Ahsoka's Epic Return: How Dave Filoni Could Revolutionize the Return of the Jedi Narrative
Ahsoka's potential return in RotJ opens up exciting possibilities for Dave Filoni to explore, hinting at a significant retcon that could shed light on Rex's elusive role and potentially confirm his true identity as Nik Saint
Summary
Dave Filoni has the opportunity to reshape the narrative of Return of the Jedi by incorporating Captain Rex into the original trilogy.Given Filoni's strong connection to Ahsoka as a character and the show's ties to his previous projects, it serves as an ideal platform for this retcon.
Filoni's commitment to solidifying Rex's role in Return of the Jedi is evident, and Ahsoka could finally offer the confirmation that fans have long awaited. Ahsoka presents Dave Filoni's greatest opportunity to integrate a Return of the Jedi revision he has sought to validate in the Star Wars universe for years. Ahsoka marks Dave Filoni's third venture in the Star Wars realm, following the creation of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. While Filoni contributed to the development of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, Jon Favreau is still recognized as the creator of those shows, leaving Filoni in the lead for Ahsoka.
Rex’s Confusing Return Of The Jedi Role Explained
: The main reason for this arises from Filoni's connection to Ahsoka as a character and the connections the show has to Filoni's previous works at Lucasfilm. Serving as a continuation of Star Wars Rebels, the series will feature numerous characters from the animated show. Including a particular character - whose presence may remain undisclosed until the release of the Ahsoka show - would enable Dave Filoni to incorporate one of his beloved creations, Captain Rex, and potentially revise the narrative of Return of the Jedi within the Star Wars original trilogy.
If Rex is added to the cast of characters in the Ahsoka show, it could potentially offer confirmation of his appearance in Return of the Jedi. Towards the end of George Lucas' third Star Wars film, there is a scene on the forest moon of Endor where an elderly, bearded man can be spotted alongside Han Solo and other Rebels. While the character is officially referred to as Nik Saint in 2002’s The Official Star Wars Fact File 44, speculation persists that it is actually Captain Rex. This is mainly due to the resemblance between Rex's appearance in Star Wars Rebels and the brief cameo of Nik Saint in Return of the Jedi.
Since the conclusion of Star Wars Rebels, these theories have gained even more momentum. The season 4 epilogue of Star Wars Rebels confirmed that Rex, a former Clone Wars captain, fought alongside Hera Syndulla in the Battle of Endor. This revelation sparked questions about the connection between Rex and Nik Saint, leading Dave Filoni to address the issue in an interview with SlashFilm. Filoni expressed his strong belief that Rex is indeed the bearded old guy seen on Endor, questioning the logic behind his presence otherwise. He even humorously compared himself to Palpatine, jokingly acknowledging his obsession with making this connection a reality.
Ahsoka Could Finally Confirm Rex Is Nik Saint
It is clear from Filoni's view on the Nik Saint/Rex theories that the filmmaker shares the same sentiment as numerous fan theories. Furthermore, Filoni has humorously acknowledged his active efforts to confirm that Rex was indeed the individual observed in the final act of Return of the Jedi. This unwavering commitment may finally come to fruition in Ahsoka, if Captain Rex makes a comeback in the live-action Star Wars series.
By having Dave Filoni, George Lucas' protégé, as the sole writer of Ahsoka, there is the opportunity to connect one of his creations to the films by Lucas. This connection is easily achievable and could finally put an end to the longstanding theories surrounding Rex's involvement with the Rebel Alliance. In Star Wars Rebels season 4, it was already confirmed that Rex was present at the Battle of Endor. A simple flashback or reference to his time with Han Solo in Ahsoka would be sufficient to confirm Rex's cameo in Return of the Jedi, as Nik Saint is seen alongside the renowned smuggler-turned-general.
However, these confirmation methods may be too obvious for Ahsoka's story, as mentioning Han or showing flashbacks to Endor might not fit well. A more subtle approach to confirming Rex's role in Return of the Jedi could be through a casual reference to his alias, Nik Saint. Alias usage is common among Rebellion soldiers, as seen in Star Wars Rebels. In Ahsoka, a character could casually mention Rex's alias, Nik Saint, thus providing the long-awaited confirmation of Captain Rex's appearance in Return of the Jedi as intended by Dave Filoni.
