Ahsoka: Part 5 Is a Feast for Star Wars (and The Lord of the Rings) Fans
Share the Force:
Annlyel James 
“I will continue to watch this fifth episode of Ahsoka over and over again as I try to process just how lucky I am to be a Star Wars fan right now”
When I tell you that I am still stunned by what I just witnessed in the recent episode of Ahsoka, I’m not exaggerating. Last night was a mind-blowing experience as a lifelong fan of this franchise. There was mystique, surprises, revelations, fantastic music, stunning visuals, and oh so much, Star Wars goodness. When the episode concluded, I wanted to watch it again immediately. I refrained, choosing to head to X (formerly known as Twitter) to join my fellow excited fans in celebration of the masterpiece I had just witnessed.
It’s been so long since anything in Star Wars has not only lived up to the hype but surpassed even my wildest expectations. But that episode did just that. And, for all of us The Clone Wars and Rebels fans, last night’s episode was truly a religious experience. I can’t tell you how many times I felt like I either wanted to cry or scream while watching something so profoundly beautiful come to life on my television screen.
Now, you’re probably wondering what this article might have to do with The Lord of the Rings. Well, it’s quite simple.
SPOILER TERRITORY
In this series and this episode, we have watched Ahsoka struggle in a way we haven’t quite seen before. She’s trying to take on an apprentice in Sabine, which hasn’t gone on all that splendidly. And this mission to save Ezra has reached a point where the stakes are far higher than she anticipated. In the fourth episode, we saw her lose a fierce battle against the powerful (Sith? Dark Jedi? Cool guy? I don’t know what to call him,) Baylan Skoll. This resulted in her being sent into the World Between Worlds. Or at least, a somewhat similar realm.
There, she finds herself face-to-face with her master, Anakin Skywalker. This makes perfect sense, considering that the World Between Worlds and her connection with her master is such an important aspect of her story. However, in this realm, Anakin gives her a choice: live or die.
LORD OF THE RINGS CONNECTIONS
She faces a harrowing trial that features some of the most mind-blowing scenes we’ve seen in this franchise. And eventually, she passes. This is when The Lord of the Rings reference springs to life.
Like Gandalf, who had to face his own personal battle with the Balrog to transcend into a higher life form, Gandalf the White, Ahsoka has achieved the same storytelling ascension. After passing her most difficult test, we see her now sporting white. It’s a fitting new look for the fantastic Jedi. Dave Filoni clearly understands the significance of this design choice. This means that Ahsoka, moving forward, will be even wiser and greater than we could’ve ever imagined. Especially as she continues her quest to find Ezra Bridger.
Considering how incredible that episode was, to think that we still have three episodes left is truly boggling. A profoundly incredible episode is usually reserved for a penultimate episode. But Filoni has other plans. What will the next episode entail and when, oh when, are we going to see Ezra Bridger?
EZRA BRIDGER
Ezra is my favorite Star Wars character. So to see how perfectly this series has transitioned these characters from animation to live-action gives me so much faith that Ezra, when he returns, will be impeccable. I mean, Eman Esfandi already did a splendid job capturing the character’s essence in a simple holographic message. With that in mind, I can’t imagine what Filoni has cooked up for us Rebels fans. However, for now, I will continue to watch this fifth episode over and over again as I try to process just how lucky I am to be a Star Wars fan right now.
Future of the Force will cover the series from every angle. And that begins with our customary in-depth review that will drop within hours of each episode. And if that isn’t enough, our traditional poster and concept art coverage will keep you entertained as we build the hype for the latest episode.
Star Wars: Ahsoka is streaming on Disney Plus now!
Annlyel James is a Senior Correspondent of The Future of the Force. She is passionate about Star Wars and Marvel but loves a wide variety of movie genres. Aside from her role with Future of the Force she also writes for her blog: annlyelonline. Follow her on Twitter where she channels the Force frequently!
