin

Given Sabine’s reckless nature and Anakin’s fate as Darth Vader, it’s understandable why Ahsoka feared to train her. Ahsoka refused to teach Grogu in The Mandalorian season 2 because his emotional attachment to Din Djarin made him susceptible to the dark side, just as Anakin’s attachments pushed him over the edge. Bordizzo confirmed that this was how she viewed Sabine’s character, elaborating how “…the reason Ahsoka originally had issues trusting Sabine was because I reminded her so much of her master in some ways, in terms of the internal struggle I was going through,” while mentioning how Sabine comes from a line of nontraditional Jedi.

Ahsoka season 1 gave more information about Sabine’s history with Ahsoka after the events of Rebels. Sabine feared for her family’s safety as Mandalore rebelled against the Empire, leading Ahsoka to believe she was training for the wrong reasons. After her family was killed during the Great Purge of Mandalore, Ahsoka feared that Sabine’s loss would drive her to the dark side, especially if she were fully trained. The show never justifies or condemns Ahsoka’s decision, but given the parallels between Anakin and Sabine, it made complete sense from her point of view.

Ahsoka Can Keep Sabine From Meeting Anakin’s Fate (& Already Has)

Despite Sabine’s similarities to Anakin, Ahsoka can ensure her apprentice never meets his fate, and the end of Ahsoka season 1 suggests she already has. Sabine made a huge mistake by giving the star map to Baylan Skoll, choosing her emotional attachment to Ezra Bridger while gambling the fate of an entire galaxy. She then unlocked her Force abilities in the season finale, and with a dark power rising on Peridea, Sabine will now be open to its influence. Her reckless nature and emotions may lead her to repeat Anakin’s mistakes, the reason Ahsoka didn’t want to train her in the first place.

However, season 1 also showed the growing bond between Ahsoka and Sabine as they learned to work together again and put the past behind them. Anakin and Obi-Wan grew apart by the end of the prequel trilogy, leading Anakin to confide in a Sith Lord instead of the Jedi Order or his closest friend. Bordizzo believes that season 1 was setting up an enduring relationship between the two and is excited to “see where that goes.” Ahsoka and Sabine have an enormous challenge ahead of them in Ahsoka, but the appearance of Anakin’s Force Ghost symbolizes that they don’t have to share his fate in Star Wars.

Ahsoka‘s entire season can be streamed on Disney+.