the feeling when you can't call this bird to your hand that knows the depth of the river yet sings of it on land 😔

i think about ahsoka's "she was my friend" line too many times a day

(commission info // tip jar!)

Use the sword and shield maneuver!

What does that mean?

We block, he fires!

I love how in “sword and shield maneuver” the people with the swords are the shield and the person who is the sword just has a gun

Can we take a moment to notice this little gem from one of those gifs.

Rex advocated for calling it the “sword and more sword” maneuver but Cody overruled him

#Cody: traditionally warriors fought with a sword and shield not a sword and more sword #Rex: tell that to ahsoka gold

got fuckin CHILLS from this scene man. also darth vader is way harder to draw than i thought he’d be goddamn

my only thought when Ahsoka had that hologram playing was "SHE NEEDS TO SHOW THIS TO LUKE NOW"

(commission info // kofi support)

Mortis. MORTIS. MORTIS SHIT! MORAI!

Hey, let's talk about the arc where Ahsoka actually fucking died and was resurrected with the life force of a dying Force God that was the personification the Lightside of the force and gained an Convor/Owl that has the color scheme of said force god that mysteriously appears whenever Ahsoka is around *breathes* HOW AHSOKA NEVER FUCKING DIES BECAUSE OF THAT AND WILL LIKELY SUFFER OUTLIVING EVERYONE SHE LOVES CAUSE SHE MIGHT TAKE OVER AS THE DAUGHTER AND WILL FOREVER BE A GUARDIAN OF THE LIGHT PREVENTING ABELOTH FROM RETURNING!

Anyway, I can't wait for Ahsoka season 2 aka Mortis Arc Part 2 electric boogaloo

moments this episode where actual crying tears came from my eyes: ezra using the emitter from kanan’s lightsaber in creating his new lightsaber, chopper recognizing ezra somehow in trooper armor, “hi hera, I’m home”, the look on hera’s face when she sees ezra, and anakin’s force ghost watching over ahsoka with pride to end the episode…bye i’ll just be weeping in a corner

The way she says this, almost like she's relieved to say it, "He was a good Master." like all those years she spent still loving him, still unable to let him go, still remembering the kind things, she wasn't wrong. We've seen how much Ahsoka doubted herself throughout this series, especially when it comes to trying to resolve her feelings about Anakin and what he did. That she had to work to accept that he became Vader, that he murdered their family and friends, that he took the light of the Jedi out of the galaxy, that he went on to kill so many more, to help an Empire that slaughtered its way through countless lives. And through all of that, part of her felt so guilty because she couldn't stop remembering the kind things he did, too. "What would have surprised people was how kind he was," she said to Ezra, mere days before they confronted Vader on Malachor, where he was serious about killing all of them, killing her. That there was no reaching him, no matter how badly she wanted to. But still she loved him. She couldn't stop loving him and it tore her up because she couldn't let him go, this man who chose to become the worst monster. And then he came to her in a Force vision, when she was ready to hear him, to really listen to him, and he told her that she's more than just a warrior, just as he's more than that, that he's more than Vader. They're everything of the Masters that came before them and more. So, now she can remember the good things he did without having to immediately remember Vader. She can remember, yes, he was a good Master to her, that his teachings helped shape her life into something good and worthwhile, that she can still play the holos he made for her when she needs to settle her mind before a fight. She can remember that she loved Anakin Skywalker and that he was a good Master without having to tear herself apart because of Vader and her inability to stop loving him. He's more than Vader, he was also a good Master and that's just as true as everything else about him. Him believing in her and encouraging her isn't a sign that she's going down the same path as he is, it's her Master being kind and supportive and good. And she is so relieved that her love for him wasn't mistaken, it wasn't misplaced, because this was real, he really was good to her and for her.

"SHE WHAT? WHY?"

Not Filoni going, I see you internet, let me just say out loud what you all have been will be thinking...

Ahsoka Episode 6 “Far, Far Away”: The Story, the Symbolism, and the Score

Episode 6 of Ahsoka begins with the sound of distant purrgil calls as Ahsoka and Huyang travel through hyperspace, crossing the void between galaxies. During their discussion of the tales Huyang used to tell the Jedi younglings there is no music.

