The Life-Altering Message Anakin Skywalker Instilled in Ahsoka Tano during The Clone Wars

Summary

Ahsoka learned from Anakin's mistakes and realized that her attachment to the Jedi Order was holding her back, leading her to willingly leave and grow as a warrior.

Ahsoka's understanding of the significance of detachment and her willingness to let go, including her bond with Anakin, allowed her to rise above and surpass him, ultimately making her a more formidable Jedi.

Ahsoka, as Anakin Skywalker's Padawan, gained valuable insights from her unorthodox master. However, the most impactful lesson she learned was unintentionally taught by Anakin during the events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Despite being a teenager when the Clone Wars began, Ahsoka matured greatly in wisdom and skill throughout the series. Ultimately, her decision to leave the Jedi Order was a direct result of the most significant lesson Anakin could have imparted.

Despite his complicated relationship with authority, Anakin effortlessly assumed the role of a teacher. He taught Ahsoka various skills such as lightsaber techniques, battle strategies, and the ways of the Force, but his most profound lesson stemmed from his own flaws. Anakin struggled with attachment and misguided loyalty from the start, yet Ahsoka observed and learned from these weaknesses. As a result, she willingly separated from the Jedi Order and all that it represented. This choice ultimately enabled her to become the formidable warrior she was in adulthood, as depicted in Star Wars Rebels and Ahsoka.

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Ahsoka Learned The One Lesson Anakin Didn't

After being unjustly expelled from the Jedi Order, Ahsoka experienced deep hurt as she witnessed the Council's ability to abandon her despite their shared history. For Ahsoka, the Jedi had become her family, and the mere thought of losing them left her feeling powerless. However, upon introspection, she realized that her attachment to the Jedi would impede her progress unless she willingly released herself from it. Despite the Jedi Council's attempt to rectify their judgement, Ahsoka ultimately decided to depart from the Order on her own terms. By effectively separating her emotional connection to the Jedi from her personal aspirations, Ahsoka not only showed immense growth but also surpassed the limitations that hindered Anakin's development.

Though the Jedi provided Anakin with the structure and sense of belonging he desperately craved, it also served as yet another bond for him to cling onto, much like his mother and Padmé. Anakin's unwavering loyalty to the Jedi, a form of attachment in itself, became inflexible once Palpatine eroded his faith in them. His link to the Jedi Order became a crutch that ultimately led to his downfall, as he was forced to choose between Padmé's life and the strict adherence to the Jedi Code.

Anakin Only Learned To Let Go At The Moment Of His Death

Anakin's survival following his transformation into Darth Vader can be attributed to his intense self-hatred and animosity towards everything else. This relentless hatred fueled his will to live, even in moments when his life support system failed. His ability to cling onto these negative emotions was a reflection of the passionate love he once possessed as Anakin Skywalker. Both stemmed from his inclination to grasp onto things, and it was only in his final moments that he grasped the importance of letting go and embracing the Force.

In Return of the Jedi,

Ahsoka Can Be A Better Jedi Than Anakin

witnessed his son being tortured by the Emperor, reminding him of his own failure. He had once been tempted by Palpatine's offer to join the Dark Side, believing that it could save Padmé's life at any cost to the galaxy. However, his desperate decision led him to destroy everything he held dear, plunging him further into darkness. Although Luke's bravery in the face of torture and the opportunity to intervene and save him, inspired

Ahsoka Can Be A Better Jedi Than Anakin

to forgive himself and finally take a stand against Palpatine. This monumental decision marked his redemption, symbolized by his appearance as a Jedi Master in the form of Anakin's Force ghost, an accomplishment that had eluded him in life.

Ahsoka's lack of knowledge about Anakin's internal struggles did not prevent her from developing a keen sense of when to release similar attachments. This understanding enabled her to survive Order 66 and emerge as a formidable force in the Rebellion. Ahsoka recognizes that attachments can fuel a Jedi's commitment to justice if harnessed correctly, but they can also impede progress. Her ability to discern when to relinquish attachments is what elevates her to greatness.

Despite Anakin's transformation into Vader and Ahsoka's commitment not to abandon him again, she remains capable of releasing him when their battle is disrupted. She does not obsess over finding him again in order to redeem him, and ultimately Anakin discovers his own path to redemption without her presence. This grants Ahsoka the freedom to pursue other objectives in the interim. While she asserts her disassociation from the Jedi in her adult years, Ahsoka applies the Jedi training imparted by Anakin throughout Star Wars: The Clone Wars, with the vital lesson being the ability to know when it is necessary to release something.