With Ahsoka reaching its midway point with episode 4, here is the definitive ranking of all the show’s episodes from worst to best thus far. Ahsoka from episode 4 between Sabine in episode 1 and Baylan Skoll's character poster
SUMMARY
- "Time to Fly" is the weakest episode so far, feeling rushed and ending abruptly, but still serving as a good point in the overarching story. "Master and Apprentice" and "Toil and Trouble" were a good two episodes to begin the series.
- "Fallen Jedi" kickstarted Ahsoka's journey to greatness with fantastic battles, reveals, and story elements that set up the show's best episode yet: "Shadow Warrior."
- Ahsoka episode 6, "Far, Far Away," comes in as the second-best Ahsoka episode thus far bringing a Game of Thrones/Dune flavor to Star Wars through the exploration of another galaxy and the return of two major Star Wars Rebels characters.
Ahsoka episode 6 officially moves the latest Star Wars show into its final third, but how does it rank against its preceding four installments? Ahsoka began with a two-episode premiere serving as a reintroduction to the world of Star Wars Rebels for those familiar with Dave Filoni's prior Star Wars works. Simultaneously, both episodes worked to draw in new audience members who were not aware of projects like Star Wars: The Clone Wars or Rebels, effectively setting up the story of the New Republic era.
Following on from the setup found in The Mandalorian season 2, Ahsoka details the titular character's search for Grand Admiral Thrawn. Fearing the stranded Imperial leader could galvanize the galaxies' Imperial remnants into another Galactic Empire, Ahsoka seeks out her allies from Star Wars Rebels who previously faced Thrawn in an attempt to stop his resurgence. Given the immense hype behind the series and its importance to upcoming Star Wars movies, Ahsoka has come under much scrutiny since its air date. With that being said, here is every episode of Ahsoka ranked from worst to best.
Episode 3 - "Time To Fly"
Ranking as the "worst" Ahsoka episode thus far is the show's third installment, "Time to Fly." Firstly, it is worth pointing out that no single episode of Ahsoka has been outright bad as of yet, with all of them serving as a good point in the show's overarching story. However, unlike Ahsoka's other episodes, "Time to Fly" simply feels the most like a stepping stone on the larger journey. The episode is the shortest thus far, clocking in at just over 30 minutes before the credits roll. This gives "Time to Fly" a rushed feeling, with the episode ending rather abruptly.
That said, the rushed feeling of the episode stemming from its shorter runtime is the most prevalent criticism, with the rest of "Time to Fly" overall mostly working well. The scene involving Hera and the New Republic Senate Committee of Ahsoka was a fascinating insight into the hubris that allows the rise of the First Order, with the elements of Ahsoka and Sabine's story feeling like a Clone Wars episode come to life. The training sequence that opens the episode is fantastic, with the action scenes accompanying the duos' entrance to Seatos making for awe-inspiring Star Wars moments.
The appearance of the Purgill is breathtaking and adequately sets up their importance in Ahsoka, while the titular character's spacewalk is pure Clone Wars fun depicted in live-action. That said, the episode fails to have much in the way of forward plot propulsion given its stepping-stone nature. Were it not for the Purgill and Huyang's revelations about the Eye of Sion, Ahsoka episode 3 would have faced the overused criticism of being "filler" by online discourse. Despite the short runtime and the feeling of being a smaller step in the larger journey, "Time to Fly" is a serviceable Ahsoka episode that simply cannot reach the heights of its peers.
Episode 1 - "Master And Apprentice"
Coming in above "Time to Fly" is Ahsoka episode 1, "Master and Apprentice." Ahsoka episode 1 had the unenviable task of appealing to fans familiar with animated shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels all while engaging viewers who had no prior knowledge of the characters, stories, and worlds included. Given this immensely difficult task, it is a wonder that Ahsoka episode 1 works as well as it does. The introductory character scenes adequately capture the feel of each Rebels character which both feels familiar to in-the-know fans and works to set up each individual personality for those who have not seen Ahsoka's animated prequel.