I loved that Huyang said such an iconic line in this episode, reminding us that this is indeed a fairy tale, a children’s story.

The Title Card for Ahsoka appears, and then the episode title, “Far, far Away.”

We hear ominous music when Sabine is in the brig onboard the Eye of Sion. The window to her cell is shaped like an upside down triangle.

The sinister music continues during the scene with Baylan, Shin, and Morgan on the bridge. Morgan’s Theme (the Nightsister theme) is heard when the Eye of Sion exits hyperspace.

The line “Peridea is a graveyard” reminds us that this is indeed a “descent into the abyss” a stage of the hero’s journey which I have discussed on this blog before. Ominous music plays here.

The characters who are aligned with the dark side are on a quest for more power to dominate others. They have followed the Path to Peridea as a kind of path to perdition as I have mentioned in my previous metas. But Sabine, our heroine, is descending into the Underworld on a more noble quest. She hopes to find her beloved Ezra Bridger, echoing the story of Orpheus, the hero of Greek myth who descends into the Underworld to find his beloved Eurydice.

Morgan’s Theme continues when they board the shuttle and descend to the planet Peridea.

The landscape of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth is suggested by the giant statues and the Nightsister fortress, which resembles an evil version of Minas Tirith.

The characters encounter three Nightsisters, analogous to the Three Fates of Greek mythology, the Moirai. (Note the similarities between this word and the name of Ahsoka’s owl, Morai, a creature I predict that we will be seeing again soon.)

The three Fates were the personification of destiny in Greek mythology. The three sisters were known as Clotho (the spinner), Lachesis (the alotter), and Atropos (the unturnable, a metaphor for death). The end credits for this episode name these three Nightsisters as Klothow, Lakesis, and Aktropaw, clearly indicating the intended symbolism of these three characters. As George Lucas said back in the late nineties, “Well, when I did Star Wars I consciously set about to recreate myths and the — and the classic mythological motifs. And I wanted to use those motifs to deal with issues that existed today.” (From billmoyers.com) Lucas’ apprentice, Dave Filoni, has learned this lesson from the master himself.

The music is quieter in this scene, with sounds of low vibrations being heard. Morgan’s Theme continues when Sabine is imprisoned by the Nightsisters’ three orbs, which held her bound within a triangle made of red cords of energy.

Outside of the fortress three wolf-like creatures howl as ominous music plays. Choral music suggesting the mysticism of the fallen Jedi Order is heard as Baylan speaks of Peridea being a realm of “dreams and madness” from old “children’s stories come to life.” Once again, the viewer is reminded that we are being told a fairy tale, a myth. The musical score subtly teases the listener with three notes from Ahsoka’s Ronin theme in this scene.

Sabine is imprisoned inside the Nightsister fortress as the Chimaera arrives with the sound of ominous metallic rumbling. Thrawn’s flagship Star Destroyer was named after the female fire-breathing monster in Greek mythology which was part lion, part goat, and part dragon.

I am no Freudian, but the Chimaera’s open docking bay hovering over the phallic tower of the Nightsister fortress seems to be the most overtly sexual symbolism I have seen in Star Wars in a long time. However, I’m not here to discuss that visual metaphor.

Organ music which anticipates but does not present Thrawn’s theme is heard as the Nighttroopers muster under Enoch’s command. These undead stormtroopers have cracked armor repaired with golden seams suggesting the Japanese art of kintsugi, as well as armor pieces bound with bands of red cloth. They are heard chanting “Thrawn! Thrawn!” as the Grand Admiral makes his dramatic entrance. For me this chant was reminiscent of how the orcs in Return of the King chanted “Grond! Grond!” when using their mighty battering ram against the walls of Minas Tirith. (You can do your own Freudian analysis of that scene. I’m not going there.) What was Grond?

