During yesterday evening's episode of Ahsoka, we visited the World Between Worlds (or somewhere very much like it) as the show's lead character finds herself given a choice by Anakin Skywalker: live or die.
As we initially explained on SFFGazette.com, Anakin then ignites his lightsaber and engages his former Padawan in battle. However, confirming this is no dream sequence is the fact the Jedi Knight says "I've heard that before" when Ahsoka refuses to fight him; that is, of course, a reference to Luke Skywalker refusing to fight his father in Return of the Jedi.
During a flashback to The Clone Wars, a young Ahsoka (with her adult self's mind) is taught by Anakin - who is wearing his animated counterpart's classic armour - how to fight and clashes with her Master when he cracks jokes in the midst of a battle which sees them surrounded by fallen clones. His lesson is that, if she doesn't fight, she'll die, and as Ahsoka watches Anakin head back to war, she sees flashes of Darth Vader in his place.
We later catch up with the young Ahsoka during the Siege of Mandalore, a battle Anakin wasn't present for. He's proud to see she's become a warrior and suggests that, as her teacher, everything within him is now in her.
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The Jedi baulks at that and disputes Anakin's claim that there's more to him than just war and death by pointing out how no one realised how powerful and dangerous he was. Unhappy to have his failings pointed out in this way and convinced she's learned nothing, Anakin's darker side reemerges, and Vader - looking as he did in Revenge of the Sith prior to his defeat on Mustafar - returns.
Now wielding a red lightsaber, the Sith Lord proceeds to attack Ahsoka, only to be disarmed by her. She chooses to live and, with what appears to be a great deal of concentration, Anakin is able to suppress the evil with him to return to his old self. Even in death, it seems he remains conflicted.
However, Ahsoka realising she's more than just a warrior and that she can choose life over fighting or dying may well have been the lesson he wished to impart. Her training is complete. Smiling at his Padawan, Anakin assures her that there's hope for her yet before disappearing. With that, Ahsoka is rescued and returns to the land of the living to continue her mission, albeit more in line with how she was portrayed in Star Wars Rebels than the far more stoic version this series has featured.
In terms of cameos, we do get to see Captain Rex during both battles but he never unmasks and Temuera Morrison has only a couple of very brief lines of dialogue. As for the young Ahsoka, Avengers: Infinity War and Barbie star Ariana Greenblatt does a terrific job as the young Jedi.
Check out some of the episode's biggest moments in the screenshots below.