Beneath the Surface: Unraveling Baylan's Enigmatic Plan for Shin in Ahsoka

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Ahsoka

Summary

Baylan Skoll endeavored to mold his apprentice Shin Hati into something greater than a mere "Bokken Jedi", yet the precise extent of his aspirations for her remains shrouded in ambiguity.

Shin Hati's significance and objective have become enigmatic ever since Baylan strayed from their initial quest, forsaking her in his pursuit of augmented might on Peridea.

Baylan and Shin, despite their different paths, may have a chance to reunite in the future. During the new Ahsoka series, Baylan Skoll asserted that he had trained his apprentice Shin Hati to surpass the Jedi who were trained after the Jedi Order's downfall. However, Skoll's true intentions for Shin following the events of the show remain uncertain. This has left a significant mystery surrounding Shin Hati, given Skoll's actions in the final episodes of Ahsoka.

In Ahsoka's first episode of Star Wars, Baylan Skoll made his debut as a survivor of the Jedi Purge during the Republic Era. He took Shin Hati, his apprentice who he had discovered and began training during the years that followed. Baylan and Shin, often referred to as Dark Jedi and mercenaries, teamed up with the Nightsister Morgan Elsbeth to travel to the extragalactic world of Peridea and retrieve the former Imperial leader, Grand Admiral Thrawn, from his exile. However, once they arrived in Peridea, Baylan had his own hidden agenda, leading to a new mystery surrounding his vision for Shin and what he desired her to become.

Baylan Wants Shin To Be "More" Than A Bokken Jedi - But What?

Thrawn, portrayed by Lars Mikkelsen, was discovered on Peridea. Following his instructions, Baylan and Shin were tasked with tracking Sabine Wren, played by Natasha Liu Bordizzo. Thrawn had set Sabine free to locate Ezra Bridger, who had banished both Thrawn and himself to exile using his connection with a group of star whales called purrgil. Thrawn believed that Sabine would lead Ezra out into the open, where Baylan and Shin would terminate them.

As Shin tracks Sabine, she inquires about Ezra. Baylan describes Bridger as a "Bokken Jedi" who underwent wilderness training after the Jedi Temple's downfall. However, he clarifies that he did not train Shin to be the same, despite her similar skills and the presence of her Padawan's braid. Baylan asserts that he has trained Shin to be "something more." However, the specific purpose of Shin according to Baylan's vision remains unexplained in Ahsoka's conclusion. Given Baylan's aspiration to break the ceaseless cycle of conflict between the light and dark sides, it is likely that a more extensive and intricate designation than "Dark Jedi" exists for Shin.

Why Does Baylan Simply Abandon Shin

The rest of Ahsoka fails to clarify Baylan's intentions for Shin's future. This is because Skoll unexpectedly decides to leave her, embarking on his own quest to seek out the mysterious presence or power that has been beckoning him on Peridea. As a result, there are several reasons why Baylan allows Shin to follow her own path and "take her place in the imminent Empire" that he believes only offers temporary power.

Firstly, Shin is unable to perceive or hear the presence that is calling out to Baylan, indicating that she does not share his conviction. Additionally, Baylan confirms that Shin's ambition is leading her in a different direction while he pursues his own path. While Baylan clearly desires for Shin to be more than just a cog in the ongoing conflict he desires to dismantle, it appears that Shin herself is unable to see beyond this and share the same belief in a greater power to be acquired. Instead, she chooses the more transient option, while Baylan seeks something that he believes to be far more significant.

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Clearly, it is evident that Shin Hati was and likely still is significant to Baylan Skoll, despite their diverging paths and motivations in the finale episode of Ahsoka. It is possible that whatever Baylan sensed on Peridea had a profound impact on him before they went their separate ways, causing him to lose interest in the things he once cared about. Speculations suggest that Baylan's discovery of statues of the Mortis gods, linked to the corruptive Force entity of chaos and entropy known as Abeloth, may be connected to this change.

Although on different paths, it is worth mentioning that both Shin and Baylan are still present on Peridea, albeit in different regions. Ahsoka and Sabine are also on the extragalactic planet by the end of the series. Therefore, it is highly likely that Baylan and Shin will reunite in a future Star Wars project, giving Baylan the opportunity to unveil his original visions for his apprentice before their separation.

All episodes of Ahsoka are available to stream on Disney+.