Warning! This article contains spoilers for Ahsoka episode 4.
Contents
Summary
- Sabine’s decision to help Baylan and give him the map to Thrawn sets up the latter’s return and the resurgence of the Empire in the New Republic Era.
- Thrawn’s eventual defeat – proven by the Empire’s absence in the sequel trilogy – will make the New Republic believe that the Empire is finally gone, allowing Grand Admiral Sloane to transform the Imperial Remnants of the Unknown Regions into the First Order.
- Sabine’s choice could inadvertently set off a chain of events that see the rise of the First Order and destruction of the New Republic.
Ahsoka episode 4’s climactic ending saw Sabine Wren making a difficult choice, one with consequences that will lead to the events of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Despite the sequel trilogy being set over two decades after Ahsoka, many assumed the latter project would include teases of future events. Nestling stories like The Mandalorian and Ahsoka in the time between Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens naturally meant that connective tissue between the sixth and seventh episodes of the Skywalker Saga was to be included.
That said, with Ahsoka promising to build to a confrontation between the New Republic and the returning Grand Admiral Thrawn, many assumed the show would pivot away from setting up The Force Awakens too directly. With the confirmation of a New Republic-Era The Mandalorian movie directed by Dave Filoni, it seemed this was all but a given. However, Ahsoka episode 4’s ending included a choice from the Mandalorian Sabine Wren that will have galaxy-wide ramifications going forward, setting up the rise of the First Order in The Force Awakens.
Why Sabine Chose To Help Baylan
In Ahsoka episode 4, Sabine’s ultimately decides to aid Baylan Skoll. After Ahsoka was defeated in battle and pushed into the raging oceans of Seatos, Sabine gained possession of the map to Grand Admiral Thrawn. Baylan then attempted to persuade Sabine to give him the map, in opposition to her master’s last words to destroy it. Despite Ahsoka’s insistence to destroy it and foil the antagonists’ plans to reach Thrawn, Sabine reluctantly gave Baylan the map. This decision did not come lightly to Sabine, yet her ultimate choice stemmed from her feeling of immense loneliness.
Interestingly, Ahsoka ties Sabine to the fall of Mandalore, with Baylan revealing that Sabine’s family was killed in the Night of a Thousand Tears. This event – the destruction of Mandalore and the attempted genocide of its population by the Empire – was explored at length in The Mandalorian. Baylan implies that Sabine sensed the Great Purge coming, yet was unable to stop it due to Ahsoka’s lack of trust in her. Following Ahsoka’s apparent death and the destruction of Mandalore, Sabine began to believe that Ezra Bridger was all she had left. This spurred her to give Baylan the map and accompany him to Thrawn’s location, where she can find her remaining family.
Sabine’s Decision Sets Up Thrawn’s Return – And The Empire’s Rise
With Ahsoka’s fate unknown and the New Republic fleet having no way to follow Morgan, Shin, Baylan, and Sabine, the latter’s decision all but confirms Thrawn’s return. The allies of the Imperial Grand Admiral are traveling to his last known location and the Imperial Remnant is waiting in the wings, making the Empire’s resurgence in the galaxy imminent. While there could certainly be a twist in the tale now that Star Wars has introduced a second galaxy in Ahsoka, the events of The Force Awakens seem to confirm that Thrawn’s attack fails.
The sequel trilogy deals primarily with the First Order, with Grand Admiral Thrawn not being mentioned during the three films set after Ahsoka. Speaking in real-world terms, this was due to the story of Ahsoka not being conceived of when the sequel trilogy was in production. However, Star Wars has always been a franchise that retroactively includes stories and characters into the timeline at different points while attempting to adhere to canon. As such, Ahsoka‘s set-up of Thrawn’s return must end in the latter’s defeat – or a different galaxy housing the conflict – as a means of honoring the story established in the sequel trilogy.
Thrawn’s Defeat Means The Republic Believes The Empire Is Over
It is evident that Thrawn is eventually defeated by the forces of the New Republic, be it through direct conflict or the other galaxies mentioned in Ahsoka playing a part. Just as Ahsoka episode 3 depicted the naivety of the New Republic to allow the Empire to return after Palpatine’s defeat, it would make sense for the governing body of the galaxy to believe the same after Thrawn’s eventual demise. With Thrawn presumed to be the last Imperial Grand Admiral alive, his defeat would lead the New Republic to think the Empire was finally gone for good and peace is possible within the galaxy.
Grand Admiral Sloane Transforms The Last Imperial Remnants Into The First Order
Such arrogance will prove to be the New Republic’s undoing. Unbeknownst to the New Republic, there is another Imperial Grand Admiral at work within the galaxy during the time of Ahsoka: Star Wars’ Grand Admiral Sloane. Sloane was a prominent character in Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath book trilogy, an Imperial Grand Admiral dedicated to restoring the Empire’s power after Return of the Jedi. As such, Sloane was present at the climactic Battle of Jakku in 5 ABY. After the Empire’s defeat, Sloane escapes with Brendol Hux – a member of The Mandalorian season 3’s Imperial Shadow Council – and a handful of other Imperials in tow, fleeing to the Unknown Regions.
In the Unknown Regions, Sloane reorganizes her band of refugees into another Imperial Remnant, with her at its head. Eventually, this group grows into the First Order, the tyrannical organization shown waging war on the galaxy in The Force Awakens. As Ahsoka seems to be setting up, the New Republic’s failure to find Sloane in the Unknown Regions likely stems from their battle with Thrawn. The New Republic’s adamance that the Empire is gone will only be doubled once Thrawn is defeated, allowing Sloane to work silently without opposition for over two decades and build the First Order.
Interestingly, Ahsoka episode 4 retcons the Star Wars galaxy so that Sabine Wren’s decision to aid the enemy in getting to Thrawn and Ezra’s galaxy will lead to the Empire’s resurgence within the galaxy. The effort will then be foiled by the New Republic, leading to their arrogance that there are no remaining threats to the peace established. This hubris was foreshadowed in Ahsoka episode 3 through Hera Syndulla’s meeting with Ahsoka‘s New Republic Senate Committee.
In Ahsoka episode 3, Hera met with the leaders of the New Republic Senate to request aid in her attempt to thwart Thrawn’s return. However, the New Republic Senate – with the exception of Chancellor Mon Mothma – disregarded Hera’s concerns as another vain attempt to find Ezra. This proved the arrogance the New Republic held after the defeat of the Empire, with the possibility of a resurgence and another war unimaginable to the leaders of the fledgling government. Their ineptitude will likely only grow after Thrawn’s eventual defeat, leading to the lack of action against Sloane and the rise of the First Order, all stemming from Sabine’s decision in Ahsoka episode 4.
Ahsoka releases new episodes Tuesdays at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Disney+.