Ahsoka Tano was supposed to be Obi-Wan Kenobi's Padawan but Yoda assigned her to
Anakin Skywaker instead. And it doesn't get any less complicated from there.
Keep watching for all the ins and outs of Ahsoka and Obi-Wan's relationship.
One of the most interesting aspects of Obi-Wan and Ahsoka's relationship is the fact that
he's basically her Jedi "grandfather." Jedi are trained one-on-one, passing their teachings from
master to student following specific generational lines of Jedi that Ahsoka is proud to belong to.
This Jedi legacy begins decades before the films, when Jedi Grand Master Yoda
decides to train a young boy named Dooku. That boy grows up to train Qui-Gon Jinn,
the Jedi Master who discovers a small child named Anakin Skywalker on the desert planet Tatooine.
But because Jinn is killed by Darth Maul before he can train the boy,
his former Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, takes Anakin on as his apprentice in his stead.
So, when Obi-Wan and Anakin fight Count Dooku in "Attack of the Clones," they are, in a sense,
fighting family. But, Jedi aren't meant to form attachments or know their biological relatives.
As a result, the relationships between master and apprentice are often the closest thing they
have to parental bonds. So whenever Ahsoka is instructed in the ways of the Force,
she is hearing the echoes of all the Jedi who came before her,
whether she's hearing them directly from Obi-Wan or through Anakin.
What might have been
Strangely enough, Ahsoka was originally meant to be Obi-Wan's second Padawan,
not Anakin's first. Obi-Wan puts in a request for a new apprentice from the planet Christophsis
shortly before the beginning of the 2008 animated film, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."
When Ahsoka arrives, Obi-Wan introduces himself as her new master before Ahsoka
corrects him and announces that she's actually been assigned to Anakin.
"I've got a bad feeling about this."
Though Obi-Wan seems surprised in the moment, a later scene between Obi-Wan
and Yoda seems to indicate that this has been the duo's plan all along. That said, it's still
interesting to wonder what their relationship as master and apprentice would have been like.
Obi-Wan has plenty of opportunities to train and mentor the young Jedi throughout the Clone Wars,
as he, Anakin, and Ahsoka travel and fight together more often than not.
Obi-Wan Kenobi mentors Ahsoka Tano in many different ways,
but one of the most compelling is his position as her commanding officer.
During the Clone Wars, the Jedi take on official military ranks in the Grand Army
of the Republic that directly correspond to their ranks within the Jedi Order.
Obi-Wan Kenobi becomes the High Jedi General in charge of the 7th Sky Corps
alongside Clone Marshal Commander CC-2224, aka "Cody." Anakin's clone legion, the famous 501st,
is one of many legions under the 7th Sky Corps, and, as such, is under the overarching command
of Obi-Wan. Though the two are no longer master and apprentice, Obi-Wan is still
Anakin's commanding officer, which makes Obi-Wan responsible for Ahsoka as well.
"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" features a large cast of characters. However, Anakin Skywalker,
Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano become the closest thing the series has to main characters.
The three work closely together throughout the war,
and any story that features one of them almost always features the other two as well.
"The Clone Wars" explores the galaxy's journey between the events of "Star Wars:
Episode II — Attack of the Clones" and those of "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the
Sith." Ahsoka is the most important new character the show introduces,
so it's only natural that she join Anakin and Obi-Wan as the show's lead characters.
The movie that kicks off their story begins with their first meeting. And then, the last story of
the series' ending season begins with their final encounter. Then, Order 66 changes everything.
Though this might seem like an unorthodox way to put it, Obi-Wan basically helps Anakin raise
Ahsoka. Over the course of the war, the three of them work together on many different missions.
This is a time of tremendous growth for Ahsoka, which Obi-Wan is almost entirely present for.
And so, Obi-Wan helps guide Anakin as he trains Ahsoka and learns how to be a teacher. Likewise,
Ahsoka often looks to Obi-Wan for guidance as she learns to navigate the universe at large
and her master's unique tendencies.
The two Jedi teach Ahsoka how to be the best person, Jedi, leader, and soldier that she can be.
She keeps those teachings with her as she rebels against the Empire
long after the Clone Wars come to an end. Ahsoka comes to regard
Obi-Wan and Anakin as one does their parents. For all intents and purposes, they are her parents.
While Obi-Wan is patient, humble, and forward-thinking, Anakin is impulsive,
overconfident, and eager to rush into danger. The fact that they come to balance each other
out is a large part of what makes them such an incredible team. It's no surprise,
then, that Ahsoka, a student of both Jedi, comes to embody the balance between them.
When she first begins as Anakin's Padawan, Ahsoka is arrogant and quick to jump the gun. Because
she's intelligent and competent, she's also often right, which fuels her recklessness. Eventually,
a series of mistakes teaches her humility. In this sense, she's quite similar to her master.
By the time the Clone Wars finally end,
she develops a patience strongly reminiscent of Obi-Wan's. This results in a best-of-both-worlds
balance. Like Anakin, Ahsoka never hesitates to leap to someone's aid,
but like Obi-Wan, she knows the value of slowing down to plan before deciding her next move.
"You have one day to decide."
In Season 4's "Kidnapped," Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan investigate the disappearance of a colony
of Ahsoka's species, called Togrutas. When they arrive, the trio discover that the entire colony
has been taken by Zygerrian slavers. Anakin is furious, and though it's obvious to Ahsoka why
her master finds slavery abhorrent, she doesn't understand his personal stake in the crime.
