Ahsoka: 5 Scenes In Episode 6 That Changed Everything

Contains spoilers for "Ahsoka" Episode 6 — "Part Six: Far, Far Away"

It's been a bit of a slow burn, but "Ahsoka" has finally blown the story wide open in Episode 6, "Far, Far Away." True to its title, the episode takes us to the neighboring galaxy where Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) were taken at the end of "Star Wars Rebels." Both characters make their live-action debut, but the episode also spends a lot of time setting up new developments, including a ton of fresh lore for the Nightsisters.

In a way, Episode 6 almost feels like a different show. The stoic adventure story of the season's first half provided plenty of fan service, but it also felt like kind of a tease. Now that we're actually in the new galaxy and exploring the ancient planet of Peridea, the adventure tale has expanded into a grand fantasy story, complete with forbidden magic, prophecies, cults, and all the other things that make the "Star Wars" universe so mythic and fun.

Suffice it to say, "Far, Far Away" is absolutely packed, and it sets up some exciting possibilities for the last two episodes of the series. With that in mind, let's dig a little deeper into "Ahsoka" Episode 6 and look at a handful of scenes that could have massive repercussions on the "Star Wars" mythos.

"Ahsoka" Episode 6 opens with Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) and Huyang (David Tennant) traversing hyperspace in the mouth of a massive purrgil. Ahsoka recalls that she first heard about the space whales and their ability to fly through hyperspace from Huyang himself, as he used to regale younglings of the Jedi Order with stories about the ancient history of the galaxy. Huyang mentions three volumes of that history, revealing that it's a proper chronicle of the universe and that he still has all three in his data banks. According to Ahsoka, "Part One" was always the best.

While not exactly earth-shattering, this conversation does reveal some big things about the Jedi. It seems that travel between galaxies wasn't always so impossible, as Huyang's records include tales of intergalactic adventures. He starts to recite part of the histories to Ahsoka, beginning with the iconic phrase, "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away." It's a fun reference to the movies' famous opening title crawl, but it also suggests something quite interesting about the "Star Wars" galaxy — it's far from the oldest part of space.

We learn later in the episode that the Nightsisters came to the main "Star Wars" galaxy from Peridea. Perhaps others did the same. Or at the very least, stories of other galaxies are so ancient and mythical that they seem completely removed from even Huyang's long life. This is a big expansion on the "Star Wars" cosmos, and it opens up a lot of exciting possibilities for stories in both the future and the past.

The revelation that the Nightsisters of Dathomir actually came from a different galaxy is big, and it gets even more interesting once we see the three "Great Mothers," who've allied themselves and their dark magic with Thrawn. The history is a bit confusing because Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) refers to the Great Mothers as Dathomiri, yet Dathomir is the name of their planet in the main galaxy. Perhaps they carried the Dathomiri name before traveling there and then named their new home after themselves?

Regardless, the mere existence of the Great Mothers has huge implications. If you've seen "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," then you'll know just how powerful Mother Talzin — the leader of the Nightsisters on Dathomir — was. Even Palpatine considered her a rival and a threat. If the Great Mothers are the origin of Nightsister magic, then they may be even stronger. Already, we've seen that they have impressive powers of prediction and prophecy, which are channeled through the so-called "Thread of Fate."

Peridea itself seems to hold many secrets. Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) tells Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) that he's seeking a hidden power there, and for some reason, the purrgil journey back to the planet when they die, making it a kind of graveyard. Nightsister magic has always been portrayed as being distinct from typical Force use, and "Ahsoka" Episode 6 makes it seem even more dangerous.

The first five episodes of "Ahsoka" slowly build up to Grand Admiral Thrawn's live-action debut, and Lars Mikkelsen doesn't disappoint. He was great as the Chiss strategist in "Star Wars Rebels," but he's even more chilling here — a result of both Mikkelsen's physical acting and the character growing more jaded after a decade in exile. In his first scene in "Ahsoka" Episode 6, Thrawn establishes himself as a dangerous and imposing foe. But it's his legion of exiled stormtroopers that really makes his return so impactful.

From the jump, it's clear that these troopers have been through the wringer. A decade spent scrambling for survival in a far-away galaxy has left them scarred and beaten, but also stronger. Their armor has been cracked and repaired numerous times, evoking the Japanese art of kintsugi. The result is a battle-hardened look that's far more intimidating than any regular stormtrooper.

One of the big questions of the New Republic era has been why Thrawn is so important. He's a brilliant military leader, sure, but he was never the ruler of the Empire, and he has no connection to the Force (as far as we know). So why is his impending return so dangerous? What makes him any more important than Moff Gideon or the rest of the Imperial Remnant? Finally, "Ahsoka" has answered that question. Thrawn's forces aren't just soldiers anymore but loyalists to a leader who's achieved mythical status. His army reads like a cult, and it's clear that he's become much more than a mere man in the years since his exile started. The galaxy may indeed be in trouble if he returns.

For most of "Ahsoka," Baylan Skoll has simply been a tool of Morgan Elsbeth and Thrawn. His motivations have seemed simple — a general desire for power and a resentment toward the old Jedi Order, despite having once served in it himself. But in "Far, Far Away," we learn that Baylan has his own secret agenda that only he and Shin Hati are privy to.

As they're exploring the mystical ruins of Peridea, Shin asks Baylan about his time as a Jedi. He says he now realizes that the order's fall was inevitable, as the universe follows an endless cycle of one power structure being replaced by the next. He declares that his goal is to end that cycle, claiming that the power to do so can be found on Peridea. Presumably, it has something to do with the ancient magic of the Nightsisters.

It's unclear as of right now exactly what Baylan intends to do, but his plan already evokes some big storylines from the old "Star Wars" Expanded Universe. That makes sense given Thrawn's importance to the story. Whatever Baylan considers himself now — "something more" than a Jedi, as he says to Shin — it could have massive ramifications if he finds what he's looking for.

Grand Admiral Thrawn isn't the only popular "Star Wars" animated character to debut in live action in "Ahsoka" Episode 6. At long last and after betraying all of her other friends, Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) finally finds Ezra Bridger, who's been living on Peridea in a commune of Noti — small aliens with rock shells and impeccable fashion sense. Their reunion is powerful, if a bit anticlimactic. Now a decade older than he was at the end of "Rebels," Ezra is sporting a full beard and a set of red robes that suit him quite nicely.

His survival and impending return to the "Star Wars" galaxy is a pretty big deal. Not only does it put one more fully trained Jedi back on the map, but it also means that the good guys have someone with intimate knowledge of this new galaxy. Eman Esfandi looks great in the role, and he channels Taylor Gray's performance as the animated version of Ezra quite well. Depending on how the last two episodes of "Ahsoka" go, he could become a major player in the brewing battle between Thrawn's Imperial Remnant and the New Republic.

Still, there's a lot that we don't know. What has Ezra been up to for all this time? Has he continued to battle Thrawn? Has he ventured to other planets besides Peridea? And what's his current relationship to the Force after being stranded for so long? Hopefully, we'll get answers to these questions sooner rather than later.