Is Darth Vader dead or alive in ‘Ahsoka?’

Warning: This article cotains spoilers for Ahsoka.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s common knowledge that Anakin Skywalker is Darth Vader in Star Wars. But before he turned to the dark side, he was Ahsoka Tano‘s master. Of course, this happened before she left the Jedi Order in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Since then, Ahsoka witnessed what her master has become during the events of Star Wars: Rebels. And while she didn’t land the final blow against the Sith Lord, in her heart, she knew her friend was gone, especially when the Empire came to an end. But is this iconic Star Wars villain still alive during the events of Ahsoka?

Is Darth Vader dead or alive in ‘Ahsoka?’

It’s no secret that Ahsoka is a continuation of Rebels, with some subtle references to The Clone Wars. Throughout every episode of this latest Disney Plus series, there were multiple references to Ahsoka’s time with Anakin, especially in episode 4, titled “Fallen Jedi,” when Baylan told Ahsoka that her former master “spoke highly of her.”

It was reported in the past that Star Wars star, Hayden Christensen will be making an appearance, reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker. This comes to fruition at the end of episode 4, when he calls Ahsoka by her nickname, Snips, and approaches her. Their long-awaited reunion featured a de-aged Jedi, back before The Duel of Mustafar.

While this might have some thinking that Darth Vader is still alive during the events of this Star Wars series, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The events of Ahsoka happened years after the events of Return of the Jedi, meaning the Empire has fallen and Darth Vader died due to his sacrifice to save his son. Let’s not forget that Ahsoka is an adult in this series and is the same person from when viewers first met her in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.

While Anakin/Darth Vader is no longer alive, his spirit lives on through the force and this is how he appears in Ahsoka. It will be interesting what role he plays in Ahsoka’s adult journey through the galaxy, as well as her mission to prevent the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Ahsoka is now available to stream on Disney Plus, with new episodes coming out weekly every Wednesday.