Ashoka's Most Shocking Betrayal: Unveiling the Dark Secret That Completes an Epic Clone Wars Arc

Summary

The Dathomiri Great Mothers in Ahsoka could be connected to a forgotten episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars featuring Mother Talzin and the Cult of Malmourral.

Ahsoka uncovers the origins of the Nightsisters on the planet Peridia. This enigmatic planet houses at least three Great Mothers who hold ambitions surpassing those of both the Sith and Jedi. The urgency displayed by the Great Mothers and Thrawn to depart Peridia hints at a formidable force lurking there, one that instills fear and compels them to seek refuge. This force may be intertwined with Baylan Skoll's relentless quest for power, suggesting a possible connection between this mysterious power and the true antagonist of the Ahsoka tale.

In Ahsoka, the Dathomiri Great Mothers appear to be in a rush to leave Peridia. This has sparked a theory that the power they are afraid of may be linked to a little-known episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Ahsoka, being closely connected to Star Wars animation, as it is where the character was first introduced, has been known to reveal significant details in some of the more obscure animated episodes.

Originally, Star Wars: The Clone Wars aired for five seasons until it was cancelled after Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm. It took several years for the final season to be released on Disney+, with an initially shortened and unfinished sixth season being released first to wrap up loose ends. This truncated season may contain a major connection to Ahsoka.

How Ashoka’s Great Mothers Connect to a Forgotten Clone Wars Episode

Mother Talzin, a significant figure in the television series The Clone Wars, played a crucial role as the mother of Darth Maul and leader of the Nightsisters. Despite the devastating invasion of Dathomir by General Grievous, which resulted in the decimation of most of the Nightsisters, Talzin managed to survive. She made her return in the sixth season of The Clone Wars, specifically in a two-part series titled "The Disappeared." While some fans considered these episodes, which prominently featured Jar Jar Binks, as skippable, the subsequent events involving Ahsoka suggest their significance may have been underestimated.

Within these episodes, the characters Jar Jar Binks and Mace Windu are called upon to offer assistance to the planet Bardotta. The Dagoyan Masters, a unique group of Force users who only passively engage with the Force, find themselves mysteriously vanishing. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that an ancient cult known as the Cult of Malmourral is responsible for kidnapping these masters and stealing their Force essence.

Mother Talzin is revealed to be the mastermind behind the Cult of Malmourral, with a goal of stealing the Force essence of the Bardottans in order to surpass the power of both Sith and Jedi. However, her plans are foiled by Jar Jar Binks and Mace Windu, causing her to disappear in a menacing cloud of green mist.

Although what happens to Talzin is unclear at that moment, she reappears in Darth Maul Son of Dathomir only to meet her demise at the hands of General Grievous. Despite several seeming defeats, this particular one appears to be permanent, as she never resurfaces, not even when her son Darth Maul returns to Dathomir years later and delves into Nightsisters Magick. Therefore, Talzin herself may no longer hold significance during the time of Ahsoka, but her schemes could still hold great relevance.

Ahsoka Reveals the Nightsisters Originated From a Galaxy Far, Far, Away

While the Nightsisters have nearly been eradicated, Ahsoka uncovers that the witches still possess a presence as they originated from the planet Peridea in a distant spiral galaxy. This galaxy is home to at least three "Great Mothers," who hold an even higher position than Mother Talzin, who was once seen as a rival to Darth Sidious's might.

In ancient times, the Dathomiri utilized the purrgil space whales to traverse to a new galaxy and extend their influence. This revelation implies that Mother Talzin's motivations in The Clone Wars may align with the ambitions of the Great Mothers in Ahsoka. Furthermore, Baylan Skoll has already expressed his quest for a "Greater Power," making it intriguing that Mother Talzin had also boasted of possessing a power that surpasses that of any Sith or Jedi. As Baylan Skoll seeks a power that exceeds imagination, he finds himself on the doorstep of the Great Mothers.

Does Peridea Have a Power Even Greater Power The Nightsisters Fear?

The Great Mothers and Thrawn are in a hurry to leave Peridia, and while Thrawn's motivations are understandable, The Great Mothers may have other reasons as well. Shin Hati points out that their desire to leave Peridia may not solely be driven by conquest, but could also be due to a hidden, powerful force that they fear and wish to escape.

The nature of this power has not been revealed yet, but it appears to be connected to Baylan Skoll's search and possibly related to a dark force that Palpatine sensed beyond the known galaxy, as mentioned in the Aftermath book trilogy. It is worth noting that Palpatine had also sought to acquire the Nightsisters' Magick from Mother Talzin in his own pursuit of immortality, although the connections may be minimal.

How The Clone Wars’ Forgotten Episode Could Be the Key to Ahsoka’s True Villain

While "The Disappeared" episodes of The Clone Wars may not be considered essential viewing, it is in line with Dave Filoni's style to utilize events from these episodes as important plot elements for Ahsoka. Initially, these episodes seemed disconnected, but upon revisiting them after witnessing the Great Mothers on Peridia, certain elements become more apparent. The Cult of Malmorra appeared to be specific to the Bardottans, and it appeared that Mother Talzin had adopted their practices for her own benefit in the original context of the show. However, in light of Ahsoka's revelations, more details emerge. All of the cult's rituals involved Nightsisters Magick, or something closely resembling it. Furthermore, the Temple of Malmourral, where the final battle with Talzin takes place, although different from the Platform on Peridia, exhibits several striking similarities in its gold designs, which appear to be related to the alignment of planets or star charts.

If the Malmorral cult and Nightsisters are more interconnected than previously thought, it suggests that Malmourral the Demon of War could also have ties to the Nightsisters. This could explain the power sensed by Baylan and Shin on Peridia. But whose side would Malmourral be on? A "Demon of War" would seemingly align with Thrawn, but with Thrawn and the Great Mothers fleeing from this power while Baylan seeks it, the allegiance may be more complex.

Though the connections are tenuous at this point, and little is known about Malmourral, Mother Talzin's plans with the Bardottans become more relevant after the discovery of the Great Mothers on Ahsoka. The Nightsisters' schemes, the similarities between the Peridia platform and the Temple of Malmourral, and the hinted great power on Peridia all point to this. With only two episodes of Ahsoka left, answers should be forthcoming.