Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 1 Episode 8 Review

Star Wars: Ahsoka™ delivers a climactic, white-knuckled finale with “Part Eight: The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord.” It’s a fast-paced ending to a solid series that never lost momentum. Petition to let Dave Filoni (and Tony Gilroy) run the world, please, and thank you.

We’re blessed with an incredible fight scene between Ahsoka Tano™ and Morgan Elsbeth™ that feels like a continuation of what we saw in The Mandalorian™. We also see Ezra Bridger™ and Sabine Wren™ have their fair share of heroic moments. The narrative leaves Shin Hati™ and Baylan Skoll’s™ stories open-ended for exploration in future stories, which is exciting (although, sadly, Baylan would have to be recast).

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Part Eight: The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord

We open with Morgan informing Grand Admiral Thrawn™ that the cargo transfer is complete. They’re almost ready to depart. Captain Enoch™ chimes in with an update regarding Ahsoka. Enoch claims they have a location for the Jedi™ shuttle. Thrawn orders Enoch to prepare for an air strike on our heroes. He tells Morgan they’ll have to linger a little longer. Never underestimate the Jedi.

However, Morgan doesn’t remain disappointed for long. The Great Mothers™ want Morgan to become one of them — a Witch of Dathomir™. After the brief induction, the Great Mothers materialize Talzin’s sword™ for Morgan to use in battle. The last (and first) time we saw this sword was in Star Wars: The Clone Wars™ episode, “The Disappeared, Part II.” Morgan is elated. Thrawn looks indifferent. Perhaps this ain’t his first Nightsisters™ rodeo.

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A System Disruption

Meanwhile, Ahsoka, Sabine, Ezra, and Huyang™ hover above the Noti™ (also known as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Noti) as they move toward, presumably, Thrawn’s headquarters. Ezra disrupts Huyang’s organizational system while searching for parts. He’s assembling a lightsaber™. Ezra learns Huyang trained every Jedi youngling, including his Master, the late Kanan Jarrus™.

Huyang gives Ezra the part he was looking for, claiming he had it set aside for Kanan in case the latter needed it. Sabine observes the interaction, looking crestfallen. She realizes there’s still so much she doesn’t know about being a Jedi, including lightsaber assembly.

Next, Sabine finds Ahsoka sitting on the ship’s roof. Ahsoka vows to always support Sabine from here on out. She recalls how Anakin Skywalker™ did the same for her. I like how this series continues to highlight Anakin’s positive attributes. Anakin is not Darth Vader™. Ahsoka also imparts some wisdom: Being a Jedi isn’t solely about wielding a lightsaber. Sabine must train her mind and body and, above all, trust in the Force. Ezra interrupts the conversation to show them the lightsaber he made. Unfortunately, this triumph is short-lived…

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Thrawn Attacks

Thrawn’s TIE fighters™ attack our protagonists. Ahsoka and Ezra attempt to levitate their ship from the ground while Sabine sits in the cockpit with Huyang. They try to get the vessel moving. The TIE fighters fire on them, inflicting more damage on their poor ship. Sabine orders Ahsoka and Ezra to get out from under the vessel while she flies away. She and Huyang destroy the TIE fighters by essentially flying through them. However, their ship crashes some distance away from Ahsoka and Ezra.

While Huyang and the Noti attempt to repair the ship (again), Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra sit astride a few howlers™, riding toward Thrawn for one last showdown.

Then, Enoch reports to Thrawn that the TIE fighters claimed victory over our heroes before a signal was lost. Thrawn’s a-okay with that. But to make sure, he orders Enoch to lead an attack on the ground. Morgan reassures Thrawn’s troopers that the Great Mothers’ magick is with them.

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Breaking Into the Enemy Base

Meanwhile, Thrawn’s fighters start firing on our trio as they close in on Thrawn’s base. They weave in and out of blasts as Ahsoka orders Ezra and Sabine to use the Force to open massive double doors. Thankfully, they narrowly squeeze through said doors. Success! However, as with most narrative beats in this episode, every win is swiftly met with a challenge. Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra come face-to-face with Thrawn’s Night Troopers™.

During the battle, Ahsoka urges Sabine to utilize her blasters after failing to block a shot from the troopers. Hey, you gotta go with your strengths. I love how this scene is choreographed, and I’ll never get over watching a live-action Ezra kick ass.

Then, we see the Great Mothers intone a spell. It revives all of the troopers our protagonists killed. Which means we’ve got…

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Zombie Troopers!