“Grond, also known as the Wolf's Head, was a one hundred-foot long battering ram with a head in the shape of a ravening wolf, used in the arsenal of Sauron in the Third Age. Though named for Grond, Morgoth’s warhammer, it was created in the likeness of the Wolf of Angband, Carcharoth.”—from lotr.fandom.com

Creepy music accompanies the Nighttroopers as they transfer of cargo from the catacombs beneath the fortress. What is inside them? Dead Nightsisters, waiting to be revived by dark magic?

Thumps and low pitched sounds accompany Thrawn’s conversation with Baylan.

Thrawn speaks of Sabine’s desire to be reunited with her long-lost friend. (The word desire is a very intentional word choice, with the connotation that the connection between Sabine and Ezra has potential to be more than just friendship.)

Sabine: I’m sure he’s doing just fine.

Thrawn: You gambled the fate of your galaxy on that belief.

Sabine: You wouldn’t understand.

Thrawn: Perhaps not.

Evil does not understand love and loyalty. (See my previous post about the Path to Peridea.)

Enoch returns Sabine’s weapons to her, and she is provided with provisions and a wolf-like howler for a mount. He tells her to “die well” as she embarks on her “fool’s errand.”

The line about a “fool’s errand” calls to mind this scene from Tolkien’s novel, The Return of the King:

'Tell me,' he said, 'is there any hope? For Frodo, I mean; or at least mostly for Frodo.'

Gandalf put his hand on Pippin's head. 'There never was much hope,' he answered. 'Just a fool's hope, as I have been told…”

“A Fool’s Hope” was also the title of the penultimate episode of Star Wars Rebels final season.

Once again, Thrawn’s theme is only hinted at by the organ music at the end of the scene.

Sabine’s scanner is destroyed during her fight for her life with the red-armored bandits in the wastelands. Her life is saved by her Mandalorian armor and weapons, Ahsoka’s training, and Ezra’s lightsaber in this action sequence.

Baylan and Shin ride out on howlers. Nighttroopers load coffin-like cargo containers onto the Chimaera as uneasy music plays. Thrawn decides to dispatch only two squadrons of Nighttroopers. His disdain for Jedi, light or dark, is apparent: “It matters not whether Wren and Bridger are killed or stranded here. The same can be said for your two mercenaries.” Ominous music plays.

The scene with Sabine and the howler is accompanied by gentle music played upon wooden flutes. Sabine processes her abandonment issues and her complex feelings for Ezra in this scene by taking out her emotions on the howler. “You. You abandoned me. I should have known you are a coward.” She tries to make the howler stop following her, but the loyal animal comes back as soon as she walks away. “Okay. Fine,” she says. “I’ll give you another chance, but you better not bail on me this time.” The gentle flute music continues. A motif of ascending perfect fifths suggests Ezra’s Theme.

The howler stops to drink water and sniffs the air. The thing that Sabine and the audience assumes to be a rock is revealed to be a sentient little hermit-crab-like creature called a Noti. Gentle music plays when Sabine kneels, puts down her blaster, and extends her hand to the creature. The Noti recognizes the Rebel Alliance symbol (an evolution of her own Starbird design) on her pauldron. The creature has a medallion of his own, marked with a similar symbol.

“Do you know Ezra Bridger?” Sabine asks, touching her heart. “He’s my friend.”

Ominous music plays as Baylan and Shin discover the dead bandits. Once again choral music is heard when Baylan reminisces about the Jedi Order.

It is also revealed that the Nightsisters are fleeing from a power that is greater than their own.

Baylan and Shin see the red Bandits in the distance. “The enemy of our enemy is our friend,” says Baylan, “for now.”

Peaceful and noble sounding music is heard when Sabine sees the Noti encampment. She smiles at the mother Noti rocking her baby in a hammock.

With Sabine in the foreground, the camera pans to show a now adult, bearded Ezra Bridger wearing a red robe and leaning against the wall of his home. “I knew I could count on you,” he says as joyful music plays, music which features the piccolo, flute, and other woodwind instruments.

The closed captioning for this episode says that there is captivating music playing when Sabine and Ezra finally embrace. We hear a beautifully orchestrated rendition of Ezra’s Theme on the French horn with a new countermelody in the strings to heighten the emotional impact of this long-awaited scene.

