Where Does Ahsoka Season 2 Go Now? SWNN Roundtable Discussion

After the fifth episode of Ahsoka premiered on Disney Plus, we decided to do a little experiment here at Star Wars News Net and put together a roundtable article with some of our writers' thoughts on the latest episode -- in particular, what each of us thought the takeaway from Anakin's lesson in Part Five was. With the season finale now out, we thought we might give it another go and speculate where the series would go next, should a Ahsoka season 2 be ordered. We hope you enjoy it! Don't be afraid to let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and if you like having these from time to time.



Josh Atkins: It seems most of season 2 will focus on Peridea and Ahsoka and Sabine’s efforts to stop Baylan from awakening whatever mysterious entity is calling to him. It would seem this “great power” is related to Mortis, so could it be too much to wonder if Abeloth, once known as “The Mother” in Legends canon, will rear her ugly head?



I could see Baylan and Abeloth/equally powerful Force entity being the main villains in a potential season 2, with plenty of encounters with Shin Hati and her raiders along the way. Perhaps a redemption arc for Shin as she realizes how far her master has fallen and confronts him for letting her go so frivolously.



Meanwhile, we’ll occasionally check in with Ezra and Hera in the New Republic as they inevitably try to find a way to bring Ahsoka and Sabine home. Perhaps that’ll bring them into contact with Thrawn, who I suspect will have a much smaller role next season as he slowly builds his forces for Filoni’s crossover movie.



(L-R): Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) in Lucasfilm's STAR WARS: AHSOKA, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.



Nate Manning: Dread it. Run from it. Filoni and his love for Mortis arrives all the same.



Ahsoka season 2 will surely focus heavily on the cliffhanger-ish ending of Baylan Skoll standing on the statue of the Father, which has littered my Twitter/X timeline with the same maddening discussions over established characters taking over as the Mortis gods.



Quick semi-relevant rant before I circle back around to my theory, but someone still has to explain why it would be narratively prudent to pull Anakin, Ahsoka, and some other poor soul out of the known Star Wars galaxies and make them the “new” set of Mortis Gods. What purpose would that serve for future Star Wars storytelling? Why is that something we should want to see? I beg of the fandom to go back and rewatch those Clone Wars episodes and understand the Mortis Gods are not the literal manifestations of the Force. They do not keep the actual balance. Had Anakin stayed there when the Father sacrificed himself, the Sith still would’ve (eventually) taken over the galaxy. Nevermind that Palpatine is still kicking around, right in the middle of orchestrating an unholy imbalance of the Force that you’d think Anakin might have done something about as the Father.



Anywho, If Filoni is heading in that general direction, here’s how I would attempt to answer those questions.



We begin with the statues. The Daughter’s missing is a very interesting detail as it does open the possibilities for someone like Abeloth coming into the equation, but I think there’s an alternate route. A key line of dialogue that has to be there for a reason is Thrawn’s parting line to Ahsoka: “One wonders just how similar you might become,” said in regards to Ahsoka and Anakin.



On the surface it’s a message from a man who’s just gloating, but I am proposing an arc for Ahsoka that mirrors Abeloth’s fall. In Legends, Abeloth was a mortal who served the Force celestials, but eventually became twisted by the idea of power and it uh… got out of hand (putting it mildly).



Ahsoka falling to the dark side is unrealistic, but having her wrestle with the idea of tapping into whatever lies on Peridea is interesting. What is out there that could convince her to follow a darker, Ronin-like path as Thrawn predicts?



(L-R): Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) and Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) in Lucasfilm's STAR WARS: AHSOKA, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.



Aled Morgan: I assume the majority of Season 2 will continue to follow Ahsoka on Peridea (she is the title character after all!) as they dig into the dreams and madness of the planet. I hope that we’ll get to learn more of the Force lore behind the planet and maybe even get to go further into the new galaxy (come on Filoni, you can give us more than just one planet!!).



