Ahsoka Tano is a unique Force-user in the Star Wars franchise - and, consequently, she has distinctive white lightsabers that haven't been seen elsewhere in the canon. When Ahsoka made her debut in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, she was initially controversial. But strong writing - not to mention a tremendous performance by voice-actor Ashley Eckstein - soon made her a fan-favorite character. She's essentially become the main recurring character in the various Star Wars TV series, and Rosario Dawson will play a live-action Ahsoka in The Mandalorian season 2.
Ahsoka cuts a distinctive figure, not least because she wields two lightsabers that are dazzling white. It's easy to dismiss this as an aesthetic, but Star Wars has consistently stressed a lightsaber blade's color as being quite important; it indicates something about the Jedi's character, with the clear kyber crystal changing color to match the nature of its master. Ahsoka started out with a green lightsaber, which usually denotes inner harmony and compassion. As she developed as a duelist, Ahsoka built a second lightsaber with a short, shoto-style blade, and that too was green. But when Ahsoka left the Jedi Order, the experience had a profound impact on her character; thus in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7 she wields blue blades, which signify strength of character and inner resolve. Fast-forward to Star Wars Rebels, though, and Ahsoka's blades have changed color once again - and this time they're white. The story of Ahsoka's white lightsabers is told in EK Johnston's novel Ahsoka; although the first part of this book directly contracts Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7, there's no reason to assume the rest should be considered non-canon.
According to Johnston's novel, Ahsoka was one of the many Jedi associates who went to ground after Order 66. A naturally righteous and courageous individual, Ahsoka realized she was unable to simply stand by and watch as the Empire caused suffering on a galactic scale. But every time she stepped out of the shadows, she found herself hunted down by Darth Vader's Inquisitors. She defeated one of the Inquisitors in battle and took the kyber crystals from his lightsabers, which had been corrupted by the dark side - a process the Sith refer to as "bleeding" a kyber crystal. Ahsoka was able to use her own connection to the light side of the Force to realign the kyber crystals, to heal them from the dark side's influence. In so doing, she created the unique and distinctive white crystals.
According to Star Wars Rebels showrunner Dave Filoni (via Lucasfilm), the white lightsabers reflect the fact Ahsoka is neither a Sith nor a Jedi. She is in a unique position, serving the light side of the Force while remaining unbound by the traditions of the Jedi Order. Where other Order 66 survivors like Cal Kestis dream of restoring the Jedi Order, Ahsoka has no real interest in this idea; rather, she is focused purely on overthrowing the Empire and bringing peace to the galaxy. She stands in a very solitary place, a former Jedi who resists the Sith, and the white lightsabers reflect this.
Such a clear white is traditionally a symbol of purity, suggesting Ahsoka should really be praised for this stance. There is a sense in which she is more true to the light side than any of the Jedi who trained her, because she is not bound by heritage or history, but instead does what she believes the Force wills in any given situation. It will be fascinating to see whether she still retains those white lightsabers in The Mandalorian season 2; if she does not, it would suggest Ahsoka has become a Jedi once again, working with Luke Skywalker to bring back the Jedi Order.
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August 11, 2020 at 05:46AM
