Ahsoka: Why Does Star Wars' Hyperspace Look Different In Episode 6?

This article contains spoilers for "Ahsoka" Episode 6, "Part Six: Far, Far Away"

Following an action-packed and fan service-filled fifth installment, "Ahsoka" has returned to its spot at the forefront of Disney+ for a sixth. This episode, appropriately titled "Part Six: Far, Far Away," puts the focus on Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), who has traveled to a new galaxy alongside the villainous Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto), Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson), and Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno). While they meet with Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), she embarks on a search for her long-lost friend, Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), on the unfamiliar planet Peridea.

Simultaneously, Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and Huyang (David Tennant) are aboard a purrgil, traveling through hyperspace to rescue Sabine and stop Thrawn's sinister plan. We only see a brief scene of the two heroes early in the episode, though it does raise a big question. As the purrgils venture to a new galaxy, hyperspace takes on a different appearance than what "Star Wars" fans know. Rather than its usual swirling white and blue look, the simu-tunnel the purrgil pod moves through is streaky and multicolored, featuring green, orange, and indigo hues.

While this is most likely how the minds behind "Ahsoka" wanted to visually convey to viewers that the purrgil are traveling to a different galaxy, there could be more to this look for hyperspace.

Purrgils are among the most fascinating creatures in the "Star Wars" universe, and not because of their look or backstory. Rather, it's their unique biology that makes them so interesting. These massive space-faring whales have to breathe in a gas called Clouzon-36, which their bodies take in and turn into hypermatter fuel. When sufficiently fueled up, their tentacles will glow, and they'll make the jump to hyperspace, venturing from galaxy to galaxy at their leisure until they need to take in more gas once again.

As for everyone else in the "Star Wars" galaxy, they can only jump through hyperspace via a ship and an operational hyperdrive. In this case, their Clouzon-36-based fuel is refined by other means — in other words, not inside the body of a purrgil. Thus, one could argue that the purrgil simu-tunnel on "Ahsoka" looks different than the others fans have seen in "Star Wars" due to the fact that it's their unique tunnel. Perhaps the way they synthesize Clouzon-36 within their bodies results in hyperspace looking different than it would if the hyperfuel was created and used by machines.

For those familiar with the animated favorite "Star Wars Rebels," seeing hyperspace travel present colors other than white and shades of blue isn't anything new. Without the presence of purrgils, the program presents multicolored simu-tunnels on multiple occasions. For example, in the Season 1 episode "Gathering Forces," the Ghost accidentally jumps into hyperspace courtesy of Tseebo (Peter MacNicol). With an Imperial tracker on the ship's auxiliary vessel, the Phantom, Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray) and Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.) commandeer it mid-jump. The risky move pays off, but not without a bumpy and multicolored fall first.

The following season, "Rebels" fans witness a similar sight during the events of "Stealth Strike." Traveling through hyperspace in a blockade runner, Commander Jun Sato (Keone Young) and Bridger are confronted by a dangerous Imperial weapon: an Interdictor-class Star Destroyer. The experimental ship is capable of pulling other ships out of hyperspace, which it does with ease to the one Sato and Bridger are aboard. As they lose control of their vessel, the blues and whites of hyperspace are briefly replaced by streaks of red, yellow, and violet.

All of this hyperspace confusion just goes to show that it's far from an exact science. Maybe someday, a "Star Wars" project will come along that better explains it, but for now, all we can do is speculate on the truth behind its color-changing ability.