Star Wars: Ahsoka – Shadow Warrior review – S1 E5
The only question from this week’s episode of Ahsoka: was Shadow Warrior the best hour of live action Star Wars or does The Rescue still hold the top spot?
Let’s call Shadow Warrior an extremely close second or 1B. All the spoilers to follow obviously.
With showrunner Dave Filoni stepping back into the director’s chair for this one it was clear Shadow Warrior was going to be important. And if anything it overdelivered.
Hera, Carson and crew searched the area for signs of Ahsoka and Sabine to no avail until Jacen starts hearing a noise in the distance. Not crashing waves, but lightsabers. Shout out to Filoni for making Jacen a immensely likable kid right from the jump. He’s not acting better than the adults and trying to be grown-up. He’s a kid and being written like one.
Ahsoka is stunned to see her master Anakin in the World Beyond Worlds. Anakin states he still has some things to teach her, but she’s got to fight him. The phrase “one of us” might not be any truer than with Filoni, who has made it obvious that he is just as die hard a Star Wars fan as the most die-hard Star Wars fan.
And Filoni doesn’t apologize for his deep love of this galaxy far, far away. If anything, he just wants to build it up and make it even better. Not tear it down and bog it down to resemble something closer to “the real world.” This saga is about talking robots, laser swords and the Force. There’s only so much real-world sensibility this franchise ever needs.
Like a great Star Wars duel, there’s some solid trash talking as Ahsoka starts to question if Anakin can actually teach her new tricks. That’s his cue to send her to the past where young Ahsoka is in the early phases of a familiar setting.
It’s one of Ahsoka’s earliest battles in the Clone Wars with Anakin, who’s sporting his Season 1 outfit and looking splendid. The only problem with this amazing live action Clone Wars scene. I’m gonna need a whole season now.
Christensen had this weird CGI echo last episode, but he looked like he could easily play young General Skywalker in the Clone Wars. And I’d be fine with Ashley Eckstein playing young Ahsoka.
This scene was kind of shocking in the sense of how young Ahsoka was at the start of the Clone Wars. She was the age of a slightly older padawan, maybe Anakin’s age when he joined the Jedi Order?
Filoni gives us a legit moment in this era as Anakin is teaching his padawan the ways of a Jedi during this era, not as a protector of the peace, but as a soldier. And the shot of Anakin heading into battle and the flicker of him becoming Darth Vader was amazing.
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The flashbacks aren’t done though as Filoni actually gives us the Siege of Mandalore??? Wow (times infinity exclamation points). And that’s even before the Captain Rex appearance!
I really, really wanted to see the Clone Wars again and with Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor back in the fold everything is possible for the first time. Can we just clear Filoni’s schedule for the next two to three years for more Clone Wars?
Anakin doesn’t remember this battle as Ahsoka explains this was after they parted ways. Anakin tries to reinforce the fight or die mantra, but Ahsoka can’t hear it. The legacy lifeline of Dooku to Qui-Gonn to Obi-Wan to Anakin to Ahsoka just ended in death and darkness. This annoys Anakin who brandishes a red lightsaber complete with Sith red eyes and attacks his padawan again.
We don’t need a rehash of their Rebels duel although seeing an older Ahsoka — maybe this time played by Eckstein — vs. an armored Vader would undoubtedly been amazing. Ahsoka manages to disarm Vader and says she won’t fight him. In a nice echo to Return of the Jedi, like Luke she tosses the lightsaber away. This “kills” Vader as Anakin’s eyes return to normal and he says there’s still hope for Ahsoka yet before fading away.
So basically, whenever Hayden Christensen pops up we’re gonna get an awesome episode? Fair deal. Maybe we can just dub him Shadow Warrior and throw him in any series that needs a spectacular cameo?
Back in reality, Hera has to race against a quickly ticking clock as the Rebel fleet is arriving and they’re out of patience with her. Mon Mothma informs her that the senate is deciding if she will ever regain her rank. But once a rebel, always a rebel. Chopper and Jacen direct her to Ahsoka and bring her out of the water.
In a nice twist from Luke, a recovered Ahsoka is now wearing all white and has an idea of how to find Sabine, Baylon Skoll, Morgan and maybe Ezra and Thrawn? Follow the purrgil. This is one of those majestic big raising the X-wing out of the swamp moments that makes Star Wars special. A truly wonderful scene that pays off with the Rebel fleet amazed that Carson’s story was true and the reverse of the ESB cave scene.
Shadow Warrior was Star Wars at its greatest. It seemed hyperbolic that this episode would have a limited theatrical run, but it feels like the first five episodes would make for a stellar film culminating with Shadow Warrior’s conclusion.
See y’all excitedly for another week of Ahsoka magic!
Rating: 10 out of 10
Photo Credit: Disney
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