Warning! This article contains spoilers for Ahsoka episode 8.
Ahsoka season 1 is now streaming in its entirety, and its final episode left questions about Sabine Wren and whether or not she saw Anakin Skywalker’s Force ghost. While Grand Admiral Thrawn succeeded in his quest to get back to the main Star Wars galaxy, there was still a sense of success when it came to Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren’s story. Ahsoka was able to overcome her past guilt and become Ahsoka the White, and Sabine successfully opened herself up to use the Force.
Sabine’s arc in Ahsoka season 1 was filled with heartbreak as she struggled to connect to the Force while searching for her lost family in Ezra Bridger, who had been stranded on Peridea. Sabine’s Force sensitivity had been teased since the very beginning of Ahsoka, though all of her efforts came up short until Ahsoka episode 8. Now that Sabine had opened herself up to the Force, she was able to sense Anakin Skywalker’s presence as he watched over his former Padawan. Sabine being able to sense Anakin but not Ahsoka may be one of the biggest twists in Ahsoka, and could be a big part of both characters’ storylines moving forward.
Sabine Sensing Anakin Confirms Force Ghosts Don’t Need A Direct Link
Force ghosts are still one of the Star Wars phenomena that aren’t completely understood. It’s known that Force ghosts can appear and interact with the living and physically affect the world around them. Force ghosts are only able to appear if they align with the light side of the Force, meaning Sith cannot manifest as Force ghosts—only Jedi with the proper training. For many decades, it was thought that for a Force ghost to manifest, they had to have a connection to the person seeing them. This theory makes sense for someone like Luke Skywalker, who had seen the Force ghosts of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and his father Anakin Skywalker.
However, in Ahsoka’s final scene Sabine—who had never met Anakin Skywalker and has no real connection with him—is able to sense Anakin’s Force ghost. This revelation about Force ghosts opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for how Anakin Skywalker could be utilized in Ahsoka season 2 and beyond. While Ahsoka no longer needs the guidance of her master, that doesn’t mean Anakin won’t show up every now and again. Anakin was one of the most powerful Force users in the galaxy’s history, so it makes sense that his Force ghost is able to easily manifest anywhere.
With statues of the Mortis gods seen in Ahsoka episode 8, Anakin’s connection to them and the Mortis realm may force him to appear to someone other than Ahsoka Tano. If Force ghosts don’t need to have a direct link to manifest, then this wouldn’t be a problem, and Anakin could appear to people like Baylan Skoll or Shin Hati as hey pursue unfathomable power. It would certainly be an interesting expansion of the Force ghost lore and indicates that other Jedi could appear in future Star Wars titles, like Ben Solo in Rey’s new Jedi Order film.
Why Doesn’t Ahsoka Sense Anakin’s Presence?
There could be many reasons why Ahsoka didn’t sense Anakin’s presence. One could be that because Sabine had been so closed off from the Force, and is now open to it, everything is flooding in. Ahsoka Tano may have also sensed her master, but didn’t feel the need to interact with him. She could have interpreted his presence as his stamp of approval for what she had accomplished, with no need for words to solidify it. Ahsoka had also told Sabine earlier in Ahsoka episode 8 that Anakin always stood by her side and her decisions, and this moment embodied Anakin continuing to do that.
There’s also precedent in Star Wars that hints that people must learn how to open themselves up to Force ghosts, as seen with Obi-Wan Kenobi with Qui-Gon Jinn in the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ show. Ahsoka may not be ready to see Anakin Skywalker as a Force ghost, which could be her next journey in Ahsoka season 2. Whether or not Sabine and Ahsoka actually saw Anakin Skywalker’s Force ghost, it’s heartwarming to know that he’s still there and watching over his Padawan, and his presence is indication that audiences will see more of Anakin in future seasons of Ahsoka.
All episodes of Ahsoka are now streaming on Disney+.
