‘Ahsoka’ Finale Leaves Star Wars Fans Breathless And Wanting More [SPOILER-FILLED REVIEW]

[WARNING: ARTICLE CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE STAR WARS: AHSOKA FINALE. Do not read past the first paragraph if you haven’t seen it.] Let’s get something out of the way right now, shall we? Every single thing that Lucasfilm does with Star Wars is going to be polarizing. There’s no avoiding it. It can be a masterpiece of storytelling and galaxy-building, like Andor, or a series steeped in lore and mixed-media nostalgia, like Ahsoka… It doesn’t matter. Some (most, to be honest), will love it. Others will hate it.  It’s that latter group for whom I feel sorry. Because had they approached the series with an open mind, they would have seen Ahsoka for what it truly was: Beautiful.

Not to say I told you so, but the Ahsoka season finale ended pretty much exactly like I thought it would. Thrawn and the Nightsister Great Mothers did indeed escape aboard the Chimaera. Hera’s fears of Thrawn’s return came to fruition. And yes, Ahsoka was even stranded on Peridea. The finale, however, still managed to shock and affect fans in unexpected ways. It tugged at heartstrings and wowed with its final shots. It left us wanting more: there is clearly a bigger picture here, and one that we eagerly await to develop.

Ahsoka finale twists, turns, and surprises

We knew Ezra would have to build a new lightsaber, and would have the resources to do so with Huyang aboard. Many weren’t prepared for the emotional impact the scene would have, though, as a frantic Ezra searched for that one piece… to assemble a saber exactly like Kanan’s.  Check your pulse if you were a fan of Rebels and that didn’t get you right in the feels. Likewise, fans of The Clone Wars knew of the Nightsisters’ otherworldly abilities. Notwithstanding, our eyes still widened as Thrawn’s Night Troopers jerked back to life. And that duel between Ahsoka and Morgan Elsbeth? *Chef’s Kiss*

Two of the biggest surprises came in the finale’s third act. Ezra unexpectedly returned to his home galaxy alone and (curse you, Filoni!) had a truncated reunion with Hera and Chopper. The bigger gasp in the Ahsoka finale, however, was the late Ray Stevenson’s final scene. In one breathtaking and heartbreaking stroke, Filoini paints Baylon Skoll perched upon the hand of the Father, with statues (albeit with a damaged statue of the Sister) of the Mortis Gods behind him. Peridea may not be what it seems…

Where does Star Wars go from here?

It’s clear Dave Filoni had much more in store for Baylon Skoll, and my heart aches that we won’t get to see Ray Stevenson continue in the role he played to enigmatic perfection.  Fan casting is already suggesting that Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan) take up the mantle. Honestly… I’m okay with that, given the circumstances. It’s obvious that the envisioned story arc would carry us through some serious Star Wars lore.

While Ahsoka and Sabine are seemingly trapped, we know they’ll find a way home. Don’t be surprised if, when Season 2 (hopefully) arrives, they team up with an abandoned and directionless Shin Hati in that effort. And with Ezra safely aboard Home One, reunited with his “space mom” Hera, expect the franchise to explore the beginnings of the Resistance. The Republic, ignorant and ill-prepared, will need help in fending off Thrawn’s threat…. With assistance from the Mandalorians, perhaps?

Time will tell.  As a whole, though, Ahsoka brilliantly bought to life and continued the exceptional storytelling begun in The Clone Wars and Rebels. To “fans” who panned the series because they, as one internet troll argued with me this morning, are “adults who don’t watch cartoons,” well… I pity you and your ignorance, as I pity any closed-minded person that refuses to believe or, in this case, watch something, because of whatever, irrational reason or insecurity that prevents them from doing so.

Thank you, Dave Filoni

On behalf of those of us that have watched and adored the animated series, I thank you, Dave Filoni. I know I speak for many when I say that we look forward to what comes next.

All episodes of Ahoska are now streaming on Disney+.