Ahsoka: The True Meaning of Anakin’s Final Lesson

Welcome back to the galaxy far, far away, Star Wars fans! The reunion between master and apprentice came to a head in this week’s episode of Ahsoka, but what did Anakin’s final lesson truly mean? Dan breaks it all down in today’s Nerdist News!


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[UnfilteredMedic]

The part where he came at her with the thunder hits so hard and flashed him being Vader briefly was EPIC.

[SpaceyMonkey]

Just a beautiful sequence, altogether. Hayden Christensen should be very pleased, his performance was perfect. Great de-aging too. A true gift for prequel/clone wars fans. Loved it!

[clevername]

"you must accept your regret the way you accept your mistakes. Then move on." - Qui Gon Jinn

[jeremiah]

I think one of the lasting images from this episode is how much more startling it was to see the CHILD Ahsoka going into battle and leading others in battle. Her age wasn't as obvious in the animated series, but here, that is definitely a little girl going into battle!

[wesleycolvin]

What's so great about the fan service in this episode is in the way that it's executed. Even for people who have never seen any episode of Clone Wars, this episode is presented in a way that's completely understandable and all the more compelling for it. Hayden deserves all the credit he's getting for this performance...or performances? Seeing him switch so smoothly back and forth between Anakin and Vader feels almost like someone with dissociative identity disorder switching between their alters. It's interesting that I've come across people who don't see the metaphor behind Ahsoka's choice. 'Live or die'. Live in the present or die in the past.

[MusicLover-myfo]

It's pretty amazing that Dave Filoni was able to portray an actual impactful life lesson about finding balance and reconciling with past mistakes to us all while simultaneously delivering sheer fan service. That's really layered.

[sergeantassassin]

The final lesson was one of simultaneous simplicity and brilliance: learning to forgive yourself.

Ahsoka carried the weight of the Clone Wars and subsequent Rise of the Empire for YEARS, blaming herself for what happened. "If only I'd been there." "If only I'd never left the Order." "If only I was stronger." "If only- if only- if only-" She never got over it, never moved past the fact that 'What-Ifs' are just that: possibilities, not certainties. It IS possible that Ahsoka could have made a difference, or it's possible she would have wound up just as dead as the rest of the Jedi did. We cannot know for sure, and neither can she, but overall? It doesn't matter, what's done is done.

The final lesson is about recognizing that you WILL make mistakes, you WILL fail, and you WILL get knocked down...but that you do no one any good by moping about and lingering in regret. Acknowledge that, pick yourself up, and keep moving forward. Reconcile yourself with this, acknowledge that you're not perfect, and that you will fuck up more often than you'd like. Do what you can to make amends, to try and fix any mistakes you make, but if you can't? Then move forward regardless.

Vader beat himself up for YEARS over his failures, and it never got him anywhere. He lingered in self-loathing, the pain and suffering of his loss eating away at him. Instead of moving forward, he clung to Palpatine as a lifeline, stewing in his misery and hatred and anger and pain, letting himself continue to be used and abused by someone who only cared about him as a tool, not a person. It took the love of his son, Luke, to finally let go after all that time, and he's now come to terms with what, and who, he is. He's not Anakin, he's not Vader, he's both. He always has been.

With this knowledge, Skywalker doesn't want Ahsoka to fall down the same path, and so he's giving her a crash-course in "getting over it". THAT is what the final lesson is all about.

[Gnarwolf]

I believe it really was Anakin, When she says " I will not fight you" and Anakin says " I've heard that before" . This is what Luke said to him when he was Vader. If this was just a manifestation created by Ahsoka, then how would she know Luke said that. The Moment wee Anakin phase between Himself and Vader, Shows he really has achieved balance in the force.

[Tahkaullus]

What I love about this episode was, despite it being Anakin imparting the lesson, it is Luke's teachings coming through. Like Anakin said himself 'you're never too old to learn' which in my mind is him silently saluting his son and giving him the chance to impart the lesson from one branch of his Jedi family's legacy to the other branch.

And the lesson ends the same way Luke taught it: Ahsoka threw away the lightsaber, the most glorified and yet least important symbol of the Jedi. That deadly tool which at the end of the day means nothing. Choosing a more peaceful approach than the brutal act of violence. Like a real Jedi.

[MoniqueLawGEN-]

That stance with his back to Ahsoka reminds me of the start of anakin’s fight with obi wan on mustafur before he was de-limbed. He started face forward with the younglings.

He is a much richer character balancing both sides of the force! So is ahsoka! He is fully Anakin whether dark or light!

