Why Did Ahsoka Leave The Jedi Order?

There are many Jedi who were introduced in the prequel era of "Star Wars," from the lowest-ranking Younglings to the many Jedi Masters on the Jedi High Council. One such Jedi, Ahsoka Tano, was introduced in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" in 2008 and was established as Anakin Skywalker's new Padawan. This came shortly after Anakin was made a Jedi Knight, and with the Clone Wars raging across the galaxy, it was deemed necessary to give the young Knight a Padawan to train.

Ahsoka went on to appear throughout "The Clone Wars" television series as one of the principal characters. She fought various members of the Sith, plenty of Mandalorian fighters, and more. Unfortunately, something happened in the lead-up to the end of the Clone Wars that pushed Ahsoka to leave the Jedi Order, and she never returned. That's not to say she became a Sith or anything of the sort — despite her tragic life, Ahsoka continued to fight the good fight across the galaxy; she just did so independently.

Throughout her years of activity in the "Star Wars" universe, fans became enamored with Ahsoka. She may have started out as an inept 14-year-old in training, but Ahsoka quickly became a lethal Jedi of nearly unmatched power and ability. Anyone who's binged every episode of "The Clone Wars" knows the story all too well, but others who're not in the know might wonder what pushed Ahsoka to leave the Jedi Order and not look back. For those people, this is Ahsoka's story.

Like most people who were trained by the Jedi Order in the peaceful days of the Galactic Republic, Ahsoka Tano started in early childhood. Most of her time with the Jedi Order hasn't been seen in the movies or TV series, but in the "Tales of the Jedi" mini-series, it's made clear how Ahsoka came to find herself training to become a guardian of peace and justice in the Republic. In the episode "Life and Death," Ahsoka is shown to be an infant under the care of her mother.

During her rite of passage, Ahsoka is taken by a saber-toothed cat, which abducts the child to its lair. Instead of chowing down on the young Togruta, Ahsoka uses the Force for the first time, taming the animal. She is next seen riding the beast back to her village, where the village elder realizes she is Force-sensitive and must be sent to the Jedi Order so she can be properly trained.

At this time, the Jedi Order's standard operating procedure throughout the galaxy was to identify Force-sensitive children and take them to Coruscant. That's what happened to Ahsoka, as she was given by her family to the Jedi Order. Jedi Master Plo Koon discovered her and brought her to Coruscant so she could train at the Jedi Temple in the Galactic Republic's capital. Ahsoka underwent her training and was eventually chosen by Jedi Grand Master Yoda to become Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker's Padawan.

Anakin Skywalker received his knighthood following his actions on Geonosis, and he was soon rewarded with a Padawan of his own — despite the fact that he didn't want a Padawan and was initially apprehensive about accepting Ahsoka Tano as his trainee. After meeting him at the Battle of Christophsis, Anakin gives Ahsoka the nickname "Snips," which she retains throughout their time together. Despite Anakin's initial disinterest, he accepts Ahsoka into the fold and trains her to become a Jedi.

As an active Padawan during the Clone Wars, Ahsoka was given the rank of Jedi Commander and Padawan-commander of the 501st Legion under her master. Through Anakin's instruction, Ahsoka learns to hone her skills with the lightsaber, adapting her style to the reverse-grip Shien variant of Form V, becoming an incredibly lethal Jedi with one or two blades. Throughout their years together, Ahsoka and Anakin become close, and they battle side by side in numerous conflicts during the Clone Wars.

On several occasions, Ahsoka was tasked with leading troops independently of her master, and at times, they worked closely together. Ahsoka became close to Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi during this time as well, and through it all, Anakin lovingly called her Snips while giving her the training and instruction she needed to survive anything — including eventually facing off against a Dark Lord of the Sith. That said, she wouldn't meet Darth Vader until long after leaving the Jedi Order when she believed her former master to be dead.

When she was around 17 and had been training as a Padawan for three years, an explosion rocked the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. The bombing destroyed  the hangar, resulting in the deaths of eight Clone Troopers, 12 crew workers, and six Jedi. The investigation into who carried out the attack considered several people before the evidence pointed directly at Ahsoka Tano, though initially, it was believed someone outside of the Jedi Order was responsible.