I hope to get some payoff for Baylan and Shin, who oftentimes had the most interesting arc in the series. Obviously the tragedy of losing Ray will have to be carefully managed but there’s too much there just to let it drop. For Shin, I think she will be the thorn in the side of Ahsoka and Sabine, leading raids against the Noti while the pair find their purpose on the world. It would be nice to maybe get some backstory on how Shin met Baylan, but again this might be too difficult without Ray.



As for Baylan himself, there’s clearly big things planned and a threat possibly greater than Thrawn that they must keep from crossing over the void. With the Mortis gods represented it may be possible that his goal is to destroy the Force itself or at least disrupt the balance to achieve his goal of breaking the cycle. I think one possibility is his contact with this power will transform him or damage him so he requires a mask (a classic Star Wars villain trope) and that could get around the recasting.



I’ve seen much hyped about the Mortis trio but I’m not convinced that they will necessarily appear - for now they just represent power pointing towards the mountain where Baylan is headed. I was worried that bringing in the World Between Worlds, one of the most out-there elements in Star Wars animation, would be alienating but it was used as a tool for the storytelling only; the time-travel portal thingies were ignored and didn’t complicate the plot.



I look forward to seeing more of Ahsoka and Sabine’s relationship and I hope we get to dig more into their training. I really want to explore what it’s like to spend time training as a Jedi without the natural talent that most of the order had. I like how she fought with a mix of lightsaber and blaster in the finale - I hope she continues that mix of styles in the future.



While I expect the focus to be in Ahsoka I fully expect Hera and company to hijack at least one episode in a similar (but less jarring) way to how Din Djarin commandeered two episodes of The Book of Boba Fett. Either that or perhaps a few scenes jumping back and forth across the series, reminding us of the stakes.



As for Thrawn, I think he will go into the shadows for now, with hints of his plans revealed across MandoVerse shows, building up to the crossover movie. I expect some of Din’s ‘private contract’ missions for Teva will hint towards his plans and maybe he’ll briefly pop up in the series. I can’t wait to see him with Pellaeon at his side commanding the full Imperial Remnant plus whatever he has up his sleeve.



One thing I need to know is - what is in those boxes?! I wasn’t a fan of the undead Nightsister theory being thrown about but I can get behind it now they they are on Dathomir. From Elspeth’s whispered goodbye, it’s clear that a restored Dathomir is part of Thrawn’s bargain with the Nightsisters in exchange for their aid. This ties in very well with his Legends story where his Noghri bodyguards served him loyalty as he was repairing their planet from an ecological disaster.



Having said that, Ahsoka threw off nearly every prediction I had and I still loved it, so whatever comes I can’t wait!







Jay Goodearl: I have two bold predictions for season 2 of Ahsoka: 1) a living Zeffo will make an appearance on Peridea, and 2) Bendu will reappear and help Ahsoka and Sabine get off the planet.



Some eagle-eyed fans have already brought up the similar architecture and symbols sprawled across the landscape of Peridea. And with the Zeffo’s connection to the Nightsisters, and the possible exploration of Dathomir, I think it’s only logical that the series will bring in the Zeffo as well from the Star Wars Jedi series. It’s possible that one may still even be alive with the power of the Nightsisters, or through one of them finding a way to live forever through the Force.



I’m also predicting that Bendu will be the character that will help Ahsoka and Sabine get off Peridea. With Bendu also being from Star Wars: Rebels, I think it only makes sense that he would be the creature to help Ahsoka and Sabine get off world. The last we saw of the character was on Atollon when he helped the Rebels escape from Thrawn’s siege. He became part of the Force and controlled the weather to stop Thrawn’s forces. I can see Bendu returning in a big pillar of fire on Peridea, helping to guide them to a secret location that enables travel across the galaxy via the Force.



(L-R): Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) and Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) with Peridea bandits and howlers in Lucasfilm's STAR WARS: AHSOKA, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.



Eric Lentz: I find attempting to predict what a second season of Ahsoka may have in store to be remarkably difficult. The show ended up being much more of an ensemble piece than I was expecting given both its title and the marketing placing such a strong emphasis on Ahsoka herself. Plus, the finale set up lots of possible future storylines and many character arcs haven’t yet been resolved.