The zombie troopers clamber to their feet, their eyes glowing green. Ahsoka, Ezra, and Sabine resume fighting, taking down troopers with their sleek moves and, in Sabine’s case, a quick draw. Unfortunately, none of them have watched The Walking Dead, so they don’t know they must aim for the head.

Later, Thrawn informs Morgan it’s only a matter of time before Ahsoka and the others make it aboard the ship. Thus, it’s time to depart. But he needs Morgan to stay behind and hold off their enemies. For the Empire, right? Once Thrawn turns his back, though, Morgan mutters, “For Dathomir™.”

Sure enough, our trio encounters Morgan, who has Talzin’s sword drawn and ready to slay. Ahsoka urges Ezra and Sabine to find Thrawn. She has this one.

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All Sabers on Deck

Sabine and Ezra run into more of Thrawn’s troopers while Ahsoka faces off against Morgan. Just two girlies doing what girlies do — fight to the death on a deadly planet while a blue dude flies away. Sabine finally trusts the Force and has her own badass moment. While a zombie trooper chokes her, she uses the Force to grab her lightsaber. Then, she plunges the blade through the trooper’s head. Boom.

After Sabine and Ezra defeat their enemies, they notice Thrawn flying away. The Great Mothers are on the Eye of Sion™ with him. Ezra thinks it’s all over. There’s no way they can take out Thrawn now. However, Sabine has a plan. She encourages Ezra to leap across the growing chasm separating them and Thrawn’s ship. Then, she’ll give him a push with the Force. Look at that confidence!

Sure enough, the pair execute this move successfully, with Ezra clambering onto Thrawn’s vessel. But Sabine stays behind to help her Master fight off Morgan and the troopers. So, Ezra’s trapped with Thrawn … again.

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Tag Team

Sabine swoops to Ahsoka’s rescue, battling the troopers while Ahsoka focuses on Morgan. Suddenly, Ahsoka delivers a fatal slice to Morgan’s stomach. She dies. The Great Mothers sense her passing on the Eye of Sion, informing Thrawn of her death. He claims she served her purpose. Ezra kills a few troopers on Thrawn’s ship and formulates a plan of escape.

After Ahsoka slays Morgan, we see Huyang appear with the ship. Ahsoka and Sabine hop aboard it while the platform holding the remaining living troopers collapses. Bye-bye!

Next, Ahsoka, Sabine, and Huyang give chase to Thrawn, leaving Peridea™. Thrawn communicates with Ahsoka for the first time in this series. He commends her on a valiant fight, but he claims victory. She can’t stop him from reviving the Empire. The Eye of Sion launches into hyperspace. The blast knocks our heroes back considerably.

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The Return

Later, Ahsoka, Sabine, and Huyang return to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Noti’s camp to recharge and repair their ship. As the Noti celebrate their survival, Ahsoka hears a familiar sound. She turns around to see a convor™ on the rocks, looking very similar to her former companion Morai™.

Meanwhile, Shin Hati returns to the bandits, standing atop a hill while raising her lightsaber to rally the troops. Admittedly, this is a super cool shot. It would look sick as artwork. Baylan Skoll stands atop statues of the Mortis gods™, looking out into an expansive valley. (The Mortis gods, aka The Ones, first appeared in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode, “Overlords.”) It appears Baylan is looking for a power that can control the entirety of the Force and the galaxy.

One Last Long-Awaited Reunion

Next, we see the Eye of Sion approaching Dathomir. I love the piano-driven score in these final moments. It’s the antithesis of what we usually hear in Star Wars™, but it fits here perfectly.

Then, Hera Syndulla™ is greeted by a stranger in a trooper suit. It’s Ezra! He disguised himself as a trooper, grabbed a ship, and escaped. Back on Peridea, Ahsoka and Sabine discuss the events of the day. While they failed to stop Thrawn, they helped Ezra get home. You take the good with the bad. Now, they must move forward.

Before returning to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Noti camp, something — well, someone — catches Ahsoka’s eye. It’s Anakin as a Force ghost. He smiles at her. 

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All in all, Ahsoka is an entertaining, immersive, propulsive, and narratively strong series from beginning to end. It’s up there with Andor™ and The Mandalorian for me. In particular, it manages to carve its own identity without living in The Mandalorian‘s shadow. Plus, seeing the live-action versions of Sabine, Ezra, Hera, and Thrawn is a delight.

When will we see live-action Thrawn again? How will the New Republic react to his return? How will these characters’ stories continue? Become one with the Force and connect with other fans at side.show/geekgroup or in the Sideshow Social Network, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!