Ezra’s Theme is heard again when he says “Sabine, thanks for coming. I can’t wait to go home.”

When we return to where the Chimaera is docked with the Nightsister fortress, a suggestion of Thrawn’s Theme is heard at a quick tempo suggesting the urgency of the situation that is about to unfold. Ahsoka Tano is coming. “The thread of destiny demands it” is a line that further emphasizes the three Nightsisters playing the role of the three fates. We finally hear Thrawn’s Theme presented in an obvious way as the episode ends.

I have blogged about the magnificent end credits music in previous blog posts, so this time I am going to discuss something different: the alchemical symbolism in Ahsoka.

The central focus of alchemy was to transmute base metals into gold and create the elixir of life, as any aficionado of the lore of the philosopher’s stone knows. The process is a metaphor for the purification and transformation of the human soul to a state of perfection.

Three colors symbolize this process, black, white, and red.

First there is the nigredo (blackening) stage of the alchemist’s work, representing the breaking of the human spirit. This is where both Sabine and Ahsoka are at the beginning of the series.

Second is the albedo (whitening) stage, which involves washing away impurities or vices, and being ready to grow and learn again. This is most clearly illustrated by Ahsoka the Grey’s “death” and transformation into Ahsoka the White.

Third is the rubedo (reddening) stage, which is where we are in the story right now. It represents the purified and awakened spirit reaching its highest and purest form.

“The symbols used in alchemical writing and art to represent this red stage can include blood, a phoenix , a rose, a crowned king, or a figure wearing red clothes.”—Wikipedia.

The color red, of course, is symbolic of Nightsisters and their magic in this series, as well as symbolizing the red thread of fate.

Baylan Skoll’s line about having to “destroy in order to create” is an example of the alchemical concept of “solve et coagula” meaning to separate then join together. Nothing new can be built without destroying the old. Perhaps this is really telling us about the destruction and rebuilding of the Jedi Order.

In the completion of the rubedo stage there must be a union of sulphur and mercury, also known as the wedding of the Red King (the sun) and the White Queen (the moon). Sulphur represents the masculine principle, the soul, and the fire of life. (Remember Ezra’s red robe?) Mercury represents the feminine principle and the mind, flexible and changing. (Sabine is a clever young woman who lives inside her head, sometimes too much. Lately she’s been distracted by her heart.) Mercury also represents a state that can transcend death.

Is the much-discussed Ezra and Sabine hug the union of Sulphur and Mercury? Or should we expect something more than that?

Much has been written about Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati as the mythological wolves who chase the sun and the moon. This episode ends with the pair in pursuit of Ezra (sulphur, the Red King, the sun) and Sabine (mercury, the White Queen, the moon). When Skoll and Hati catch the sun and the moon, Ragnarok begins.

Besides sulphur and mercury, there is another element present at the rubedo stage of alchemical transformation: salt.

Ahsoka the White is coming.

Please reblog and comment on what you think of my musical and literary analysis of this episode of Ahsoka. I am looking forward to reading your replies.

There’s something about Baylan, who openly admitted that faith was something he lost a long time ago, declaring that no one will be able to follow them after he destroys the map, and then Ahsoka Tano comes along and throws herself after them with a plan that hinges entirely on faith. And space whales. Something about the artificial vs the natural, that Rebels loved to mess with, something about listening to the world around you, something about faith

One thing that worries me about Filoni’s comment that he sees Thrawn as a Moriarty is that he is going to make Thrawn insane.

Moriarty went mad and became obsessed in killing Sherlock Holmes (I personally suspect Moriarty had Parkinson’s in his final days which would explain his intellectual deterioration and descent into demented obsession) before he died. Prior to that he was the king pen of Europe, untouchable and faceless. Criminals whispered his name in the dark, his men were fiercely loyal and rightly afraid of him.

It was only when Sherlock Holmes began to derail his plans, that he began to unravel. When the noose was finally about to tighten around his neck, all he could think about was killing Holmes. He even made contingency plans to have him killed should he die instead.

