Ahsoka and Animals
In both Tales of the Jedi and Ahsoka, Ahsoka Tano connects with animals that help her travel to where she needs to go.
In "Life and Death" (Tales of the Jedi 1.1), when she is a toddler, Ahsoka is taken into the woods by a raxshir, a fearsome sabertoothed beast. Ahsoka overcomes her fear and reaches out towards the animal with one hand, using the Force to connect with it; it then carries her back to her village on its back. Upon seeing this, the village shaman declares, "Jedi. Ahsoka is Jedi."
In "Shadow Warrior" (Ahsoka 1.5), when she is an adult, Ahsoka is trying to reach the distant galaxy of Peridea in order to reunite with her estranged apprentice Sabine Wren and rescue the lost Ezra Bridger from his exile. To find Peridea, Ahsoka must rely on the purrgil, giant whales that travel through hyperspace. Overriding the fear of her droid companion Huyang, Ahsoka reaches out towards the animal with one hand and uses the Force to connect with it; it then carries her to Peridea in its belly. Ahsoka only has the inspiration to connect with the purrgil after she has faced her old Jedi master, Anakin Skywalker, in a spiritual confrontation that temporarily makes her a child again.
In both cases, Ahsoka's connection with an animal acts as a kind of rite of passage, marking a major shift in her life. In "Life and Death," her connection with the raxshir confirms that she has the power of a Jedi. In "Shadow Warrior," her connection with the purrgil expresses her recommitment to the path of a Jedi. By facing her fears and reconnecting with the natural world, Ahsoka rediscovers herself and her Jedi vocation.
EXPLORE FURTHER…
Characters: Ahsoka Tano / Anakin Skywalker / Huyang
Shows: Tales of the Jedi / Ahsoka
GO DEEPER INTO THE ARCHIVES…
READ MORE ABOUT…
Follow The Jedi Archives on…