‘They put the ‘mug’ in smug’: ‘Star Wars’ has a new favorite antagonist sparking hilarious lore wars thanks to ‘Ahsoka’

Warning: The following article contains mug-themed spoilers from Ahsoka.

Any Star Wars story is only ever as good as its villain (that’s sci-fi 101), and thankfully, Ahsoka seems to have that covered. No, I’m not talking about Grand Admiral Thrawn, Baylan Skoll, or even Morgan Elsbeth — those three look like kittens compared to the newest big bad that galaxy far, far away has to offer.

Admire it. Fear it. In the end, no one will escape the grim machinations of this ancient evil. I’m talking about the mug Sabine tries to lift in part three. Yes, you read that right. A mug. What can I say? The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.

Unnatural indeed. In a twist only the Star Wars fandom could pull off, folks far and wide have begun to meme this little mug into absolute oblivion. Although, is anyone really that surprised? This is what the internet is all about. Well, that, and photos of people’s pets. Endless, unwavering, eyeball-burning photos.

For those of you who need a quick refresher: this is the mug that Sabine Wren is drinking from during her chat with Ahsoka in the middle of the show’s third episode. In it, Ahsoka and Sabine discuss Sabine’s aptitude (or lack thereof) in the Force and the levels of concentration she may need to get better.

Their brief dialogue ends in Ahsoka using the Force to pull the mug toward herself and take a drink, which is a bit showboat-y if you ask me. Especially when Sabine clearly needs an assist. Eventually, though, Sabine tries to Force pull the mug herself — and fails to do so. Go figure.

That failure and unintentional stone-walling from the mug has brought on a slew of commentary that you really have to read to believe, and should. It’s wildly entertaining.

Straightforward. Easy to understand. An instant classic. Playing on the public perception of an earlier Star Wars project, Solo: A Star Wars Story, this comment certainly understood the assignment. I’ll also officially go on record and say that I love Solo, which is a bit divisive, but I really don’t have time to explain myself.

Seeing as Ahsoka partly centers around a vague search for Ezra, this one checks out, too. Wouldn’t it be great if near the show’s climactic finale, the mug just sort of slides up out of nowhere and morphs into Ezra without a second thought? He/It could even say: “It was me the WHOLE time.” Ah, one can dream.

“Darth Mug the Smug” sounds like the name of an indie punk band. I love it. With the way things are going over at Disney Plus, who knows? Maybe Darth Mug really will get its own spin-off. Picture it…

We see a humble origin story filled with peace and love — that is, until the evil Plate Empire destroys Mug’s teacup family and steals all the non-caffeinated tea out of the pantry — forcing Mug to turn to the dark side and become… Darth Mug. Does anyone else have chills?

In the end, this is obviously all being done in good fun, and what sites like Reddit should concern itself with. Things on the internet have been getting far too bleak these days. So, remember to have a little fun, and sleep with one eye open. The mug you’re drinking out of just might betray you.