The one thing I can say with a fair degree of confidence is we’ll be spending plenty of time on Peridea with Ahsoka, Sabine, Shin, and Baylan. Ahsoka and Sabine will likely spend more time training together and strengthening their master-apprentice bond, especially now that they’ve made progress in mending their initially strained relationship. We’ll also see how Shin adapts to being on her own (yeah, she has her nomad friends, but still), and whose side she eventually decides to join in the brewing conflict.



Of course, we can’t discuss the future of Ahsoka without talking about Baylan Skoll and the tragic recent passing of Ray Stevenson. Like many viewers, I wondered how or if the show would choose to address his death. Stevenson had already finished filming his scenes, but we didn’t know if Baylan’s story would conclude this season or if he would be established as an ongoing antagonist. Now we know that Filoni intended for Baylan to return, but that means the question of what to do with the character remains.



Personally, I think Filoni and the creative team should consult with Stevenson’s relatives to see what they think he would’ve wanted. If they sign off on a recast, then Baylan can return and his story can continue as originally intended. However, if they feel that the character shouldn’t be recast, then Filoni will have to decide how to write the character out of the show in a sensitive and respectful way.



Then there’s the Thrawn/Nightsisters situation. I honestly didn’t expect this season to end with Thrawn escaping back to the known galaxy and beginning a sinister plot to regain power, but Filoni surprised me. I can understand if he wants Thrawn to stay around as an overarching villain throughout several projects, but the next season should update us a least a little bit on his progress in carrying out his plan. Not to mention Hera and Ezra are still in the known galaxy and are aware of his presence. Maybe the Thrawn storyline will become a B-plot next season as most of the focus remains on Peridea. After all, I feel like we’ve only begun to explore that planet’s secrets. No doubt Filoni has some surprises in mind for us.



(L-R): Lieutenant Beyta (Dawn Dininger, seated), C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Captain Carson Teva (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) in Lucasfilm's STAR WARS: AHSOKA, exclusively on Disney+. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.



Miguel Fernández: The key to unlocking the secrets of Ahsoka season 2 I think hinges on two questions. First, why are there Argonath-like statues of the Mortis Gods on Peridea? That already should address so many questions about this new galaxy and its relationship with the Force. But this also touches on the question of Baylan and his long search for this mythical power that many are now predicting to be Abeloth (who really knows), which motivates the need to recast the role in season 2 -- the story of Ahsoka clearly involves Lord Baylan, and Ray Stevenson probably would have liked his work not to fade away with him. But that's just my guess.



The second question that season 2 of Ahsoka needs to answer is, of course, why is Thrawn going to Dathomir? That addresses in a very direct way the mysterious relationship between Thrawn and the Nightsisters. First of all, why were there Nightsisters on Peridea? Why did they ally themselves with Thrawn? Was there a promise made that needs to be held now, on either side? And why is Dathomir Thran's first destination coming out of hyperspace? How does that play into his future plans? And what was that cargo at the end of the season? I feel like all of those questions are circling around the big mystery of why Dathomir.



And of course, there are plenty more mysteries to be resolved, but I feel like the story will flow naturally from where it ended in the first season. The season 1 story was about reconciling Masters and apprentices, and Ahsoka fulfilled her arc by finally communicating with Anakin as a Force ghost and settling her differences with Sabine. Shin and Baylan met their inevitable fate. There's more story to tell with them, but it will all depend on the next season's big theme. As far as Ezra and Hera go, I feel like their arc will be reactionary to whatever Thrawn has done so far, and what he'll do next.



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Here's hoping there is a chance to continue this journey. We're not exactly sure of the numbers Disney was hoping to get for Ahsoka, so we can't really judge if they will move forward with more. But because of how pivotal this story seems to be for the future of the franchise, there's enough reason to believe there will be more. And we'll be right here to tell you all about it as more news about it comes out!



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