Star Wars: Ahsoka may stray enough from its Rebels roots for the casual fan to enjoy, but it can’t shake the ever-present echoes of Dave Filoni’s animated darling. The story is a direct continuation of the 2014 series, picking up just a few years after Rebels dropped off to hopefully give some much-needed closure to Sabine Wren and Ezra Bridger’s storyline. But fans can’t help but wonder why Ahsoka seems to be skirting around one of the greatest animated Jedi knights, both Ezra and Sabine’s first Master, Kanan Jarrus.
Just a Padawan learner during Order 66, Kanan escaped certain death by hurling himself off a cliff. The reckless-when-necessary, death-defying rogue grew up in the outer reaches of space alone before he eventually met Hera Syndulla and joined her crew. Though he was weary of war and had no intentions of leaning on his Jedi training, Kanan eventually answered the call, training Ezra and embracing his Jedi past. During their training, the two stumbled across Darth Maul, who eventually blinded Kanan in a bid to steal his Padawan and steal a Sith Holocron. Though blinded, Kanan would eventually learn to see through the Force from the creature Bendu. His weakness transformed into a strength as Kanan fully accepted the Force before taking on Sabine as an apprentice. Kanan would eventually give his life to the cause, but not before siring a son with Hera and teaching Ezra the importance of letting go.
The “Kanan issue” has been nagging at fans since it was revealed that Ahsoka had trained Sabine in the art of the Jedi, and the insinuation that Ahsoka is the first directly erases the influence of one of the Jedi G.O.A.T.s. During a training sequence, Ahsoka asks her new Padawan to trust her senses and uses a Zatochi to blind her. In a show of mad disrespect for her original Jedi Master, Sabine boldly claims she can’t see and therefore can’t fight. Kanan would be rolling in his grave. Sabine was right there as Kanan struggled to relearn how to function, and then had her Mandalorian buns whipped every day by the blind Jedi as she trained with the Darksaber. We’re sure the scene was meant to mirror Luke and Obi-Wan’s training sequence in A New Hope, but it just seems like salt in the wound at this point.
We know Freddie Prinze Jr. has no intention of stepping back into the role, but Disney could have found a way to honor his character beyond an onscreen appearance. Essentially ruling out his presence while maintaining his lineage is strange, and almost feels like a break in continuity. Beyond a brief flashback or even a mention during the training scene, there was a ripe moment for a Kanan mention from Hera. We’re definitely here for the subtext when Hera said that she “lost people who were like family,” but for casual viewers, there is no guarantee they know what that means. Here’s hoping that Hera and Jacen will have some deep mother-son conversations in the future, so Kanan Jarrus finally gets the respect he deserves.