Jedi Master Mace Windu believed the bombing was carried out to turn the public against the Jedi and their actions in the Clone Wars, which weren't universally appreciated. Despite this, the investigation found enough evidence to identify Ahsoka as the culprit, and she was arrested as a result. This created some problems because the Jedi Order wasn't in the habit of trying its personnel, and Ahsoka couldn't be tried by the Galactic Republic while she was a member of the Jedi Order.

As a result, the Jedi Order agreed to dismiss Ahsoka so she could be tried for treason and murder. This decision not only upset Ahsoka, but it enraged Anakin Skywalker, who was one of the only people to believe that Ahsoka wasn't responsible. While she was dealing with her own defense and the fact that she was no longer a member of the Jedi Order, her master was busy hunting down the true perpetrator. In the meantime, the trial of Ahsoka Tano was just beginning on Coruscant.

After her dismissal from the Jedi Order, Ahsoka Tano was made to stand trial for her alleged crimes. This came after she was imprisoned and escaped, leading the Jedi Order to strip her of her Padawan braid. During her trial, Ahsoka maintained her innocence, though her prosecutor, Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin, wasn't impressed. He levied all manner of accusations of sedition against the young former Jedi Padawan, though Ahsoka didn't stand alone.

She was represented by none other than Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker's secret wife and the future mother of Luke and Leia. While she was being torn apart by the prosecution, Anakin dove headfirst into the investigation, digging into every aspect so he could identify the true villain. This ultimately led him to the chambers of Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee, a friend of Ahsoka's who served with her on Geonosis. Unfortunately, Offee had become disillusioned with the Jedi Order's involvement in the Clone Wars.

She wanted to undermine the Order's ability to continue in that capacity, so she detonated a bomb in the hangar and framed Ahsoka. Barriss attempts to stop Anakin from exposing her, but she's woefully outmatched by the Jedi Knight. He takes her into custody and defiantly enters the trial, demanding an audience. He then presents Offee as the true culprit, and Admiral Tarkin is left with no choice but to drop all charges against Ahsoka. Once she's given back her freedom, it's made clear that Ahsoka can return to the Jedi Order.

A pivotal moment in Ahsoka Tano's life comes after her trial. The Jedi High Council apologizes to Ahsoka and offers her a place in the Order. Jedi Master Mace Windu declares her recent struggle to be her "great trial," and she's complimented by each member, including Grand Master Yoda. Anakin holds out Ahsoka's Padawan braid, but instead of accepting it, she closes her former master's hand and explains her decision not to return.

This comes as a shock to Anakin, who sees her departure as a betrayal to him and also a failure of the Jedi Order. This is an important moment because it's one of the key factors that set Anakin on the path to becoming Darth Vader. Before that happens, he tries to convince Ahsoka to return, but she explains that the Council's lack of trust in her was so appalling that she couldn't return. Nothing Anakin says convinces her to return, but he understands that she wants to walk away from the Order.

At this moment, Ahsoka hints that she knows of his relationship with Padmé, but they don't discuss it further. Anakin watches as his former Padawan walks away from the Jedi Temple to start her life anew as an independent person in the Galactic Republic. Little did either of them know that the Republic wouldn't last for much longer, and dark days were on the horizon as Anakin's fall to the dark side of the Force loomed ever closer.

Ahsoka's story doesn't end after she leaves the Jedi Order; instead, she has many adventures. While not a Jedi, Ahsoka continues to act as one, helping people across the galaxy. She finds her way to Mandalore and helps to depose the newly-risen Darth Maul. She survives the execution of Order 66 with the help of Clone Trooper Rex, having freed him from his inhibitor chip. After faking her death, Ahsoka hides out on the planet Thabeska under the name "Ashla."

She's eventually found by an Inquisitor, whom she deftly kills, leading her to join the Rebellion against the Empire. In "Star Wars: Rebels," Ahsoka is shown to be Agent Fulcrum, a shadowy figure who directed missions to rebel factions, including the Spectres run by Hera Syndulla. She was almost killed in a fight against Darth Vader, but through some time travel shenanigans afforded by the World Between Worlds, Jedi Ezra Bridger saves her.

She spends time studying the World Between Worlds and eventually takes on Sabine Wren as a trainee. This doesn't work out, and they go their separate ways, leading Ahsoka to eventually meet Luke, the son of her former master. She also allies herself with Din Djarin and Grogu but goes on another adventure to a different galaxy in an attempt to stop the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn, who'd been missing since the final episode of "Rebels." She fails to stop Thrawn's return and will likely face him in "Ahsoka" season two.