It's at this point the audience realizes Anakin has told Ahsoka nothing of his own history.
So, when Ahsoka asks Obi-Wan about it after Anakin leaves,
he tells her about her master's childhood in slavery. It's a fascinating scene,
and it illustrates the trio's relationship well: When Anakin shuts her out, Ahsoka goes to Obi-Wan,
who tells her what she needs to know while still respecting Anakin's desire for privacy.
In the final arc of "The Clone Wars" Season 5, Ahsoka is put through one of the worst
experiences of her life. She is framed for bombing the Jedi Temple, even though she was
in another part of the galaxy when it happened. Many Jedi do not believe her, and a warrant is
placed for her arrest, forcing her to flee and attempt to clear her name on her own.
When the Jedi finally catch her, they decide to put her on trial. But, at Supreme Chancellor
Palpatine's request, the Jedi agree to have Ahsoka face court as a military officer
and not a Jedi. So, Ahsoka finds herself before a Republic military tribunal.
In order for Ahsoka to be judged by the Republic, she must first be expelled from the Jedi Order.
Though Obi-Wan initially tries to stand up for Ahsoka, he ultimately relents and sides with the
rest of the Council. And so, by a near-unanimous vote, the Jedi Council casts Ahsoka out.
When Anakin finally clears her name, Ahsoka is invited to rejoin the order.
But the sting of this betrayal still lingers, and she refuses.
Ahsoka loves and trusts Obi-Wan, but when she needs him most, he does not have her back.
Anakin and Obi-Wan don't discuss Ahsoka's departure from the Jedi Order until Season
7. However, a canceled story arc called "Crystal Crisis on Utapau" was originally
set to address her absence. The arc is still considered canon,
and story reels of the unfinished episodes were eventually released on StarWars-dot-com.
In the arc's second episode, "In Search of the Crystal," Anakin mentions Ahsoka for the first
time since the incident, prompting a discussion with Obi-Wan as they set up camp for the night.
Anakin tells his master how much he misses his former Padawan, and is obviously angry that she
left the Order. But when Obi-Wan emphasizes that it was her decision to leave, Anakin responds,
"Well, what choice did we give her?"
Anakin blames the Council for refusing to stand by Ahsoka in her time of need,
but Obi-Wan disagrees. He blames Ahsoka, claiming her emotions affected her decision. Since that's
against the Jedi code, it is thus her failure to act like a Jedi that caused her to leave.
He effectively paints her leaving as some sort of childish tantrum,
completely disregarding the legitimacy of her position.
Obi-Wan Kenobi seems like the definitive Jedi. He's humble, compassionate, and self-controlled.
But Ahsoka comes to believe that Obi-Wan embodies the Jedi Order's flaws. During the war, the Jedi
become dominated by politics, and transform from peacekeeping monks into generals of one
of the galaxy's largest armies. This ultimately blinds them to the needs of the common man.
When the Jedi Council exiles Ahsoka, they do so because they don't want the Senate to think
they've lost their impartiality. Though there is wisdom in this, they fail to take any additional
action to protect Ahsoka, or discover what truly happened. Instead, they abandon her,
which forces her to rethink everything she once believed about the Order.
This comes to a head in Season 7's "Old Friends Not Forgotten." When Ahsoka asks her old masters
to help against Maul on Mandalore, they abandon her again to rush to the Battle of Coruscant.
When she challenges their decision, Obi-Wan says that Coruscant's people
need them. But, Ahsoka rightly states that they're going only for the Chancellor.
Once again, they're playing politics instead of helping people.
It's the Jedis' duty to serve everybody, not just one man. In calling her old masters out,
Ahsoka illustrates something she says in Season 3's "The Academy,"
"It's every citizen's duty to challenge their leaders."
In E. K. Johnston's novel, "Star Wars: Ahsoka," readers join Ahsoka Tano a year after Order 66.
At this point, the former Jedi is still alone and on the run from the Empire. She hasn't
yet joined any rebellions or even started to process all that she has lost. But when a new
acquaintance asks her about her past, she claims to be an orphan who was "adopted."
Obviously, she's hiding the truth of her past as a Jedi who was raised in the Jedi Temple.
But throughout the exchange, she refers to Anakin and Obi-Wan as her adoptive parents, and smiles
fondly as she remembers how they constantly bickered, quote, "like an old married couple."
Despite how strained and broken their relationship has become by this point, Ahsoka still chooses
to remember Obi-Wan with warmth and love. She accepts how important he is to her, flaws and all.
Following the bloody rampage of Order 66 Ahsoka mourns Obi-Wan, which is made all
the more tragic by the fact that Obi-Wan isn't actually dead. Unbeknownst to either character,
they both survive the Great Jedi Purge and go on to oppose the Empire in their own ways.
Only Bail Organa and Yoda know that Obi-Wan goes into hiding on the planet Tatooine to
protect his former pupil's son, Luke. Ahsoka eventually joins forces with Bail
Organa and works closely with him in forming the Rebellion. But, he never reveals Obi-Wan's fate.
The existence of Anakin's child is simply too important to risk telling anybody, even Ahsoka.
Likewise, Obi-Wan is purposefully out of contact with the rest of the galaxy, which means nobody
can tell him about Ahsoka. When he leaves Tatooine with Luke aboard the Millennium Falcon,
everybody believes Ahsoka is dead. By the time anyone knows that wasn't true,
Obi-Wan has been killed by his own apprentice, by then known as the fearsome Darth Vader.
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