The Direct has some bold predictions for what's to come in the Ahsoka finale.
Ahsoka has certainly been a wild ride across its first seven episodes, but alas, all good things must come to an end, and the Disney+ season will wrap up with Episode 8 on Tuesday, October 3.
Following the end of the latest episode, Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra have been reunited on Peridea, while Thrawn continues plotting his return to the original galaxy and Hera tries to convince the New Republic of the threat.
Baylan Skoll's Greater Power
Ray Stevenson's Baylan Skoll has certainly proven to be an intriguing character in Ahsoka, in part due to his fascination with the constant cycle of war in the galaxy, the solution to which he suggested in Episode 6 may be found on Peridea:
BAYLAN: "What I seek is the beginning so I may finally bring this cycle to an end."
SHIN: "And that beginning is here?"
BAYLAN: "If the old stories are true."
Discussing Thrawn's eagerness to return to the original galaxy, Baylan suggested he may be fleeing "a power greater than their own," teasing how "something [called] to [him]" through the force on the planet.
Baylan will likely be in pursuit of this mysterious power in the season finale, although many have speculated that may take him to his demise, perhaps setting the course for his apprentice, Shin Hati, to go against Thrawn.
What exactly this power may be and how it has the potential to end this endless cycle of war is unclear, but regardless, it's clear Baylan will fail in his endeavor as the events of the sequel trilogy and the rise of the First Order are still to come.
A Major Death
Ahsoka is laying the groundwork for Thrawn to be the next major threat to plague the Star Wars galaxy as he looks to rebuild the Empire, which will culminate when he serves as the main villain of Dave Filoni's MandoVerse crossover movie.
But as Thrawn is truly unlike any other Star Wars villain, being a genius strategist and military leader as opposed to an expert combatant, Ahsoka has to make it clear why Lars Mikkelsen's Chiss character must be feared.
Perhaps the most logical way for this to happen would be for him, or someone under his command, to kill a major character. Most are expecting Ray Stevenson's Baylan Skoll to meet his demise, but Thrawn could end up killing a main hero too.
With regard to exactly who this could be, both Ahsoka Tano and Ezra Bridger feel rather safe, as the latter has only just returned, so some possible contenders could include Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, and the droid Huyang.
To see Thrawn take out a 25,000-year-old droid who has lived through countless conflicts would certainly make it clear why he must be feared. Although killing Hera would help prove to the New Republic why they need to take the threat of Thrawn seriously - something she was just seen trying to convince them to do.
The Rebels Lose to Thrawn
As Ahsoka is only the beginning of Thrawn's story, the Rebels will presumably have to lose to him this time around in a shock ending akin to the Avengers: Infinity War cliffhanger - which saw Thanos snap away half of all life in the universe.
Currently, Thrawn is trapped away in another galaxy, but by the time Ahsoka closes out, the Chiss villain will likely make his way back to familiar territory to begin organizing the Imperial remnants.
Where exactly that will leave the heroes of Ahsoka is unclear, as Season 2, while likely, has yet to be announced - although these characters will almost definitely continue to be major players in this storyline.
On top of a possible major death, one way the Rebels could lose would be for Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra to be left stranded on Pedidea while Thrawn escapes to the original galaxy to cause problems with reduced opposition.
This would set the course for Hera, as one of the few main characters not to travel to Peridea, to organize a rescue mission to bring the crew back home, either in Season 2 or another MandoVerse entry.
Zeb Makes His Comeback
Ahsoka has, in many ways, served as the fifth season of Star Wars Rebels, bringing back most of the crew and continuing on several key plot points. But one key omission from the animated roster comes in Zeb Orrelios.
The Lasat character made his live-action debut as a member of the New Republic Starfighter Corps in The Mandalorian Season 3, and yet he marked the one Ghost crew member to skip out on Ahsoka, at least so far.
While budgetary restrictions may have prevented Zeb from being a major player in Ahsoka, perhaps he may appear in the finale as a member of a fleet assembled by Hera and Captain Carson Teva to rescue the crew from Peridea.
It would be surprising if Lucasfilm were to put the work in to bring Zeb to live-action only for his short cameo in The Mandalorian Season 3, so the odds seem high he will appear in some capacity by the time the credits roll on Ahsoka.
A MandoVerse Crossover
Grand Admiral Thrawn may be making his MandoVerse live-action debut as the villain of Ahsoka, but his appearance only marks the beginning of his villainous journey that will continue across more shows and, eventually, a movie.
The finale ought to lay the groundwork for what comes next in the MandoVerse, perhaps offering a clue of where Thrawn may appear next, either towards the end of the episode or through a post-credits scene.
As the show will look to make clear how Thrawn will be a threat to all the characters in the MandoVerse era, perhaps the finale may include a cameo from one of the era's other major players.
The clear most obvious option would be Pedro Pascal's Din Djarin, but there could also be a place for Luke Skywalker, who is bound to be a major player in this saga, just as he was in Thrawn's most famous story, the non-canon Heir to the Empire.
The first seven episodes of Ahsoka are streaming now on Disney+, with the finale set to premiere on Tuesday, October 3.
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