“Names have a purpose. If you know someone’s full name in folklore then you have a power over them, because to know their name gives you an understanding of who they are.”
That’s how Dave Filoni described the meaning and purpose behind important names on Star Wars Rebels in 2015. It’s an idea he clearly still believes in now. His new series Ahsoka features many characters with monikers inspired by mythology. What kind of “understanding” does that give us about Ahsoka‘s world? It turns out these connections to myth and legend offer quite a bit of insight. Here are all the references to Norse, Ancient Greek, and Arthurian legends and myths we spotted in Ahsoka.
Jump to: Morgan Elsbeth References Morgan le Fey // Marrok Connects to Arthurian Legend // Ahsoka‘s Skoll and Hati Hail From Norse Mythology // Star Wars Rebels Connections to Myths and More
Ahsoka‘s Morgan Elsbeth Is Named After Morgan le Fay of Arthurian Legend
Now that we learned on Ahsoka that Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth is a Nightsister of Dathomir, there’s no doubt she’s named after another famous witch, Lady Morgan le Fay of Arthurian Legend. Originally a benevolent figure, Morgan le Fay’s portrayal evolved over time. In legend, Morgan le Fay was said to be the sister of Arthur and capable of flying and transforming herself into other shapes. Eventually, the powerful sorceress became a more morally ambiguous character and sometimes a direct antagonist of the King.
Thanks to her connections with Grand Admiral Thrawn, Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth would appear to be based more on the later versions of Morgan le Fay. But all hope is not lost for those who love the Nightsisters of Dathomir. Morgan le Fay remains an intriguing character centuries later because she was capable of both good and evil. Maybe Morgan Elsbeth is, too.
Ahsoka‘s Marrok Is Named After an Arthurian Knight Turned Into a Werewolf
The mysterious masked Inquisitor Marrok working for Morgan Elsbeth is Ahsoka‘s second major connection to Arthurian legend and myth. In a tale set during “the days of King Arthur,” we learn that Sir Marrok was an upstanding Knight until his own wife Irma turned him into a werewolf, seeking to return his lands to their old ways of savagery. And where did Irma learn such skills? From Morgan le Fay.
We’ve think Marrok might be Bariss Offee, a former Jedi Knight who turned to the dark side. Some think Marrok might be Ezra Bridger himself under the spell of Morgan Elsbeth. There was even another Marrok in Star Wars previously. The Clone Wars featured a bounty hunter named Embo who had a werewolf-like pet of his own named Marrok. Dave Filoni himself voiced Embo on the show. Did he turn his character’s pet into reverse Sir Marrok, making a wolf into a knight of darkness?
The identity of Ahsoka‘s Marrok is yet unknown. And even if literally no wolves appear, the namesakes of Ahsoka‘s characters seem to point to Morgan Elsbeth turning a character to darkness in her quest to return Thrawn and the dark side to power. No matter who is under the Inquisitor’s mask, though, their story will have connections to Arthurian legend.
Ahsoka‘s Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati are Named After Wolves in Norse Mythology
Ahsoka‘s former Jedi Knight Baylan Skoll and his apprentice Shin Hati get their names from Norse mythology. Skoll (“One Who Mocks”) and Hati (“One Who Hates”) are ominous figures in Norse tradition. They’re wolves who chase the Sun and Moon in hopes of devouring them. Legend says they will also be present at Ragnarok, the end of the world. According to Norse mythology, that is when Skoll and Hati will finally track down and consume their prey, plunging Earth into darkness.
Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati, who embrace the dark side of the Force, are helping Morgan Elsbeth. They’re tracking down Thrawn in a distant land. If Skoll and Hati can complete their Ahsoka quest and help Thrawn return, then like in Norse Mythology, their victory could herald a new era of darkness in the galaxy far, far away and destroy the New Republic. We’d also feel interested to know if Hati specifically hates anyone on Ahsoka, as mythology suggests.
Skoll and Hati’s names and roles on Ahsoka situate them (and Marrok) as the opposite of Force-sensitive Loth-wolves. Those mystical creatures introduced on Star Wars Rebels serve as couriers to the World Between Worlds. That nexus of space and time is not only one of the franchise’s most important locales. It played a major role in the pasts of both Ahsoka Tano and Ezra Bridger. It might also be the key to Thrawn returning, stopping him, or both. Like Morgan le Fay, the World Between Worlds is neither inherently good or bad.
Star Wars Rebels Character Names and Their Mythological and Biblical Connections
In addition to the many new connections Ahsoka forms with mythology and legend, it also inherits some references from Star Wars Rebels.
Quick Rebels References
Hera Syndulla – The motherly Hera is named after the Greek goddess of women, childbirth, and marriage. Echoing her mythological counterpart, Hera Syndulla is the motherly figure in the Star Wars Rebels crew, a role we see her continue to play in Ahsoka.
Sabine Wren – Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian who grew up under tyrannical Imperial rule, gets her name from the Roman myth the Abduction of the Sabine women.
Ezra Bridger – Ahsoka‘s missing Jedi’s name comes from the Biblical priest. Ezra means “helper” and “protector,” which is what the Jedi did when he sacrificed himself to save his friends and people.
(His last name Bridger also could take on new meaning since Ezra appears lost in a galaxy that has a bridge—the Pathway of Peridea—between it and Star Wars‘ own.)
Morai’s Mythological Connections May Be Crucial to Ahsoka
Though the owl-like Morai has yet to appear on Ahsoka, its mythology-sourced name feels more relevant than ever. Morai is connected to Mortis and the Daughter (the embodiment of the light side of the Force), the World Between Worlds, and Ahsoka Tano. The bird, Ahsoka’s companion, guided both her and Ezra in the World Between Worlds. It also appeared on a painting that served as a portal for Ezra Bridger to go there.
Ahsoka‘s Morai is named after Greek mythology’s Moirai, better known as the Fates. In Ahsoka’s second episode, Morgan Elsbeth’s told Baylan Skoll she’s confident she now knows where Thrawn is because the “threads of fate do not lie.” The Daughter of Mortis was also one three figures, same as the Fates. And, as mentioned above, Sir Marrok’s wife, Irma, saved herself from her (once-again) human husband by drinking a potion that transformed her into an owl.
Is that all just a big coincidence? That’s not what Dave Filoni wants us to think. There’s power in knowing what these names mean.
Jump to: Morgan Elsbeth References Morgan le Fey // Marrok Connects to Arthurian Legend // Ahsoka‘s Skoll and Hati Hail From Norse Mythology // Star Wars Rebels Connections to Myths and More
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.