The Epic Showdown: Ahsoka's Thrilling Duel Unveils Secrets from Darth Vader's Most Legendary Battles
Ahsoka's intense duel with Darth Vader draws inspiration from his iconic battles, evoking emotions of life and death, mirroring Luke Skywalker's confrontation in ROTJ, and continuing Obi-Wan Kenobi's clever use of Darth Vader's voice trick
Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Ahsoka episode 5. In this episode, Ahsoka Tano reconnects with the spirit of her master, Anakin Skywalker. Through the Force, she relives significant moments from her Jedi past, witnessing Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader.
During their reunion in the World Between Worlds, Anakin not only engages in a lightsaber duel with Ahsoka but also makes her revisit the Battle of Ryloth and the Siege of Mandalore from the Clone Wars. Ahsoka, grappling with her identity as a warrior shaped by Anakin's wartime training, fears succumbing to the same dark path as her master. Throughout their encounter, three pivotal moments allude to Darth Vader's most consequential battles in Star Wars: dueling his apprentice, his son, and his former mentor.
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"Live or Die" Calls Back To Ahsoka's Real-Life Duel With Darth Vader
In a quest to complete the unfinished training she had abandoned when she departed from the Jedi Order prior to the conclusion of the Clone Wars, Ahsoka encounters Anakin's spirit. Anakin, her former mentor, imparts a new lesson to Ahsoka: "Embrace life...or face death". Engaging in a duel with his once-apprentice and delving into the past, Anakin enlightens Ahsoka about her true worth beyond her training. Simultaneously, he encourages her to rediscover a sense of purpose that had long evaded her. Eventually, Ahsoka opts to embrace life, thereby embarking on a journey back to the physical realm. Having undergone a transformation and regained newfound Jedi convictions, Ahsoka emerges as a changed individual.
"I Won't Fight You" Mirrors Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader in ROTJ
This duel and lesson, however, also serves as a reminder of Ahsoka's actual confrontation with Darth Vader on the Sith planet of Malachor. In the Star Wars Rebels series, which takes place before the original trilogy, Ahsoka staunchly refuses to abandon Darth Vader even after discovering that he is her former master, Anakin Skywalker. Nonetheless, Vader's response to Ahsoka's unwavering loyalty is that she will meet her demise, effectively mimicking the start of his instructional discourse to his apprentice in episode 5 of "Ahsoka".
In similar fashion, Ahsoka's initial response to Anakin's ignited lightsaber in her vision, resembling the World Between Worlds, is refusal to engage in combat. However, Anakin dismisses her reaction, reminding her that he has heard those words before. He leaves her no choice but to defend herself against his strikes. Anakin had encountered this exact statement during his time as Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi, when he faced his son Luke. Emperor Palpatine, seeking to corrupt the young Jedi and have Luke replace Vader, goaded Luke to succumb to his anger and strike down his own father.
While Luke was indeed tempted by the dark side, he ultimately refused to engage in combat with his father and relinquished his lightsaber, just like Ahsoka does in Ahsoka episode 5 towards the end of her duel with Anakin. This serves as a striking example of how the essence of poetic mirroring, a principle cherished by George Lucas in conceptualizing Star Wars, is effectively manifested. In both Luke and Ahsoka's confrontations, the true triumph lies in their rejection of the dark side, their determination to abstain from fighting or slaying Darth Vader out of sheer anger.
"You Lack Conviction" Continues Obi-Wan Kenobi's Darth Vader Voice Trick
As the fifth episode of Ahsoka progresses, Anakin flickers and transforms into Darth Vader. His lightsaber changes from blue to red, and he acquires his yellow Sith eyes. Returning to the World Between Worlds to conclude their duel, Anakin challenges Ahsoka and questions her dedication. However, his voice is noticeably altered, sounding more robotic like Darth Vader's voice when he is in his life support armor. This portrayal in the Ahsoka show effectively showcases Anakin's duality in the light and dark side of the Force, while also referencing an important duel between Vader and his master.
In the recent Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Obi-Wan and Vader confront each other after Obi-Wan reconnects with the Force as a Jedi. Obi-Wan had been cut off from the Force due to his guilt and years of exile on Tatooine since the events of Revenge of the Sith. During their encounter, part of Vader's helmet sustains damage, revealing the man hidden underneath. Moreover, Vader's vocoder is also damaged, resulting in a unique melding of Anakin's voice with Vader's. Ahsoka continues this tragic and ingenious voice trick during her significant lightsaber duel with Anakin.
Ahsoka releases new episodes Tuesdays at 6 pm PT / 9 pm ET on Disney+.