When combining these scenes with a fantastic lightsaber battle, hints at Ahsoka's future story, and the looming threat of Thrawn casting a feeling of dread over proceedings, Ahsoka episode 1 works as a satisfying introductory chapter. The performances, direction, and writing come together with familiar Star Wars Easter eggs to reinduct fans into this sect of the universe, with enough hook to engage those unaware of prior stories. As such, Ahsoka episode 1's mammoth task of creating a compelling story for two sets of fans succeeded, even if the amount of set-up it requires bogs the forward momentum down in some sections of extended exposition.
Episode 2 - "Toil And Trouble"
Ranking just above its predecessor is Ahsoka episode 2, "Toil and Trouble." Given the bulk of the character introductions, story setup, and exposition were included in Ahsoka episode 1, the second part of the two-episode premiere allowed the show to really come into its own regarding plot progression. A compelling journey to Corellia for Hera and Ahsoka culminated in a fantastic aerial dogfight sequence and Ahsoka's first clash with the show's mysterious Inquisitor Marrok. These scenes gave a tease of what was to come regarding Ahsoka's action sequences, all while furthering the plot of the race to find Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Furthermore, it was in Ahsoka episode 2, "Toil and Trouble," that the true promise of the show's plot came to light. The episode included the confirmation that Thrawn and Ezra are stranded in a second Star Wars galaxy, a plot point that opens the door to endless possibilities not just with Ahsoka, but the entire Star Wars franchise. Combined with the recreation of Star Wars Rebels' iconic epilogue in which Sabine vows to find Ezra as Ahsoka's Padawan and the promise of the conflict ahead, Ahsoka episode 2 bests both its predecessor and successor.
Episode 4 - "Fallen Jedi"
Undoubtedly the best episode in the first half of the latest Star Wars series and the third-best episode thus far is Ahsoka episode 4, "Fallen Jedi." The abrupt ending of "Time to Fly" allowed "Fallen Jedi" to hit the ground running in terms of Ahsoka's story. The episode wasted no time in getting the conflict between Marrok, Shin, Ahsoka, and Sabine in two rematches that were highly anticipated. The duel between Marrok and Ahsoka culminated in the twist reveal of the former's secret identity, while the skirmish between Shin and Sabine furthered their rivalry and the latter's continued failure to connect with the Force.
The lightsaber choreography in both action sequences was much improved over the battles shown in Ahsoka episodes 1 and 2, something that will hopefully continue to build as the series moves into its latter half. This certainly was the case with the confrontation between Baylan and Ahsoka at the episode's climax, which not only was a stunning showcase of Baylan's brute strength but also included tantalizing teases of his past alongside his future motivations. The late Ray Stevenson was a standout in Ahsoka episode 4, with the installment managing to make Baylan Ahsoka's single most intriguing character.
A few minor inconsistencies aside, Ahsoka episode 4 included major Star Wars reveals that more than makeup for brief lapses in logic. The revelation that Sabine's family perished in the Great Purge of Mandalore is a huge development of her character all while tying Ahsoka to The Mandalorian. The hints that this could have been avoided if Ahsoka trusted her apprentice make the plot point even more compelling while setting up Sabine's decision to give Baylan the map. Sabine now feels more alone than ever after her family's passing and Ahsoka's apparent death, prompting her to commit to finding Ezra even if it means giving Baylan the map to Thrawn.
Finally, the ending of "Fallen Jedi" with Ahsoka waking up in the World Between Worlds promises a massive shift in the status quo of the series going into Ahsoka episode 5. With the return of Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker and the ominous feeling elicited by this given the scene was accompanied by Vader's theme, Ahsoka episode 4 takes some big swings to set up the show's latter half. These swings help solidify episode 4, "Fallen Jedi," as one of the show's best thus far.
