Star Wars: The Clone Wars Episodes That Explain The Mortis Gods

"Ahsoka" Episode 8 — "The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord" — ended with Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) looking over statues depicting the Mortis gods, even though the one of the Daughter was destroyed. To casual "Star Wars" fans, it may have been a confusing moment that may only get answered if "Ahsoka" gets a Season 2, but if you want to know what's going on in the meantime, it's high time to check out a crucial story arc from "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." 

Essentially, the Mortis gods are incredibly powerful Force wielders who represent both sides of the Force (light and dark) as well as the balance between the two. To know more about them, you'll have to go to the Mortis arc "Clone Wars" episodes, which consists of Season 3, Episodes 15, 16, and 17, titled "Overlords," "Alter of Mortis," and "Ghosts of Mortis," respectively. It begins when Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter), and Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) arrive on a strange world that seemingly exists out of normal conceptions of time and space. 

This world is strong with the Force, leading to strange happenings, like Obi-Wan reuniting with a vision of Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Ahsoka being overtaken by the dark side of the Force. Most interestingly, the Father, who represents balance within the Force, is dying and wants Anakin to take his place, seeing him as the Chosen One who can restore balance. For this reason, a popular fan theory emerged following the "Ahsoka" season finale, where fans think Anakin is destined to become a Force god. 

The Force has long been an ethereal concept in "Star Wars." George Lucas attempted to give it a scientific explanation with the introduction of Midi-chlorians in "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace," but that didn't go over well with fans. The Mortis gods help make it more of a mythical idea again. The vision of Qui-Gon even tells Obi-Wan at one point in the Mortis arc "Clone Wars" episodes, "[This planet is] unlike any other. A conduit through which the entire Force of the universe flows." This can be seen throughout the planet Mortis with its changing environments and the fact time moves differently there compared to the rest of the galaxy. It's an intriguing parallel to Peridea on "Ahsoka," which exists outside of the galaxy but seems to have similar connections to the Force.

Of course, the Mortis gods weren't long for this world. They began fighting with each other, resulting in the Son killing the Daughter. The Father then gives Anakin an opening, sacrificing himself to make the Son killable so that Anakin can finish him off. With the three gone, a balance within the Force is restored to a degree. Even in death, their influence looms large, and it carries over into "Ahsoka." The season finale sees Ahsoka encounter the owl, Morai, which was heavily associated with the Daughter, implying that she could take the Daughter's place and transform into a Force god.

The Mortis gods have long been a potentially obscure piece of "Star Wars" lore. But given their inclusion in "Ahsoka," it's clear they're going to factor more into grander stories, and it wouldn't be surprising to see them play a role in Dave Filoni's planned "Star Wars" movie.