When I was writing about the dumb controversy that has surfaced recently regarding the reality that Ahsoka Tano had more formal training than Luke Skywalker, my mind began to be pulled in other directions as well.
In the Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian episode looking at the season two finale, Dave Filoni made a comment about how he doubts Luke had really had much lightsaber instruction in the years since Return of the Jedi. And that got me thinking about how he’s absolutely right: we’ve seen Force ghosts teach many different things to people, but not fighting with a lightsaber. That’s not something they seem to be interested in (for very logical and understandable reasons). But as the last of the Jedi, then, how could Luke possibly learn these things?
There is obviously much that could be learned from the ancient Jedi texts, and it’s perfectly reasonable to suggest that’s how Luke grew so much as a Jedi (I’m convinced he grew into the greatest Jedi we’ve ever seen, but that’s an argument for another time). But particularly when it comes to something like fighting with a lightsaber, there’s probably only so much growth that can come through reading.
So when Filoni mentioned that, my mind began thinking through the possibilities of how Luke would continue to grow during this period. After all, as the last of the Jedi, Luke’s not going to have many mentors to learn from. Whereas Ahsoka during the Clone Wars was able to learn very closely from Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Plo Koon, among others, Luke was the last Jedi remaining at a very young age. It speaks to the challenge he faced in trying to re-start the Jedi Order. And it speaks to the plethora of stories that are still yet to be told about him during this period, as he explored the history of the Jedi and sought to learn whatever he could.
All of this together makes it almost a no-brainer that he would have met Ahsoka at some point.
It makes almost too much sense from a number of different angles. Any Jedi (or former Jedi) still alive during this period would surely be of considerable interest to Luke as he attempts to learn as much as he can about the Jedi, their history, and their ways. But even beyond that, Ahsoka would be an especially interesting Jedi for Luke to meet because she was trained by his father. I can think of at least three (of many!) reasons why this would be so great and work so well.
First, it would give the opportunity for Luke to learn about the ways of the Force (and maybe even lightsabers) from someone who is immensely credible and also, well, alive. There aren’t too many options like that available, so it makes sense to seize the opportunity when it presents itself. It would mark an opportunity for Luke to learn and grow.
Second, it would give Luke the chance to hear more about his father. We know that Luke had a much easier time accepting the fact that his father was Darth Vader than Leia did. By the time her political career was ruined over that scandalous revelation, Leia was still having a really hard time processing and reconciling that. We’re told that she believes Luke that Anakin was redeemed at the end of his life, but still has trouble coming to terms with it. That’s totally understandable, and it’s also totally logical why Luke would be more apt to believe in the good in Anakin despite Vader’s atrocities. But so too would a conversation with Ahsoka, where Luke learns more about his father – Anakin, not Vader – and is more easily able to accept the truth of Anakin Skywalker.
Third, it would also provide an opportunity for Ahsoka to embrace Anakin’s redemption. We don’t know whether she felt his return to the light or not, or whether Anakin’s Force ghost would have talked with her, or however this would work – but it would be really cool to see that while Ahsoka tells Luke about Anakin, if Luke were to tell her that Anakin was redeemed. Seeing her reaction to this news would be precious.
There’s obviously a number of other things that could happen in a meeting like this, but the question becomes where it might happen. And I want to suggest that it could actually happen in the Ahsoka series. In saying this I don’t want to set people up for disappointment if it doesn’t happen, because this is just all speculation and odds are that it won’t. But Dave Filoni is the showrunner of this series, and we know how deeply he cares about the character. If she were to meet Luke Skywalker (and like I mentioned, it seems too much of a perfect thing for it not to happen), then it would be a hugely monumental moment in the Star Wars franchise. I’d think Filoni would want to handle that personally, given how important it would be and how delicately it would need to be handled. Additionally, Filoni’s comments in this episode are what got me thinking in the first place… so it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s thinking about these things too.
I’d love to see this happen, and regardless of when it does or how it does, I think it would be one of the coolest moments we’ve seen in Star Wars. I really hope that Lucasfilm takes advantage of it, but does so in the right way at the right time.
Star Wars Thoughts 