Episode 6 - "Far, Far Away"
As evident by Ahsoka episode 6's opening in which Huyang relates the iconic Star Wars words "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." to Ahsoka, the fittingly titled "Far, Far Away" quickly established the setting of the episode. After many episodes of teases and hints, Ahsoka episode 6 catapulted the story into another galaxy which changes Star Wars forever. The exploration of a brand-new galaxy brought an overwhelming sense of adventure to the episode which struck a tone emulative of franchises like Game of Thrones and Dune in terms of exploring new worlds and cultures.
This allowed Ahsoka episode 6 to be the most different in the show thus far while still being an immensely satisfying continuation of the story. While slower-paced and with fewer action sequences than its two predecessors, the episode did not drag and was carried by the impending threat of Thrawn that permeated every prior episode of Ahsoka coming to a head. The reappearance of Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn solidified exactly why this character was the perfect choice for Ahsoka's villain and the next major antagonist of the Star Wars franchise.
From the details of Thrawn's alliance with the Nightsisters of Dathomir - another major Star Wars change - to the amazingly captured cold, almost tribalistic nature of his army that has spent nearly a decade in exile, the return of Thrawn lived up to the building sense of tension that has been established by the threat of the Grand Admiral's resurgence since episode 1. The introduction of the show's primary villain could have made Ahsoka's secondary antagonists pale in comparison, yet Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati's search for a way to end the cycle of changing regimes in Star Wars remains one of Ahsoka's most compelling plot points.
Finally, the journey on which Sabine Wren finds herself in "Far, Far Away" offers perfect Star Wars storytelling. Finding new, exciting creatures and villages amid a landscape of warriors, bandits, and exiled Jedi felt perfectly in keeping with the franchise Ahsoka is a part of, a storyline bolstered by the highly-anticipated return of Ezra Bridger. Actor Eman Esfandi perfects the sound, personality, and look of an older Ezra and allows for a heartwarming reunion between two of Star Wars Rebels' characters that - when combined with the other elements of Ahsoka episode 6 - solidify "Far, Far Away" as the show's second-best installment behind only episode 5’s peak Star Wars journey.
Episode 5 - "Shadow Warrior"
The exceedingly exciting cliffhanger of Ahsoka episode 4 meant that its successor had a lot to live up to. Luckily, Ahsoka episode 5, "Shadow Warrior," manages this with relative ease. Undoubtedly the most impressive aspect of Ahsoka episode 5 is the installment's ability to sidestep the potential pitfalls of fanservice that the World Between Worlds could present. Rather than become an episode filled with meaningless cameos, recreations, and elements pertaining to Star Wars' past, Ahsoka's journey through the World Between Worlds was integral to the plot of Ahsoka as well as the development of its titular character.
That being said, "Shadow Warrior" still included elements that long-term Star Wars fans were overjoyed to see. The recreations of elements of Star Wars: The Clone Wars in live-action were fantastically done yet still engulfed by a fog of war that benefited Ahsoka's lesson from Anakin that war is not all she was raised for. Concerning the Chosen One of the Force, Hayden Christensen turns in a fantastically nuanced performance that encapsulates three eras of the Jedi's life, from his Clone Wars days to his time as a mentor and his more sinister side.
Just as Ahsoka episode 4 proved that the show continued to build regarding lightsaber battles, Ahsoka episode 5 included the best yet. The duels between Ahsoka and Anakin were beautifully realized against the backdrop of the World Between Worlds or the battles of the Clone Wars. These skirmishes proved that Christensen has retained the grace and fluidity he showed during the prequels to allow Ahsoka episode 5's battles to be the best yet and emulate the best lightsaber fights of the entire saga.
Outside of the incredible Clone Wars flashbacks, the journeys of Hera, Huyang, and Jacen Syndulla on Seatos are equally satisfying. Jacen gets his moments to shine and proves he retains the Force-sensitive traits of his father before him accompanied by Kevin Kiner's amazing musical score. Kiner does his best work in the show thus far including the fantastic ending theme involving the Purrgil. This is all topped off by Ahsoka's final transformation into Ahsoka the White, proving her to be a renewed, hopeful version of the character going into Ahsoka's final third and solidifying "Shadow Warrior" as the show's best episode yet.
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