Ahsoka Episode 4 Ending Explained (& Why Fans Are Going Wild)
Contains spoilers for "Ahsoka" Episode 4, "Fallen Jedi"
We're halfway through "Ahsoka," and Episode 4 ends with the biggest twist of the show so far. If you paid any attention to the trailers or pre-release coverage, you probably expected Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker to pop up at some point, but "Fallen Jedi" brings him face-to-face with his old padawan in a huge way. So how did we get here, and what does it mean?
After crash-landing on Seatos, Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson), Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and Huyang (David Tennant) continue their mission of stopping Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) from locating Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen). With her massive hyperspace ring completed and the magical map to Thrawn's location in a neighboring galaxy open, Morgan seems all set to bring the Chiss strategist back and start the war all over again.
While the map hones in on the final coordinates for the journey, Ahsoka and Sabine cut a swathe through Morgan's forces. Ahsoka makes short work of the mysterious Marrok and duels Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) for the map while Sabine faces off against Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno). In the end, Baylan knocks Ahsoka off a cliff and convinces Sabine to give up. She hands over the map because she wants to follow it and rescue Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), who disappeared with Thrawn in "Star Wars Rebels." The whole group launches into hyperspace, except for Ahsoka, who awakens in a mysterious, ethereal place. And then she hears two little words that only Anakin Skywalker could say: "Hello Snips."
What happens to Ahsoka at the end of Episode 4, and why is Anakin there?
We don't see what happens to Ahsoka after Baylan knocks her into the sea. What we do know is where she winds up — sort of. When the episode returns to Ahsoka for the final scene, she's unconscious and lying on an undulating blue surface. After waking and standing up, she finds herself on some kind of light bridge, suspended in the middle of a gaping void full of similar pathways.
The most likely explanation is that Ahsoka has fallen back into the World Between Worlds, a mystical Force realm outside of time and space that she briefly visits in "Star Wars Rebels." Perhaps the magic on Seatos opened a gateway to the strange dimension, just like how Ezra opens one to save Ahsoka from Darth Vader in "Rebels." Or maybe her arrival there is true divine intervention — some cosmic correction to keep her on her path.
Regardless, the most interesting part of the scene by far is Anakin. Christensen's version of the character has never interacted with Ahsoka before, as she doesn't appear in any of the "Star Wars" prequels. However, their relationship has become central to Anakin's character. Hearing him call her "Snips" and seeing them reunite is a powerful moment for longtime fans, especially given that the last time they met in canon, it was in a lightsaber duel to the death.
What Anakin's return could mean for Ahsoka's journey
It's fun to see Ahsoka return to (probably) the World Between Worlds. It's even more exciting to see her reuniting with Anakin. But what does this twist mean for the second half of the show?
On the obvious front, it presents an opportunity for the two to properly reconcile. He became one with the Force after dying on the second Death Star, which allows him to reach out to her from beyond the grave. They definitely have a lot to talk about, and it would be nice to get a bit of healing in that decimated relationship.
Speaking more cosmically, Anakin's return could mean any number of things. "I didn't expect to see you so soon," he says to her, which tells us two things. One, he was expecting her eventually, for some reason. And two, he's not the one who called her there. It's possible that Anakin has some deeper knowledge of what's going on in the cosmos that could help Ahsoka stop Thrawn. More likely, though, he'll help her navigate some of her personal baggage to reconnect with herself and the Force. Since Rosario Dawson started playing the character in "The Mandalorian" Season 2, Ahsoka has felt much more closed off and stoic. That makes some sense given all that she's been through. Maybe Anakin can help her find her balance again.
What about Morgan's voyage and Thrawn's return?
If Ahsoka is in fact in the World Between Worlds, she might be able to hop on a shortcut to where Sabine, Baylan, Morgan, and the others are all going. There's no reason to think the Force realm couldn't stretch across multiple galaxies, and since it allows its residents to travel through time, she could even get there before Morgan's hyperspace ring. Of course, that would require Ahsoka to control the magic within the dimension — something that's easier said than done.
The truth is, very little has ever been revealed about the World Between Worlds. That means that Dave Filoni and the creative team of "Ahsoka" could use it for any number of reasons. It also makes the next four episodes difficult to predict. One thing's for sure: Sabine and the rest of the galaxy are in danger if Thrawn starts reclaiming his power. Baylan has also alluded to some larger implications of the Grand Admiral's return, which, given his Jedi training, could be Force-related.
To be honest, though, most fans probably aren't thinking too hard about what comes next. The mere promise of Anakin and Ahsoka catching up in live action is enough to keep excitement high while we wait for Episode 5. Let's just hope that the cameo is genuine and not some trick of the dark side — after all, Darth Sidious is technically alive at this point in the timeline, and he tries to control the World Between Worlds in "Rebels." In "Star Wars," it's sometimes hard to know what's real.