Ahsoka Tanohas been subtly breaking the Jedi code since she was introduced inStar Wars: The Clone Wars, but that’s what makes her one ofStar Wars’greatest Jedi. After the prequel trilogy gave no indication that Anakin Skywalker ever had a Padawan, it was a surprise to find out that he not only had a Padawan for years but also had developed a deep bond with her. Despite that unexpected twist, Ahsoka’s importance toStar Warsmovies and TV showsand her impact on Anakin were quickly clear.
Ahsoka has never been a conventional Jedi, though. While she might not have been as atypical as Anakin, given he wasthe Chosen One, she did leave the Jedi Order only to become one of the fewsurvivors of Order 66, and she then struggled considerably with the very idea of being a Jedi.Ahsoka is nevertheless one of the best examples of a Jedi inStar Wars, though, and that is in part due to her breaking the Jedi code in one key way.
Ahsoka Was Trained By Obi-Wan Nearly As Much As She Was By Anakin
Although Anakin was Ahsoka Tano’s true Jedi Master,Ahsoka was really trained by both Anakin and Obi-Wan in nearly equal measure. Even after Anakin had become a Jedi Knight, he and Obi-Wan remained tightly linked, and they often went on missions together.Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithhad already proven this true, butThe Clone Warsrevealed it that much more.
With Ahsoka being Anakin’s Padawan, she was also frequently on these missions, meaning she was learning from both Jedi. More than just learning from him on the job, Ahsoka also took Obi-Wan’s guidance to heart. This arguably became most clear afterThe Clone Wars, with Ahsoka’s appearances inStar Wars Rebelsand various otherStar WarsTV shows, in which Ahsoka proved thatshe had developed many of Anakin’s traits, but she had many of Obi-Wan’s strengths as well.
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Ahsoka Learned From Obi-Wan And Anakin, And It Made Her Better
Obi-Wan And Anakin Both Taught Ahsoka Essential (But Very Different) Skills
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedirevealed just how much Ahsoka had learned from Anakin and how those lessons were key to her survival. Perhaps the best example was Ahsoka’s rigorous training wherein a group of clones shot at her and she had to deflect the blaster bolts until she passed out—and then begin all over again. This training seemed borderline cruel at the time, butthis was precisely how Ahsoka survived Order 66inThe Clone Wars.
Ahsoka had also clearly developed her bravery while training under Anakin (she had brought plenty of bravery to the table in the first place, but Anakin fostered it even more), and she had learned that breaking the rules was sometimes necessary because of Anakin’s willingness to do so. Yet, Ahsoka had also learned from Obi-Wan’s compassion, patience, and trust in the Force. Arguably, these very skills are things she likely wouldn’t have learned from Anakin because he himself struggled with them.
Ahsoka had also learned from Obi-Wan’s compassion, patience, and trust in the Force.
Could This Approach Have Changed Anakin’s Fate?
Obi-Wan Did His Best, But Anakin May Have Needed More
This experience Ahsoka got training under two Jedi rather than being primarily paired with just one raises interesting questions about how Anakin’s fate could have been different with a similar approach. There has long been discourse about whether Anakin would have fallen to the dark side had Qui-Gon lived and become his Jedi Master instead. This isn’t because Obi-Wan necessarily did anything wrong; he was just brand-new to being a Jedi Master, and he had shortcomings.
This unfortunately included Obi-Wan overlooking many of Anakin’s most glaring issues. As just one key example,Obi-Wan knew about Anakin and Padmé, but he failed to act even by reporting his concerns to the Jedi Council, perhaps because he loved Anakin as a brother and didn’t want to see him tossed out of the Order.This lack of action regarding Anakin’s romantic attachment to Padmé ended up being a major determining factor in Anakin’s fall, unfortunately.
This begs the question: Had Anakin been trained by more than one Jedi Master, would these red flags have been brought to the attention of the Council and addressed properly? Master Luminara proved inThe Clone Warsthat it was possible to train a Jedi Padawan without attachment to them (although, given Barriss Offee turns to the dark side as well, perhaps this isn’t the best example). Were another Jedi Master, such as Luminara, training Anakin, it’s likely they would have done what Obi-Wan could not.
Had Anakin been trained by more than one Jedi Master, would these red flags have been brought to the attention of the Council and addressed properly?
Anakin would likely have also had some of his major flaws addressed differently with the guidance of another Jedi Master, even outside his relationship with Padmé. For example, Anakin’s arrogance, anger, and disregard for the rules were apparent throughoutStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the ClonesandRevenge of the Sith, and while Obi-Wan often called it out, he at times laughed it off.It just never felt like a priority for Obi-Wan to train these behaviors out of Anakin.
The Jedi May Have Gotten This All Wrong
Was The Master And Apprentice Dynamic Flawed All Along?
Even beyond Anakin,it’s possible the Jedi assigning each Padawan to just one Jedi Master and having them almost exclusively trained by that master was a flawed plan. For one, as Anakin and Obi-Wan and Anakin and Ahsoka revealed, this policy worsened issues with attachments for those who already struggled with them, such as Anakin. Yes, Anakin was an exception because he came to the Order when he was older and already had issues with attachment, but Ahsoka’s continued struggle with her own attachment to Anakin confirms it wasn’t just him.
There’s also something to be said for Jedi Padawans not getting varied perspectives and lessons when training with just one Jedi Master. The Jedi Order matched Padawans and their masters very intentionally, making sure they were compatible in terms of strengths and weaknesses, but can any one Jedi really get all they need from one master? Ahsoka’s story yet again suggests no, which is why Jedi like Plo Koon and Tera Sinube at times stepped in.
Can any one Jedi really get all they need from one master?
Jedi—even Jedi Masters—are always going to have unique flaws, which only makes it all the more logical for Padawans to have more than one Jedi Master training them throughout their Padawan years. Presumably, exposure to a range of strengths, weaknesses, and approaches would make a Padawan more well-rounded and prepared, come what may.Ahsoka Tano’sstory inStar Wars: The Clone Warsseems to prove this, which has interesting implications for the Jedi inStar Wars.
