The third episode of Ahsoka gave us plenty of starfighter action, as Ahsoka and Sabine faced off against Shin, Marrok, and their allies in the skies above Seatos. But as the heroes attempted to flee the villains, they were greeted by giant space whales flying through the air. These creatures are purrgil, and they’re a bigger deal than you may have caught in the episode.
Purrgil were introduced in Star Wars Rebels, the animated series that serves as a clear predecessor to Ahsoka and the most influential Star Wars story in recent memory. These whales were ancient creatures of legend, able to travel through hyperspace. Their ability to travel between star systems was studied by ancient travelers and led to the development of hyperspace travel throughout the galaxy. But while this ability had proven greatly beneficial to others in the galaxy, more recent travelers viewed the purrgil as more of a nuisance who would cause crashes by interrupting hyperspace lanes.
We actually glimpsed the purrgil traveling through hyperspace in the third season of The Mandalorian, and then we saw a shadow of some (and heard their cry) in the skies above Seatos in the second episode of Ahsoka. But for the first time in live-action we’ve now fully seen a purrgil, and while I had speculated this last week, the third episode confirmed that the purrgil were believed to be able to travel between galaxies. Ahsoka asks Huyang if the giant hyperspace ring above the planet would be able to travel to another galaxy, and Huyang responded:
“Theoretically, if one knew the coordinates and navigation, yes, I believe it could. The Jedi archives speak of intergalactic hyperspace lanes between galaxies, which used to follow the migration paths of star whales named purrgil.”
It seems quite clear, then, that the key to Morgan Elsbeth’s plan is to follow the purrgil. The map helps figure out where this is, and it seems that Seatos is a place where the purrgil are active. I wonder if the hyperspace ring is designed to be able to capture a purrgil and have it jettison them to another galaxy, or whether they’re simply going to try to mimic the path, but either way the purrgil are the key to finding Thrawn.
The reason for that is why the appearance of the purrgil in this episode might be a bigger deal than many viewers caught initially. After the events, in a quiet moment on their ship, Ahsoka asks Sabine if she’s alright. Smiling, Sabine responds, “I haven’t seen those creatures since the day Ezra disappeared.” To Sabine and Ahsoka, the appearance of the purrgil means they’re on the right track to find Ezra Bridger (and Thrawn), because they last saw them the day that Ezra and Thrawn disappeared.
That day happened in 1 BBY (one year before the Battle of Yavin and the rebellion’s open warfare against the Empire), as Ezra, Sabine, and Hera led a mission to liberate Lothal from Imperial rule. Their initial success was hindered by the arrival of Grand Admiral Thrawn, and in order to save the city Ezra surrendered to Thrawn. But Ezra’s plan wasn’t thwarted. A few years earlier he and the rest of the Ghost crew had encountered some purrgil, and Ezra displayed a consistent ability to connect with creatures – which continued with the purrgil. So before the Battle of Lothal, Ezra had sent some allies to recruit the purrgil to the fight, and the creatures arrived to turn the tide of the war. They devastated Thrawn’s fleet, and then they surrounded Thrawn’s flagship, the Chimaera, and jumped into hyperspace with it – with Thrawn and Ezra still on board.
That was the last anyone has heard from them, and they were both presumed to be dead (as has been mentioned in this series). But the whispers of their survival have both the heroes and villains trying to find them, so logically the best way to do so is to follow the purrgil. What this means is that the appearance of the purrgil is a clue that the search is on the right track.
Star Wars Thoughts 