This post contains spoilers for episode six of The Book of Boba Fett.
The Book of Boba Fett “Chapter 6” is arguably Star Wars‘ most consequential live-action TV episode yet. “From the Desert Comes a Stranger” features Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, R2-D2, Din Djarin, Grogu, Boba Fett, Cad Bane, and a flashback to Order 66. That would have made for an incredible movie let alone 42 minutes on Disney+. With all of those major figures in the galaxy far, far away coming together, the episode delivered some monumental moments. From powerful long awaited meetings and arrivals, to tantalizing hints of stories to come and signs of where Lucasfilm is taking the franchise, these four are the most important.
Ahsoka Meets Anakin Skywalker’s Son
If you only know Star Wars from its live-action movies you might not know why Ahsoka Tano called herself an “old friend” of the Skywalker family. And you might not fully appreciate why her sharing a screen with Luke Skywalker means so much to fans of the animated series and books. Seeing them together was a moving moment many fans hoped for. One that carried a galaxy’s worth of history with it.
Ahsoka Tano was more than just Anakin Skywalker’s very own Padawan during the Clone Wars. The two friends fought together. They protected one another. And they cared for one another deeply. They also shared many qualities, both good and bad. Ashoka could be just as stubborn, reckless, and independent as her master. She was also just as brave and emotional. But even when “Snips,” Anakin’s loving nickname for his snippy student, disobeyed him, it came from a good place. Ahsoka always strives to do what’s right and to help people. Even when it comes at great personal cost and harm to herself. That’s why, more than anyone, Ahsoka represents the best of the Jedi—even though she formally left the Order. She succeeded where Anakin failed. He turned his back on the light side of the Force when he felt the Jedi betrayed him. Ahsoka never did.
Seeing two of the franchise’s greatest Jedi on-screen together would have made for an emotional moment unto itself. But Ahsoka’s connection with Anakin makes her new relationship with Luke so much more significant. Obi-Wan was the only person in the entire galaxy who truly knew Anakin before he became Darth Vader, as well as Ahsoka. And A New Hope showed what learning about his father means to Luke. Imagining the conversations the two must be having about Anakin, and who he was at his best, is enough to make any Star Wars fan weepy. Not that we need to imagine it.
The Book of Boba Fett gave us a line so imbued with meaning, history, and emotional resonance it was enough to make Palpatine get teary-eyed. “So much like your father,” said a smiling Ahsoka to a worried Luke. Even if we never see these two together again, knowing they shared this time together is enough to stand as one of the most emotional moments in Star Wars history.
The Padawan Becomes the Master
Luke and Ahsoka’s time together wasn’t the only moment from this episode that likely caused a one-eyed frog-sized lump in your throat. “Chapter 6” showed Luke training Grogu, in a reversal of Luke’s own training under Yoda on Dagobah. Luke put Grogu through many of the same trials as Yoda did with him. Luke also repeated many of those tests himself, same as he did years earlier on that swamp planet under the watchful eye of his own Jedi Master. Who would have thought a jumping forward flip could mean so much?
The callbacks to Luke’s time on Dagobah—including telling Grogu, “Don’t try. Do,” and carrying him on his back the same as he carried Yoda—also had greater meaning beyond the beautiful symmetry of the scenes. It also gave more weight to The Rise of Skywalker, when Rey carried the history and power of all the Jedi with her as she faced Palpatine. Those lessons, carried for thousands of generations, connect all the Jedi. And that idea as much as anything captures why the franchise can continue to affect us across decades and generations of fandom.
“No one’s ever really gone.” The past, the present, the future, it’s all part of one thing. Students become masters and pass on what they know. And in doing so they carry those who came before them onward. For the Force binds us all. And that’s true whether a little green Jedi is the Padawan or the master.
Why Grogu Might Not Have to Choose
Even the best of the Jedi never seem to learn from past mistakes. A big reason the Order fell prey to Darth Sidious was because they allowed themselves to get involved in a civil war they had no business fighting in. Jedi should be guardians of peace and justice, not generals. But they allowed themselves to be manipulated by Palpatine because far too often Jedi only see the world in binary terms. Good versus evil. Right versus wrong. Light versus dark. The order’s refusal to process or allow complexity into its members’ lives force Jedi into making harsh choices. You can only pick family or duty. Or act on emotions or cold stoic logic.
