What Is Morgan Elsbeth's 'Gift Of Shadows' In The Ahsoka Finale?

Contains spoilers for "Ahsoka" Season 1, Episode 8 — "Part Eight: The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord."

The "Ahsoka" Season 1 finale takes many characters in interesting directions while also leaving many key people on Peridea after Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) uses the Eye of Sion to return from exile. Still, even though Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno), Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson), Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and Huyang (David Tennant) all end the episode stuck in a strange galaxy, few characters go through a bigger rollercoaster than Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto). The villain might not survive her duel with Ahsoka, but the boost she receives when the Great Mothers (Jeryl Prescott, Claudia Black, and Jane Edwina Seymour) reward her with "the Gift of Shadows" is nothing short of amazing. But what, exactly, does this gift entail? 

The "Star Wars" lore doesn't mention a specific ritual that goes by this exact name, but at its heart, the Gift of Shadows seems like a baptism ritual that turns the recipient into a full-fledged Nightsister. It's definitely clear that Elsbeth gets a considerable power and equipment upgrade in the process. Most significantly, she gets the Blade of Talzin, a mystical weapon that might well be stronger than a lightsaber. She also receives shadowy Nightsister facial markings, which seem to signify increased abilities. After all, her battle against Ahsoka showcases vastly enhanced combat prowess that allows her to stay in the fight much longer than she did during their duel from "The Mandalorian" Season 2, and even gain the upper hand at one point.

Ahsoka might strike Elsbeth down in the "Ahsoka" Season 1 finale, but it's worth noting that the same episode confirms that death very much isn't the end in this corner of the "Star Wars" franchise. From undead Night Troopers to Anakin Skywalker's (Hayden Christensen) Force ghost, people who have technically already met their ultimate fate keep hanging around in this show. Could this be the case for Elsbeth, too?

A big part of the Gift of Shadows' bag of tricks is the green magical ichor that forms the central building blocks of Nightsister magick. Interestingly, it also seems like Elsbeth's body absorbs some of the ichor when she seemingly dies. Could it be that the gift includes a sort of automated resurrection-slash-reanimation process that doesn't require the Great Mothers to stand around chanting? If so, it's entirely possible that Elsbeth is still very much around and will eventually meet Ahsoka for round three.