SPOILER Rebels Review S02 Premiere: "The Siege Of Lothal"

I think the season picks up in September (I, too am bummed about the wait...). Regarding Ahsoka, I don't think Vader wants to kill her - I think he wants to turn her. He would have her by his side I think. At this point, he is ignorant of the fact that he has children. He trusted Ahsoka once, and there bond was strong, so I think it is natural to desire her presence especially after all he has lost. My bet is that the Emperor forces him to kill her at some point to test his loyalty and sever one of the last remaining ties he has to the man he was before.

 

Filoni said that Vader has a hit list with Obi Wan Kenobi at the top and Ahsoka and Yoda constantly changing places.

He also said: "Vader would look at Ahsoka and want to destroy her," Filoni warned. "She is a living memory of everything he once was, and everything he once had."

Does that mean that she will surely die? Not necessarily - she is uniquely equipped to fight him, being his apprentice and probably having learn something over the intervening years. Then again, so did Vader. One can only hope that she is skillful enough to at least get away when $hit hits the fan.

Run Ahsoka, run!

 

If you follow the comics any, it seems that it was after Vader's treatment by the Emperor after the events of ANH that really started the wheels of betrayal turning in his mind. He willfully withheld information regarding his confrontation with Kenobi and his enounter with the boy (Luke). When he realizes the emperor lied to him about Padme you really see the seeds of distrust start to grow. I think Vader is still naive enough regarding the Emperor in the Rebels era to not willfully withhold such an important discovery from him. It's possible he told the emperor about her to avoid suspicion and in hopes that the emperor would approve of her as a powerful ally much like he did with Ventress before with Dooku. He presents her to his master as someone who could be used to their advantage, but in the back of his mind, he probably has his own hidden motive to have her join him to overthrow the emperor who possesses the power he craves.

--- Double Post Merged, Jun 29, 2015, Original Post Date: Jun 29, 2015 ---

I hadn't heard this quote from Filoni. it makes sense that Vader would want to kill her to purge Anakin a little more from his psyche...and yes, I think it would be a sweet battle. No one knows Anakin better than Ahsoka save Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan (an inferior opponent to Anakin in ROTS) was able to best him because he knew his adversary/former padawan so well. Ahsoka likewise would have this advantage. However, it won't be enough. Kenobi was a master with more experience in the Jedi Arts. She is a Jedi dropout. Vader will destroy her completely.

 

It's either the little girls are disappointed if she dies or a lot of older fans if she doesn't...I like Ahsoka as a character, especially in Rebels as an older and wiser woman, but I think at some point she's going to die. I don't think they'll kill her (or any of the main characters) off on the show, given its target audience. However, I think whether it be in Rogue One or some other medium (comic, novel, other anthology fim, etc.) the characters will eventually be killed. Maybe Disney goes for it on Rebels, but I'm guessing they won't. I know there are some great writers out there, but to come up with a story that allows these characters (i.e. the Jedi) to persist after A New Hope begins without the explanation of their existence being ridiculously contrived deserves some mad props.

 

I agree. I thought it was cool to see that in Vader so early on. I also thought it was neat just how much the Emperor already knew of the secret thoughts Vader had in LOTS. It makes me wonder, even though Vader was keeping information hidden from the emperor after ANH, how much he actually already knew. I also thought it was cool how Palpatine almost commended Vader for his ambitious budding treachery while at the same time putting him in his place. It is the way of the Sith. Always two there are - a master who holds the power - and an apprentice who craves that power. The apprentice proves his ultimate worth when he eventually supplants his master or dies trying. This was always the way it was going to go down. Palpatine knew Vader would try to overthrow him. To a degree this ambition is good for Palpatine as it keeps Vader at the top of his game. However, as long as Palpatine stays one step ahead (as we've seen in the comics) his position is secure. That ambition in Vader has always been there with his master. As you pointed out, Anakin never intended to live a life of servitude to Palpatine. He wanted to learn from him the secrets of the Dark Side and then rule in his place. He just greatly underestimated Palpatine's cunning and power. In an attempt to rise above, everything came crashing down and he ended up a slave instead of a ruler. I would love to see more of the Palpatine / Vader dynamic in Rebels. I hope we get to see that interaction on the show.