Star Wars The Clone Wars fans rejoice! We finally got live-action Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano together during The Clone Wars, and boy, was it amazing. The fifth episode, entitled Shadow Warrior, leans into Ahsoka’s time as Anakin’s padawan during the Clone Wars era. It also flickers between Anakin as himself and then as Vader, which was incredible to see how it was achieved.
Dave Filoni knocked this episode out of the park. We don’t get Sabine in this episode, but we do hear the echo of her voice when Ahsoka uses the broken piece of the sphere to work out where she, Morgan Elsbeth, Shin and Baylan have disappeared.
Could Anakin Appear In Another Episode?
Now, what I found interesting is that the dialogue from a promo said by Anakin was not used at all in the episode. Two things could explain this. One is that Anakin appears in another episode or two; the scene was cut for time.
There were rumours that an alternate version of the Mustafar Revenge of the Sith fight was cut. well, that turned out to be true. Also, there was a hint to the original scene from RotS when Anakin bends Ahsoka’s arm back during their fight on Mandalore. This was likely a nod to him doing the same thing to Obi-Wan during that fight.
Of course, we must remind ourselves that Anakin was not on Mandalore during the Siege of Mandalore. He was off dealing with Palpatine getting captured by Dooku and Grevious, dreaming of Padmé’s death and falling to the Dark Side.
Hera Ignores The Senate’s Orders
Hera, Jacen and Chopper play a significant role in Shadow Warrior. However, Hera, wanting to help Ahsoka and Sabine, arrives on Seatos, telling her son to stay on The Ghost. When he comes down the ramp, Hera allows him and Chopper to explore, but before they can, she stops them. They find Huyang holding Sabine’s helmet, a voice full of fear. He tells the General that he told them to stay together, and they didn’t listen.
Jacen sits on the step with Chopper as his mother scans, and he can hear lightsaber strikes as he listens. Carson arrives and tells Hera that the Senate isn’t happy she defied their orders. He even mentions that Leia is doing what she can to help, but there’s only so much she do. Jacen calls for Hera, tells her that there’s something off about the waves, and tells her what he hears. She’s not sure, and Teva calls her attention back.
Once again, Jacen attempts to get his mother to listen to him. She does this time and does as he tells her. She realises he’s right and that Ahsoka is still alive.
Anakin And Ahsoka Banter
You cannot have The Clone Wars without Anakin and Ahsoka banter, and Shadow Warrior gives us that. The first battle we see is unknown, but Bespin Bulletin believes it is the Battle of Ryloth. Though, it makes sense as there were Twi’leks present.
The second battle was interesting as it was the Siege of Mandalore, which we referenced earlier in this review. Also, how good was it to see Hayden Christensen in the armour?! We need Ewan in the armour, and we’d be fulfilled. Anyway, Ahsoka blames herself for the casualties. We believe this was a call back when Ahsoka lost her troops during that firefight in space, and Anakin pulled her up on her recklessness.
What was interesting about the Ahsoka-Anakin Clone Wars flashback was the transitions. It goes from Anakin smashing the floor of the World Between Worlds and Ahsoka falling through to her awakening in her teenage body during the Clone Wars. Ariana Greenblatt did a fantastic job channelling teenage Ahsoka so well while also channelling the adult version in the teenage body.
The transitions between Anakin and Vader were another highlight. The red Sith eyes on Hayden were a bit more jarring than the yellow eyes we saw in Revenge of the Sith, but that was the point. We saw yellow eyes on Anakin in Rebels when Ahsoka slices open the helmet, and Obi-Wan did the same in his show.
However, this was likely intentional as Anakin is a figment of Ahsoka’s imagination rather than an actual depiction of the Anakin that Ahsoka remembers.
Live Or Die
A fascinating part was when Anakin told Ahsoka he had one last lesson to teach her and ignited his lightsaber. She refuses to fight him. The look on her face, as she sees the blade makes her defences go over instantly. She realises that she gave in to Anakin too quickly and has to defend herself. The line she says when she refuses, “I will not fight you,” is something Luke tells Vader in Return of the Jedi.
Anakin saying, “I’ve heard that before,” makes total sense as he has heard it before. We were confused when the Wookieepedia article for the Shadow Warrior episode said there was a reference to Luke. However, the line is a dead giveaway. There are also lines of dialogue that sound like they’re from The Clone Wars series.
We also glimpse Rex in live-action but with Temuera Morrison voicing the character during the Siege of Mandalore, where he is commander rather than captain. For those who might be. a little confused; Rex was given a promotion during the end of the Clone Wars but then demotes himself. He is reinstated to being a commander likely during the Battle of Endor or before, as Sabine calls him Commander Rex during her epilogue of Rebels.
Ahsoka’s Rescue And A Plan To Retrieve Ezra And Sabine
Upon Ahsoka’s recovery, she thanks Jacen for helping save her, leaving Teva confused. Huyang tells him that Jacen is Force-sensitive as the boy’s father, Kanan Jarrus, was a Jedi. Carson’s reaction is hilarious as he’s like, “Oh, no, not another one,” likely a reference to Grogu and Din Djarin. This is also the first time Kanan is referenced by name in live-action. An eagle-eyed viewer during the previous episode found a Kanan easter egg of a photo that Hera next to controls. The most exciting part is that Huyang doesn’t refer to Kanan as Caleb Dume.
Ahsoka uses the Force echo Sabine left on the sphere to work out where she, Skoll, Hati and Elsbeth have gone. When she realises what she has to do, she tells Hera, who relays the order to Carson, to distract the Fleet while Ahsoka makes contact with the Purrgil.
Carson can only hold the Fleet off for so long before he is forced to reveal what Ahsoka plans on doing. The fleet captain thinks the whole thing is crazy. Hera then contacts her and tells her she needs to get her ships out of the way. Otherwise, they’ll be jumped, too.
Huyang asks Ahsoka if the Purgill know where Sabine is. She tells them they don’t, which prompts him to panic. As the episode ends, Ahsoka promises Hera she’ll get Sabine and bring Ezra home.
