9 Pressing Questions Ahsoka Still Needs to Answer in Episode 8

After seven space-centric weeks, only one episode of Ahsoka remains. It’s been a wild ride full of intrigue, excitement, and Easter eggs, but the series still has several threads to resolve before the final credits roll. While we know these characters could go on to play a role in Dave Filoni’s live-action Star Wars film, Ahsoka can’t leave every mystery unexplored. As Ahsoka gears up to face Grand Admiral Thrawn, there are nine big questions the series must answer in its final episode.

9. What was Thrawn loading onto the Chimaera?

In Ahsoka’s latest episode, Thrawn seemed content with the results of his first battle with Ahsoka and Ezra. Of course, it wasn’t much of a battle, but Thrawn was simply stalling to transfer precious cargo from the Peridean catacombs to his ship, the Chimaera. Whatever’s lurking in those crates, it must be pretty darn important to delay his escape from exile. It might even hold the key to Thrawn’s master plan, the one that could see him reconquer the galaxy in the Empire’s name.

8. Are Thrawn’s Night Troopers actually undead?

Thrawn hasn’t been idle during his exile on Peridea. He’s spent the past decade forging an alliance with the Great Mothers, a trio of Nightsister elders that possess powerful dark magick. Nightsisters are known to enhance or resurrect bodies by manipulating the Force, and it’s possible they’ve used their Force Magic to keep Thrawn’s soldiers, the Night Troopers, alive.

Aside from a brief battle in Episode 7, we haven’t seen much of the Night Troopers in action. But their patched-up armor, from its gold plates to the red threads that bind their arms, speaks to the Nightsisters’ influence. Have the Great Mothers turned these guys into zombies? One answer may beget another: if the Nightsisters used magick to keep Thrawn’s troops alive, then the crates he’s willing to transfer might hold the key to unlocking an entire army of the dead.

7. What is Baylan Skoll up to?

Baylan Skoll shocked everyone — including his upstart apprentice, Shin Hati — by going rogue in Episode 7. The dark mercenary has long been one of Ahsoka’s most interesting characters: not even Thrawn knows what Baylan is planning, and he’s usually a step ahead of everyone. There’s clearly something on Peridea that Baylan needs. He spoke to Shin about seeking “the beginning,” and a power that will allow him to end the cycle of conflict and bloodshed that’s been driving the galaxy for millennia. Could he be the key to the series’ long-rumored time travel plot?

6. What’s going to happen to Shin?

Shin is understandably scorned by Baylan’s choice, but he’s not abandoning her without reason. “Your ambition drives you in one direction,” he tells Shin, “my path lies in another.” In a way, this may be the best thing for his apprentice. And as exciting as it’s been to see Shin unleash her power in fits and starts, Ahsoka’s only scratched the surface of her potential. What exactly does she want? Either way, she’s finally free to explore her ambitions. Hopefully, Ahsoka won’t leave this thread dangling in its final episode: Shin is one of the series' most compelling characters. If Ahsoka can’t give her the arc she deserves, it should at least leave the door open for more adventures down the line.

5. Will Sabine ever tell Ezra the truth?

Sabine and Ezra’s reunion lacked the oomph it needed to sell these two as long-lost friends, and their relationship feels even more strained knowing Sabine is keeping a huge secret from Ezra. By joining Thrawn’s allies, Sabine made it possible for the Grand Admiral to return to their galaxy and attack the New Republic. Ezra still has no idea that Thrawn is about to escape his exile, but it’s safe to assume he won’t be happy to hear it. He sacrificed himself to protect the galaxy from Thrawn, all for Sabine to undermine that sacrifice. How will the truth affect their relationship?

4. Is Jacen going to become a Jedi?

Jacen Syndulla is the son of New Republic General Hera Syndulla and the late Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus. Though he never got the chance to know his father, Jacen is keen to emulate him. He tells Hera he’d like to receive Jedi training one day, and given his clear aptitude for the Force, it’s only a matter of time before he gets it. Hera, however, seems reluctant to send her child off to an unknown fate. Of the Jedi she’s known, the two closest to her were taken from her prematurely. It’ll be difficult to let go, but Jacen’s destiny can’t be ignored for long. It’s less a question of becoming a Jedi as it is of choosing a Jedi Master. Between Ahsoka Tano, Ezra Bridger, and even Luke Skywalker, Jacen is spoiled for choices.

3. Is Leia Organa ever going to show up?

The Star Wars saga has been diligently expanding the New Republic era where it can, but for all of Ahsoka’s efforts to depict Senate intrigue, it’s hard to ignore the absence of a key player. Episode 7 finally revealed how Leia Organa fits into the New Republic hierarchy, all while keeping the character on the sidelines. It’s been frustrating to hear mention of Leia without seeing her, and Lucasfilm’s reluctance to recast the character with a younger actor may be to blame. That’s also the very thing holding Ahsoka back, though. Will the series pull a Mandalorian in its final hour and feature a deepfaked appearance from the New Republic Senator? It’s not ideal, but it’d certainly be better than nothing.

2. Can everyone make it back home?

As Thrawn prepares to leave Peridea in the dust, there’s one question on everyone’s mind. Can he be stopped? More importantly, will our heroes be forced to make a sacrifice to stop him? That’s not to say someone has to get left behind to make things interesting. But with one episode remaining, Ahsoka is running out of ways to justify its own existence. So far, Ahsoka has basically been the story of Thrawn’s return and Ezra’s rescue, and that’s honestly very boring. The series finale needs to up the stakes, and fast. Otherwise, what was the point in making this an eight-episode show?

1. Why is this show called Ahsoka, again?

Ahsoka has had its high points, but most of its weaknesses stem from its lack of focus. Ahsoka Tano might be the title character, but she doesn’t feel like the hero of this story. Despite a harrowing journey into the past and a series of white-knuckle battles, we’ve barely learned anything new about her. It’s been far more fun to get to know her apprentice, Sabine, but there are still so many mysteries surrounding their partnership, particularly where Ahsoka’s role in the fall of Mandalore is concerned.

Ahsoka won’t have time to explain all its random threads; they’ll probably be addressed in some other Star Wars story, as the franchise is taking a frustrating page from the Marvel playbook. Still, the series would do well to bring the focus back to its heroine, especially for its finale. Showrunner Dave Filoni has invested so much time into bringing fan-favorite characters from animation to live-action, and he’s asked casual fans to invest in this experiment. Unfortunately, it’s not paying off, but Ahsoka has one more chance to get it right.

Ahsoka is streaming on Disney+.