And he is “more than that”, he also fathered Leia and Luke…look at them and that part of his legacy!

[ngevacorp]

Darth Vader was actually the only Jedi that did some good. Reflect on the og movies: he constantly force chokes imperial officers. He locks Leia in the cell and gives her a daddy prep talk so she can stay focused and get rescued. He single handly took out the tie fighter wingmen so Luke can blow up the death star. He deliberately challenges to a duel with Obiwan so his master can become a force ghost and let Millennium Falcon escape. He goes to cloud city to recruit Luke in taking down the Emperor. He positions the fleet and let the rebels land on Endor. He saves Luke and kills palpatine. Totally undercover Vader.

[GeorgePloss]

When Ashoka said “I won’t fight you!” And Anakin said “I’ve heard that before” wasn’t he referring to when Luke said that to him in Return?

[axis]

I remember when Kanan taught Ezra how to commune with animals, he explained that you have to open yourself, to accept things about yourself, even your own fears. Ezra was able to commune with the Fyrnocks because Ezra finally admitted his fears.

So Ahsoka to be able to commune with the purrgils means that Ahsoka is finally opening herself after closing herself off. That's why she could successfully commune with them. If Ahsoka didn't learn that lesson, Ahsoka would never have been able to commune with the purrgil.

[Flyboy]

I loved this episode. So much symbolism, so many deep cuts, and so many hidden things I didn’t get until watching this. I’m sure there’s even more hidden beneath the surface

[DonutGuard]

Honestly, another channel said that what we were seeing with Anakin was a fully realized and balanced person. He reconciled what he had done in life, all the horrible awful things as well as all the good he did, all the love he had in his heart. He is now beyond light and dark side limitations. Simply put, he is consciously able to be whatever he needs to be now. He IS the Force.

[dis_inferno]

The reason why Ahsoka is in the World Between Worlds in Episode 5 is because Ezra saved her from Vader at that moment. Ahsoka feels that she was close to death, as in that moment with Vader, so she sees a World between worlds. When Anakin tells her "Live or Die" he means that Ahsoka shouldn't have given up because her master had turned evil. This was the reason why she could have died in that duel with Vader on Malachor. This was also the reason why Ahsoka lost to Baylan, because he made her remember her master's dark legacy. When Ahsoka and Dark Side Anakin are fighting it's literally continuation of Ahsoka vs Vader on Malachor. And Ahsoka can finally fight for her life without being ashamed of her legacy. That’s why Anakin approves her and leaves. He completed her training.

[hearstboy]

I follow a few different channels that cover Ahsoka. This is by far the best take I've seen about this episode's meaning. I love that you're weaving in the Jungian psychology concept of the shadow self. Also... A Sithmas Carol! 🤩 Love it!!

[RegisBladeStudios]

I was definitely a bit teary eyed by the end of this episode. All the fan service brought to live action was exciting and emotional.

[Lechuga]

I think you were on track here with Anakin's final lesson. I think it's subtly almost like a grey jedi lesson. Anakin has passed from Jedi to Sith to Jedi and has encountered all angles of the force. His lesson is to not ignore the darkness, but to accept it for what it is. Only then can the light flourish within yourself. That's what Anakin saw at the end of their duel when she flashed her own Sith eyes. Ahsoka has the same darkness in her that Anakin had, born of self-doubt, a war-torn upbringing, and the emotional rollercoaster of seeing everyone she knows die. Anakin's lesson is to recognize the darkness as Anakin has recognized his time as Vader. But to control it and not allow it to decide your actions as he gave in to it as the dark lord. This is also what he means when he says you can never stop fighting or you will die. He isn't talking about war, he's talking about the darkness in them they share. You must get up everyday and fight to not have your actions dictated by the darkside, lest you'll fall as Anakin fell. As Ahsoka awakes, she is now in control of both the light and dark in her and is fully in control of her own force spirit. Also, this is why he keeps alluding to Ahsoka and himself being so similar. They are essentially the same character with almost all of the same troubles and issues (Anakin having the Chosen One hanging over him that kinda crushed him a bit more). However, while Ahsoka turned away from everything, shutting herself off from the darkness but also the light. Anakin turned straight into the darkness as he was betrayed by the light.

[sourcesymbiosismetamorphis]

Anakin had true growth unlike the stagnant jedi order who had excess light. Him falling into darkness seemed like a step backwards after RoTS but after being redeemed by his son he became more multi faceted and dynamic by mastering his dark side. Taking the lessons from the dark and healing it back to the light side. That is true jungian psychology right there.