Anakin Skywalker is back – and he has some fascinating new powers. In Ahsoka episode 5, the Chosen One returned to lead his former Padawan Ahsoka Tano through some serious lessons, culminating in Snips regaining her spirit (symbolized by a new, white outfit).
For the first time in the saga, we see Anakin jump seamlessly from light to dark and back again, and he also seems very much at home in the mystical World Between Worlds. What's up with those new abilities, then, Skyguy?
It's a mystery for now, but one fan has a very convincing theory tied to some deep mythology from the Clone Wars.
Anakin's new Force powers theory explained
To get into the theory, we first need to explain Mortis. You can read a full run down in our World Between Worlds explainer (linked above), but we'll give you an abridged version here. In The Clone Wars, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan Kenobi end up in a strange, supernatural realm named Mortis. There, they meet three Force gods: the Father, the Son, and the Daughter. The Son is aligned with the dark side, while the Daughter is aligned with the light side, and the Father is the balance between them both.
The Father wants Anakin to take his place – since Anakin is the Chosen One, after all. Anakin, though, refuses and leaves, and as the ship departs, the Imperial March plays ominously in the background. This isn't actually the end of the story, though, with the trio ending up back on Mortis in the next episode. The adventure ultimately leaves the three gods dead, but they show up again on a mural in Star Wars Rebels at the entrance to the World Between Worlds. Fascinating stuff.
So, what does this have to do with Ahsoka? Well, one fan speculates that Anakin has become the Father after all.
After first explaining that they think the Anakin we see in the episode is "loosely as we once knew him," user lexE5839 writes: "However I believe he has ascended and become the Father. His ability to change between the light and dark sides at will, have a full tangible body in the World Between Worlds, and even summon Ahsoka to simulations of physical environments from the past battles they had together would indicate he has tremendous power. This is purely my own head canon but I believe Anakin did save Ahsoka from dying, maybe because he chose to, but if he is really the Father it was likely the will of the Force."
The Redditor calls Anakin a "true master," able to use both the light and the dark side in an unprecedented way for Star Wars. "The Father seemed to have an unparalleled grasp of the will of the Force, and his children were the balance between good and evil," lexE5839 continues. "I'd like to think that in the eyes of the Force Anakin served his destiny by destroying both the Jedi and the Sith, then allowing both to rebuild. His fall as Vader and his later redemption demonstrated he was not entirely light or dark. As the Father, Anakin would follow the will of the Force and ensure balance in the universe, guiding those who need it to their destinies."
The Redditor thinks this "would be a touching and fitting destiny for the Chosen One, and would prevent tampering with his sacrifice as Vader," and believes "he has transcended into a being that keeps the balance of the Force that he created."
We have to admit, it is an extremely convincing theory. It would make a lot of sense for Anakin to still have a large destiny ahead of him even after death: he was prophesied to bring balance to the Force, and what better way to do that than become the embodiment of the balance itself?
It's unclear if we'll learn more about Anakin's new powers in Ahsoka or not, though a clue does suggest that we'll be seeing the Chosen One again. For more on Skyguy's return, read our thoughts on why Ahsoka episode 5 shows the ultimate evolution of Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker.
Ahsoka is streaming on Disney Plus now. For much more on the show, check out our deep dives on:
- Who is Grand Admiral Thrawn?
- Who is Hera Syndulla?
- Who is Sabine Wren?
- Who is Ezra Bridger?
- Who is Jacen Syndulla?
- The purrgil explained
- The history between Anakin and Ahsoka explained
- Where is Ahsoka in Revenge of the Sith?
- Everything you need to know about Star Wars Rebels
- The Ahsoka end-credits clues explained
- The Nightsisters of Dathomir explained
- Who is Clancy Brown playing in Ahsoka?
- Huyang explained
- Who is Inquisitor Marrok in Ahsoka?
- Where have we seen Morgan Elsbeth before?
- What to watch before Ahsoka
- How to watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars in order
- The Ahsoka timeline explained
- The Ahsoka release schedule
