The new trailer for the upcoming Ahsoka show teases a big change to Star Wars Rebels through the characters of Sabine Wren and Ezra Bridger. Since the announcement of the Ahsoka series, many have assumed it will serve as Star Wars Rebels season 5. This was all but confirmed by Dave Filoni himself, especially bolstered by the centrality of the Star Wars Rebels characters of Sabine, Ezra, Hera Syndulla, and Grand Admiral Thrawn to the show.
With the new Ahsoka trailer finally released, more information has been revealed about the upcoming Star Wars adventure. Taking center stage in the trailer, besides the titular character herself, was Sabine Wren who seems to be the secondary protagonist of the show. Through what was seen in the new Ahsoka trailer concerning Sabine, it seems as though Ahsoka will feature some fairly game-changing retcons to Star Wars Rebels that also involve the character of Ezra Bridger.
Ezra Bridger’s Message In Ahsoka Is Very Different To Rebels
At the end of Star Wars Rebels season 4, Ezra uses the Force to keep Grand Admiral Thrawn enveloped in the tentacles of the Purrgil, resulting in both of them being stranded in the Unknown Regions. Before the Purrgil jump to hyperspace though, Ezra relays a brief message to his fellow Rebels. Ezra states that he has to see his battle with Thrawn through to the end and that it is up to his team now to carry on the fight against the Empire. Just as the Purgill enter lightspeed, Ezra remarks “And remember, the Force will be with you, always.”
In the official trailer for Ahsoka though, it seems as though one of Ezra’s messages is different to this as it is viewed by Sabine. In the trailer, Sabine plays a hologram of Ezra in which the Padawan states “As a Jedi, sometimes you have to make the decision no one else can. But I’m counting on you to see this through.” This seems to hint that Ezra left Sabine a personalized message before he left with another character also seen in the Ahsoka trailer: Grand Admiral Thrawn. The line that he is counting on Sabine to see this through links to how he told the Rebels crew that it is up to them after disappearing.
This means that Ezra likely left every member of the Rebels crew a more personalized message, as only he was aware of the involvement of the Purrgil in Star Wars Rebels season 4. This changes the meaning of Ezra’s final message significantly, especially regarding Sabine’s character arc. Alongside setting up Sabine’s fondness for Ezra and her resulting search for him, the Ahsoka trailer hints that Star Wars’ Sabine has the Force.
Sabine Definitely Wasn’t Force-Sensitive In Star Wars Rebels
Herein lies the potentially massive Star Wars Rebels retcon, as it was made abundantly clear in the animated show that Sabine did not possess the Force. This was established primarily in season 3, episode 15, “Trials of the Darksaber”. In the episode, Sabine obtains possession of the titular Darksaber – the black Mandalorian lightsaber wielded by Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze in The Mandalorian season 3 – resulting in her being trained by the Jedi Kanan Jarrus.
Throughout the episode, one of the recurring plot points is that Kanan was unwittingly training Sabine differently than he did Ezra because she did not have the Force. Similarly, Sabine was provided with Mandalorian gadgets from her ally Fenn Rau as a means of emulating the Jedi’s Force abilities. From an air blaster on her gauntlets to a rope-like whip to mirror a Force pull, Star Wars Rebels repeatedly made it clear that Sabine did not possess power over the Force.
However, throughout the new Ahsoka trailer, there are teases that this is being retconned. Ezra’s message to Sabine is certainly enough to suggest this, as his words seem to imply he was training her in the ways of the Jedi. Also, Sabine refers to Ahsoka as “master” during the trailer, teasing that Ahsoka began training Sabine as Ezra did. All of this seems to point towards Ahsoka introducing that Sabine has growing Force abilities, which informs the relationship between her and Ahsoka in the series.
Ahsoka’s Relationship With Sabine Mirrors Baylan & Shin
These hints also imply that Ahsoka and Sabine’s relationship mirrors that of Baylan and Shin, Ahsoka‘s two villains. The Ahsoka trailer included many reveals about villains Baylan and Shin, one being that the former does not view himself as a Jedi. This directly links to Ahsoka, even in the way Baylan states “We are no Jedi”, just as Ahsoka insisted “I am no Jedi” to Darth Vader in Star Wars Rebels season 2. This provides almost a mirror image between Baylan and Ahsoka, two former Jedi who suffered in one way or another at the hands of the Order, leading both of them to forsake the title.
Given the hints of Sabine’s potential Force-sensitivity then, it could be revealed that Shin and Sabine are also mirror images of one another. Baylan is clearly training Shin in the ways of the dark side, ushering in another generation below him. Ahsoka is similarly doing the same with Sabine, as hinted at by her title of “master”. Therefore, the villainous Force-sensitive duo of Baylan and Shin could be countered throughout Ahsoka by the light-sided Force-sensitive duo of Ahsoka and Sabine, should the theories about the latter from the new trailer be proved correct.
What Does It Mean If Sabine Is Force-Sensitive?
This all begs the question of what it would mean for Ahsoka and Star Wars as a whole if Sabine is Force-sensitive. One of the more underlying meanings of the reveal would lie in reference to the Mandalorian-Jedi war. The Mandalorians and Jedi are ancient enemies, yet there has been one Mandalorian Jedi in the Star Wars galaxy: Tarre Vizsla. This character was mentioned at length in Star Wars Rebels as well as The Mandalorian as the creator of the Darksaber. Sabine becoming another Mandalorian Jedi is therefore a big possibility should the theory be true.
Also, on a more base level, Sabine being Force-sensitive simply means another powerful being going up against Thrawn. After Ahsoka, the New Republic, Ezra, and potentially even Luke Skywalker, Sabine adds another Force-sensitive being to a powerful line-up of heroes opposing Thrawn. Sabine’s potential Force-sensitivity could also provide the character, and the Ahsoka show, with bigger connections to The Mandalorian. Grogu’s journey in The Mandalorian has been centered on his split between being a Mandalorian and a Jedi, something Sabine could share. Not only is this a compelling character arc, but it connects Ahsoka and The Mandalorian before the inevitable merging of the shows in Filoni’s upcoming Star Wars movie.
