Warning! This article contains spoilers for Ahsoka episode 5.
Summary
- Ahsoka‘s intergalactic turn is unexpected and expands the scope of the Star Wars franchise beyond the sequel trilogy era.
- The sequel trilogy will not be retconned or decanonized despite criticism, but Ahsoka serves as a creative way to address the issues and incorporate new storytelling possibilities.
- Ahsoka‘s story and the introduction of a new galaxy make the sequel trilogy feel irrelevant and could establish a new legacy for the Star Wars franchise, with Ahsoka as a central figure.
The sequel Star Wars trilogy will never be retconned, but Ahsoka is certainly making that era feel somewhat irrelevant. The newest Disney+ series has taken an intergalactic turn, setting its sights on a whole unknown galaxy beyond that which Star Wars has always taken place in. Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn were taken by purrgil to this new galaxy, and now, both Ahsoka and her adversaries have started to make their way towards it. This is a massive concept for Star Wars to be exploring, but it leaves one big idea lingering in its aftermath.
Ahsoka takes place between the original Star Wars trilogy and the sequel trilogy, and many have thought that it will set up the story seen in the latter films. Other series such as The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett have certainly been doing so, with the mentions of Force-cloning technology and the construction of Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Academy on Ossus being featured. This intergalactic turn in Ahsoka, however, is completely unexpected, as nothing of it was mentioned in the sequel trilogy. The creative twist could be determining the path Star Wars is taking in dealing with the sequel trilogy era in retrospect.
The Star Wars Sequels Will Never Be Decanonized
One thing Ahsoka clearly isn’t doing is setting up the sequel Star Wars trilogy to be decanonized. The newest movies have fallen under intense criticism, harsh enough for many fans to call for the entire trilogy to be retconned or removed from the canon altogether. That simply won’t happen, with Disney and Lucasfilm both putting too much time, energy, and money into these stories. They even centered their Galaxy’s Edge addition to the Disney Parks around this era, which is further indication that there are no plans to get rid of these stories anytime soon.
Despite this, there are still many issues that linger with the lore of the movies, and there’s no denying how damaging the poor reception of these films has been on the Star Wars franchise as a whole. There’s been limited interest in continuing the stories of the sequel trilogy characters, aside from the recent announcement of Rey’s New Jedi Order movie and the 2022 opening of the immersive Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience – and the latter is about to close permanently. Ahsoka could be Star Wars’ attempt at mitigating these issues with the sequel era in its very own unique way.
Ahsoka Is Making The Sequels Irrelevant
The story of Ahsoka is looking far beyond that of the sequel Star Wars trilogy with the Pathway to Peridea unlocking brand-new galaxy, something that’s already broadened the franchise’s scope much more than those movies ever did. This adventure alone opens an unfathomable amount of possibilities for future stories, from the introduction of other species to the threat of an intergalactic war. Ahsoka‘s story is then acting as a new path forward, and it could continue to serve as more than just an excuse for the New Republic Era heroes not being present in the sequel trilogy.
With this being the case, the First Order-Resistance conflict of the sequel movies feels like an afterthought. The threat of another galaxy wanting to take over or even destroy the main one casts a much bigger shadow of danger than yet another intragalactic conflict. The only way Star Wars could find a way to make a story that would matter to viewers more than that of the sequel trilogy would be to expand the scope, and they’re doing it in Ahsoka in the most immense way possible.
Anakin Skywalker Has Even Called Ahsoka His Legacy
In Ahsoka episode 5, Ahsoka has the chance to reunite with Anakin in the World Between Worlds, where he helps her face her past in order to finally move forward without her burdens. While doing so, Anakin explicitly tells Ahsoka that she’s his legacy, without mentioning his grandson or even his children. This sounds much more like a Skywalker saga call to adventure than the sequel Star Wars trilogy, as it’s Anakin himself making this assertion to Ahsoka.
It could be, then, that Ahsoka and her story is meant to carry on the legacy the prequel and original Star Wars trilogies always wanted. Rather than returning to a conflict that feels to many like a repeat of what already occurred in the original films, Ahsoka is taking a big and creative step in changing the galaxy in its own way, something that fits in with the episodes of George Lucas’ saga much more closely. While this certainly doesn’t make the sequel trilogy nonexistent, it does put Ahsoka and the future New Republic Era projects in a much more important position.
Will Star Wars Distance Itself From The Sequels With A New Galaxy?
The damage of the sequel Star Wars trilogy on the franchise can’t be undone, but the franchise might still be trying to move past it with Ahsoka‘s story and the brand-new galaxy. This could be the key to winning over fans who were too disappointed by the latest movie installments to go on, especially with all the endless possibilities it poses. Not only is this story invoking one of Legends’ very first villains, but it’s also expanding in a new and very exciting way. Ahsoka is doing so while still offering a bridge to the sequel era with things such as the New Republic’s weaknesses, which creates an almost perfect formula for all Star Wars fans.
It seems as if the distance between Star Wars and the sequel trilogy has already been set, with Ahsoka’s galaxy about to be revealed and the New Jedi Order movie taking place many years after the events originally occurred. This would be a very creative way of doing so, as it maintains that part of Star Wars for those who want it while also offering something else for those who don’t. It also makes the grounds for even more Star Wars storytelling even richer, especially as demand for beloved characters such as Ahsoka herself, Din Djarin, Grogu, and more continues to grow. The new galaxy has a lot to offer for Star Wars, and its exploration in Ahsoka will be nothing short of game-changing for the entire franchise.
Ahsoka releases new episodes Tuesdays at 6 pm PT / 9 pm ET on Disney+.
