Fans are starting to get nervous about the season (series?) finale of Ahsoka, given that we don’t really know what’s supposed to happen both then, and afterward, as all we know is that Dave Filoni is making an Ahsoka/Mando movie at some point in the future.
There really only seems to be one ongoing mystery left, the reason Baylan Skoll has been doing any of this. Agreeing to go find Thrawn across the galaxy when he doesn’t particularly care about him, nor is he interested in seizing power in the style of the Empire once again.
Rather, he is in the pursuit of something “powerful” on this new planet, something that’s calling to him the way we see Jedi and Sith call to each other over vast distances.
There are a few theories about what Skoll is actually looking for out here, and there is a growing fear among Star Wars fans that this may end up being some sort of path to attempt to redeem the sequel trilogy’s hard pivot to Palpatine in the final film. The full explanation of the “somehow” in “somehow, Palpatine returned.” It would disappoint many fans for this show to be leading toward this kind of reveal, the post-ROTJ slow resurrection of the Emperor and the beginning of his army-building.
As annoying as this would be, I don’t believe it’s what’s happening. While that Palpatine stuff certainly was not well set-up and did appear out of relative nowhere, there is enough existing explanation (however unfulfilling) about where the Emperor has been, how he came back, and who helped build his armies. And it does not appear to have taken place in an entirely new galaxy.
Rather, there are more focused, Rebels-based theories here, like Baylan is seeking out Bendu, a life force that straddles the line between light and dark, similar to Baylan and his orange lightsaber, attempting to break out of the cycle of the Jed/Sith, Empire/Republic. It’s A) thematically appropriate and B) from Filoni’s own Rebels, and we know he’s all about bringing his own source material to life onscreen.
There are a half dozen theories about what Baylan is seeking outside of Bendu and Palpatine. Some are hoping for Darth Revan. Or Abeloth and the Mortis Gods from Star Wars Legends. The Zeffo, a race who ruled the Nightsisters. Yuuzhan Vong, enemies from Star Wars Legends, banished out of the galaxy, cut off from the Force.
My guess? The answer probably is in there somewhere. Star Wars, even Filoni’s vision, is often pretty allergic to new things in this Disney era, hence pulling from loads of older source material or existing characters. It is rare that we see completely new inventions, though ironically when that does happen, it often works well, like with The Mandalorian himself, the casts of Andor and Rogue One, and now Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati themselves. But I’d be a little surprised if this powerful force being was not something that has been covered in the canon or non-canon lore already, though by appearing here, it would in fact become canon, something Disney has definitely been open to.
We’ll find out more tomorrow, or we’ll be left on a cliffhanger until Filoni’s movie. I guess we’ll have to see.
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