That type of dichotomy can lead vulnerable people, even the most powerful of Force users, to a dark place. And they can take the entire galaxy with them when they go. You can tell a scared young boy to forget about his mother back on Tatooine. That doesn’t mean he will.
Luke gave Grogu that same type of binary choice in this episode. If Grogu accepts Din Djarin’s beskar chainmail shirt he will forsake his Jedi training and return to his surrogate father. If, however, Grogu rejects Mando’s gift he can take Yoda’s old lightsaber and continue to train in the ways of the Force. As always, it’s all-or-nothing when it comes to being a Jedi. Only in Grogu’s case it doesn’t have to be.
“It’s more like he’s remembering than I’m actually teaching him anything,” Luke told Ahsoka about Grogu. We already covered what that line, combined with Grogu’s flashback to being a Padawan at the Jedi Temple during Order 66, might reveal about Grogu’s past. At some point previously Grogu received training as a Jedi. Possibly (likely?) from Yoda, Obi-Wan, or both. Grogu has repressed his Jedi lessons along with any memory of his past, though. If he accesses his memories he might not actually need Luke to teach him. Grogu might already be a Jedi. And if that’s the case Grogu might very well end up confirming one of our biggest theories about The Mandalorian.
After Bo-Katan’s live-action debut we speculated on how the name The Mandalorian could be the biggest clue about where the show is going. Mandalore is a ruin. It’s few remaining people are scattered throughout the galaxy. But there is hope. An old prophecy says a Mandalorian warrior wielding the Darksaber will unite their people and restore their home planet to glory. This prophesy is so important it was a major focal point of The Book of Boba Fett “Chapter 5.” Din Djarin currently has the Darksaber, which he won in combat as the legend says this great hero must. But Din Djarin is certainly no Jedi. Not like the legendary knight who forged the Darksaber, Tarre Vizsla, who was both Mandalorian and Jedi. The one most capable of holding Tarre Vizsla’s lightsaber very well might be too. And we only know of one little Padawn who can be both.
If Grogu is destined to be Mandalore’s hero he won’t need Yoda’s lightsaber anymore than he needs Luke’s training. He might not have to choose one binary path; he might already be both Jedi and Mandalorian, a great warrior who will wield the Darksaber while representing the future of both Mandalore and the Jedi Order. Grogu just has to remember who he was to become who he can.
Cad Bane’s Big Live-Action Debut
If you don’t know who Cad Bane is we explained why his live-action Star Wars debut was a big deal. (If you already knew Cad Bane then, like us, you probably gasped and did a fist punch like us when you saw his signature hat and jacket walking into Mos Pelgo Freetown.) He’s one of the franchise’s coolest villains and a throwback to when the galaxy was rife with ruthless, amoral figures. But his arrival on Tatooine is bigger than just himself or The Book of Boba Fett.
Cad Bane is the latest signature character to make the move from animated series to live-action. Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan already have. And soon Sabine Wren will too. Lucasfilm continues to blur the old lines that used to separate Star Wars movies from other entries in the franchise; new Disney+ shows are connecting all Star Wars stories in more and more meaningful ways. Eventually you might not know half the characters on screen if you haven’t seen The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, or The Bad Batch. And the same will likely be true if you don’t tune in when Kenobi or Ahsoka debut. How interesting will the search for General Thrawn and Ezra Bridger be if you don’t even know who they are?
Not all fans will embrace how much more time and effort they will need to invest in the franchise. But those who do will be rewarded with episodes like this. When in a single installment Ahsoka Tano can say so much to Luke Skywalker with a single line, or an old foe can bring a whole new level of danger to Tatooine while a little green tyke can represent the hopes of both Mandalorians and Jedi alike. Cad Bane didn’t just show up on The Book of Boba Fett. Like the Force itself, the ever-growing connections between all Star Wars stories did too.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
