Ahsoka's fourth episode, "Fallen Jedi," ended with the surprise return of Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker. We've known for some time now that the Obi-Wan Kenobi star will appear in the Disney+ TV series, and fans have spent the past few days going over his scene with a fine-tooth comb.
The first Easter Egg is relatively innocuous and echoes the final time Ahsoka Tano saw Anakin in The Clone Wars. As you can see, the former Sith Lord (well, possibly former - we'll get to that) smiles at his Padawan in the exact same manner as his animated counterpart.
Far more intriguing are the parallels between this reunion and when Ahsoka came face-to-face with Darth Vader in Star Wars Rebels. It may mean a lot or very little, but there are many fans convinced this could mean the Force Ghost here isn't Anakin; it's Vader.
For starters, he isn't wearing the Jedi Master robes we saw in the closing moments of Return of the Jedi. Then, there's the fact Anakin's lightsaber looks an awful lot like Vader's; the villain did the right thing when he saved Luke, but does that mean he's fully redeemed after everything that happened in the years prior?
An early idea in the Star Wars sequels was for Anakin's Force Ghost to visit his son, only to be half-man, half-machine, confirming he was every bit as split between the light and dark sides of the Force in death as he was in life.
Could we be in store for a twist where Anakin's darker side reemerges? That remains to be seen, but if nothing else, these nods to the animated scenes below are clever and thought-provoking in equal measure.
Set after the fall of the Empire, Ahsoka follows the former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.
In addition to Rosario Dawson in the title role, the series stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, the late Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll, Ivanna Sakhno as Shin Hati, Diana Lee Inosanto as Morgan Elsbeth, David Tennant as Huyang, Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn, and Eman Esfandi appearing as Ezra Bridger.
Ahsoka was written by Dave Filoni, who executive produces alongside Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Carrie Beck. Directors include Filoni, Steph Green, Peter Ramsey, Jennifer Getzinger, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Rick Famuyiwa.
The first four episodes of Ahsoka are now streaming on Disney+.