Star Wars’ Latest Retcon Makes Ahsoka’s Continuity Even More Complicated

Star Wars’ Latest Retcon Makes Ahsoka’s Continuity Even More Complicated

As a seasoned Star Wars gamer and connoisseur of all things Ahsoka Tano, I must say that the latest continuity confusion surrounding my beloved character has left me more bewildered than when Obi-Wan told me to trust Anakin Skywalker. The new Star Wars encyclopedia’s identification of the Inquisitor Ahsoka dueled as “First Brother” rather than “Sixth Brother” feels like another force-choking maneuver from the galaxy far, far away.


The consistency of the Star Wars Universe has been tangled since Disney acquired the franchise, and this issue persists today. Recently, a new Star Wars encyclopedia book has been released in the UK, but it seems that fans have discovered a note that complicates Ahsoka Tano’s storyline even further, raising yet another question about which version is the genuine canon.

In the narrative of Ahsoka Tano, a split emerged upon the debut of Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi animated anthology series in 2022. Among the animated shorts, Ahsoka Tano was featured in three, and the final one titled “Resolve” seemed familiar to dedicated Star Wars fans. This is because the storyline for the animated short was inspired by the same outline that animation maestro Dave Filoni (also Ahsoka Tano’s creator) had previously provided to author E.K. Johnston when she wrote her 2016 young-adult novel, Ahsoka.

In the book and cartoon, Ahsoka Tano finds sanctuary in a rural settlement on a secluded planet following her escape from Order 66. Although she endeavors to abstain from employing her Force abilities, she eventually breaches that restriction in order to prevent a tragic mishap from befalling an innocent soul. A resident of the community recognizes an opportunity to earn a bounty by betraying a Jedi and informs the Empire, who then dispatch an Inquisitor to apprehend her. Faced with this adversary, Ahsoka is compelled to engage him, overpower him, and ultimately recognize that it’s the Force’s decree for her to continue fighting.

Which Inquisitor Did Ahsoka Duel?

The 2016 novel “Ahsoka” initially portrayed the Inquisitor pursuing Ahsoka as “Sixth Brother,” a character once known as Jedi Knight Bill Valen, who possesses gray skin and mechanical components. However, the appearance of this Inquisitor in the duel between Ahsoka and the Inquisitor depicted in “Tales of the Jedi” does not match the Sixth Brother described in the novel or later comic depictions.

In simple terms, the character known as the Inquisitor from ‘Tales of the Jedi’ has been referred to as “First Brother” in the ‘Star Wars’ encyclopedia. This raises a question about continuity because ‘Tales of the Jedi’s “Resolve” storyline was intended to maintain consistency by adapting a novel into an animated form. Any differences in the appearance of Sixth Brother can be attributed to creative liberties during the transition from book to screen.

Now, that plausible deniability is gone.

Why Has Ashoka’s Continuity Been So Confusing?

Star Wars’ Latest Retcon Makes Ahsoka’s Continuity Even More Complicated

In the year 2016, the novel about Ahsoka was penned down, at a time when Filoni’s Star Wars animated universe was vastly different. Although Star Wars Rebels had reintroduced Ahsoka Tano as an early operative of the Rebellion, there existed a significant narrative void in her storyline, spanning from when she left the Jedi Order to her reemergence as an adult assisting in the formation of the Rebellion.

At one point, Filoni didn’t possess the resources to fully explore Ahsoka’s storyline; however, this all shifted towards the end of the 2010s and into the 2020s when Netflix revived the Clone Wars animated series to conclude Ahsoka’s narrative (liberating Mandalore, defeating Maul, and escaping Order 66). Furthermore, Tales of the Jedi continued to flesh out Ahsoka’s storyline in an animated format, delving into her discovery of her Force abilities at a young age; the rigorous training Anakin Skywalker gave her as a padawan that ultimately safeguarded her life; and the Inquisitor duel that inspired her to stand against the Empire.

The animated portrayals of Ahsoka’s story have progressively overshadowed the novel in the minds of many Star Wars fans, especially as Ahsoka made her live-action debut in Season 2 of “The Mandalorian” and subsequently starred in her own series. These developments have solidified the continuity between Ahsoka’s animated and live-action narratives, effectively relegating the novel to a less prominent role.

For dedicated fans of Ahsoka, the 2016 novel offers an engaging account – a fact further emphasized by the new Star Wars encyclopedia declaring Tales of the Jedi as the definitive storyline. It seems the Star Wars debate regarding her backstory has reached its conclusion.

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Clone Wars, and Ahsoka are all available to stream on Disney+.

Read More

2024-11-09 17:09