If Thrawn is Moriarty to Filoni, then he’s going to go down this same path. Ezra or Ahsoka will be the Holmes that unravels everything.

Im already seeing the signs of this. Thrawn is reacting out of fear. He’s sending troopers to kill two people that won’t have a chance off this planet or galaxy if he just leaves them alone and departs. He’s ordered the annihilation of purrgils because they have the potential to destroy his ship, but that is only because a Jedi was making them.

He’s bargaining with the Nightsisters and he should know that does not end well for anyone else but the Nightsisters.

He’s too desperate.

And that fear and desperation is going to cause him to make mistakes he won’t be able to recover from. He will fall the same way Moriarty did.

Another thing I forgot to add that this is also word for word the story of Sauron and how he meets his downfall in Lord of the Rings.

Like Thrawn, Sauron initially started off well-meaning and desiring of a peaceful orderly society. But over time, he was corrupted by Morgoth's influence, and after his master fell, he desired to dominate middle-earth, for in his mind only HE could tame Arda and bring order to it. To that end he employed trickery and guile, and created the One Ring to rule over the other rings. And even after Isildur yoinked it off him, he simply planned for his return while in exile in the East "where the stars are strange".

And it was at last he could begin moving in force once more. Gondor was weakened by years of war and sickness, Rohan was on the brink, Arnor was scattered, and Erebor was occupied by a dragon.

But then two began to seriously derail his plans. One was the Grey Pilgrim, the Stormcrow, Mithrandir,

Gandalf.

And the other was the descendant of his most hated enemies. The wielder of the reforged blade. The true king of Gondor and Arnor. The blood of Numenor. Aragorn, son of Arathorn.

First, Gandalf helps a group of dwarves with the aid of a damned halfling, of all creatures, to kill Smaug and take back Erebor on top of destroying two of his armies which cripple his war effort in the North for decades. Then, Aragorn begins picking off Sauron's top allies and delaying his war preparations for years. Then Sauron is driven out of Dol Guldur by Gandalf, and finally, finally, after Barad-dûr is rebuilt and he has finally marshaled his armies and allies, the One Ring is found...

By allies of Aragorn.

This...this one thing sends Sauron into an abject panic. Very few beings in Middle-earth can actually wield the Ruling Ring to it's full effect, but either another Maia of Sauron's caliber or a descendant of Dunedain blood can. So he starts striking before he's ready. And that's where things start to go wrong.

First the Nazgûl get embarrassed at Weathertop by Aragorn, Gandalf, and later Glorfindel at the Fords, then Gandalf decides to solo the Balrog in Moria (and gets an upgrade from the fight!), all the while Saruman is being *extremely* unhelpful, and then Aragorn leads with Theoden the defense at the Hornburg successfully while Gandalf smashes into the Isengard army from the rear. Rohan is no longer teetering. It's strong again and looking for blood. Now Sauron is hyperventilating. He needs to strike at Gondor now and capture Minas Tirith, so he does, sending a massive force of hundreds of thousands of men to capture it...

And he fails utterly again thanks to the efforts of Gandalf and Aragorn, the latter of whom Sauron is now hyperfixated on. He now sees Aragorn as the unifying king of men, and is now firmly convinced that Aragorn seeks to supplant him.

So, as Aragorn's Army of the West approaches the Black Gates of Mordor, Sauron sends out all his remaining strength to battle him. He is blinded by rage. He needs to crush this ant, to take back the Ring. But so fixated was he on Aragorn all this time that he didn't realize that Aragorn wasn't fighting a battle to win.

Merely to distract.

For all the while, three Hobbits had slipped into Mordor and into Mount Doom itself to destroy the One Ring. Only at the last second does Sauron realize this, but by then it is too late. The Ring is destroyed. His power is gone, his body disintegrates along with his tower, Mordor collapses, and he is left as nothing but a wandering, insane wraith, little more than an annoyance, never able to rise again.

Why did I write this? Because Thrawn IS Sauron. Ezra IS Aragorn/Beren. Ahsoka IS Gandalf. Thrawn's defeat will come, and it will come because he is afraid and fixated.

