Ahsoka: Is Morgan Elsbeth's Super Weapon Named After An Infamous Sith Lord?

The following article contains spoilers for the second episode of "Ahsoka," "Part Two: Toil and Trouble"

With two episodes under its belt at the time of publication, "Ahsoka" is beginning to give fans a good idea of what the future of the "Star Wars" franchise will look like. The return of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) is imminent, and his allies are making big moves in the shadows to ensure his plans come to fruition. Among his underlings is Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto), who is overseeing the construction of a massive superweapon known as the Eye of Sion. Though it's unknown what this device does at this juncture, its name alone does raise some eyebrows.

The name Sion is one that longtime "Star Wars" fans are likely quite familiar with. Darth Sion endures as one of the most imposing and dangerous Sith Lords of the Old Republic era, earning the nickname "The Lord of Pain." Using nothing more than his connection to the dark side, which is fueled by his hate, anger, and pain, Sion evades death multiple times. However, as a consequence, his appearance becomes increasingly grotesque as his flesh decays. Sion plays a prominent role in the beloved video game "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords," forming the Sith Triumvirate with Darth Nihilus and Darth Traya.

Like most of the other characters from the Old Republic era, Sion is not considered part of the new "Star Wars" canon. "Ahsoka" may have changed this, and if so, why would Elsbeth and Thrawn name their device after a long-dead and long-forgotten Sith?

The obvious comparison to draw between the Eye of Sion and Darth Sion is his actual eye. His whited-out, ravaged right eye is among his defining physical features and goes a long way in solidifying his ghoulish appearance. Assuming he's now canon and Morgan Elsbeth and Grand Admiral Thrawn are aware of his impact on galactic history, perhaps they simply named the Eye of Sion after him to honor his memory and draw parallels between their pursuit of galactic dominance and his as he and his fellow Sith Triumvirate members attempted to reestablish Sith rule.

On the other hand, perhaps the Eye of Sion represents another key aspect of the feared Sith Lord. As mentioned previously, Sion effectively achieved immortality by calling on the dark side to return him to life after dying time after time. In the eyes of Elsbeth and Thrawn, maybe they see the Eye of Sion as the key to resurrecting the Galactic Empire. The use of it could set off a domino effect that, should their plan come to fruition, results in the regime's return from the dead à la Sion himself.

As "Ahsoka" continues on, it will be interesting to see the Eye of Sion in action and perhaps learn about its potential connection to Darth Sion.