Is the Eye of Sion (which reminds me of “Eye of Sauron”) the Ring of Power that must be destroyed?

Imagine these four rebuilding a new Jedi Order

One can dream

EVERY SINGLE MOMENT OF THIS WAS SUCH A FUCKING BANGER. Baylan Skoll is reading exactly what Ahsoka fears and sets up this vision for her, that he says her legacy is one of death and destruction--which hurls her into a vision-slash-flashback of the clone wars, where she felt like this is all she learned as a Jedi, because this is what the galaxy was when she was growing up in it. That this is Anakin--or Ahsoka's own mind using Anakin as a proxy, because she STILL emotionally and mentally sees him as the one who teaches her, even if it's not really him, she imagines it to be him, because he's her Master, the one who taught her what she needs to know--but also this is the center of everything she can't let go of, all the hurt and fear and loss, it's all tangled up in Anakin and what he became. That she loves him and fears him in the same breath, that she remembers the good, the charming young man who was teaching her how to survive, who gave everything he had to her, while also remembering what he became, that he was so powerful that he became the worst nightmare the galaxy had ever seen, that neither of these is the whole of who he is, that he is all of this and more. He isn't just Anakin Skywalker, he's also Darth Vader. He isn't just Darth Vader, he's also Anakin Skywalker. He isn't just Anakin and Vader, he's also everything of Obi-Wan, of Qui-Gon, of Dooku, of Yoda--and she has to learn to accept that the same is true of her, too. The potential for tremendous darkness lurks in all their hearts, that's what the Jedi teach. No one is above the dark side. No one is above fear and clinging on and holding too tight. It's a lifelong journey not to give in to those things and you are so much more than just any one moment or even any one aspect. Yes, if she's everything he is, then she does have the potential to become the same kind of nightmare of death and destruction that he did, just as she fears. It's why she's held herself back from the galaxy, from the Ghost crew, from Sabine especially, because she's afraid, and only agreed to train Sabine in the first place because whatever abilities she has, they're so low Sabine can't become another Vader. Grogu does have the potential to become another Vader. Ahsoka does have the potential to become another Vader. She has killed many and destroyed so much. But that's not all she is. She's also saved so many lives. She also gently tucked Roo Roo Page back into her mother's arms. She also taught Petro and Katooni and Gungi and Zatt and Byph about how to get their crystals. She also saved Kaeden's life. She also protected Ezra from Vader. She's all those things, plus more, just as Anakin was all the things he was and more, too. Baylan was right that part of her legacy is death and destruction, but he's a dark sider, he lies and twists the truth, and the truth is--Ahsoka Tano, like every Jedi before her, is more than just one part of her legacy.

It's about Ahsoka having to face the fear that's been running through her since the clone wars--that good people can fall, that people she loves can fall, that Anakin did fall, that she can fall, that the potential for darkness is in all of them. It's about the light of Vader's lightsaber reflecting in her eyes, that she is all of him and more (as he was all of Obi-Wan and more, as Obi-Wan was all of Qui-Gon and more), because she fears she'll be a reflection of him if she falls. He was her Master, he was someone she molded herself after, if he can fall, if everything of him is in her, then will his darkness consume her, too? But that's the lesson, that she has to accept that possibility is there, of course it's something that could happen, anyone can fall to the dark side and, yes, it's dangerous when they have so much power, that's why the Jedi had to have such firm structure in place, because a Force-sensitive falling to the dark side can wreck the galaxy. Ahsoka could become a Sith Lord at any time, she's not immune from it, no one is, and she has an extra burden to carry because her Master's darkness is reflected down on her, just as the red from his saber reflects into her eyes. But every day she can choose the light, because that's what Jedi do, every day she can choose trust and hope and compassion, and one day she can let go of the fear of falling to the dark, one day she can let go of the guilt that she was somehow responsible for Anakin, and one day she can trust that others may stumble but that it doesn't mean it'll all end in darkness again. Just as she moves the red lightsaber's reflection away from her eyes, she moves herself towards understanding that she's choosing not just to survive, but to live.