Star Wars: Ahsoka has finally wrapped its first season and though the series has split the Star Wars fandom down the middle — but honestly, what recent Star Wars entry hasn’t — it’s slowly laying the groundwork to iron out the innumerable kinks left in the sequel trilogy’s wake. The political intrigue Ahsoka showcased might have limited screentime, but it’s indicative of something that showrunner Dave Filoni has been working on since The Force Awakens first divided the fandom back in 2016. Filoni’s primary vessel for delivering some much-needed world-building comes from the men in the Hamato family – Kazuda and his father, Hamato Xiono. The latter and the patriarch of the Hamato family is now a very unwelcome face after his less-than-respectable barbs toward Hera Syndulla in episode 7.
Who is Hamato Xiono?
Hamato Xiono may not have actually fought for the rise of the New Republic, but the senator has more than made a name for himself among the upper echelons. A Primary senator for the Hosnian system and hailing from Hosnian Prime — the capital of the New Republic — Xiono had the support of many members of the senate. Despite being a member of the aristocracy and commanding respect on his home world, Xiono never entered the conflict for either side. Instead, he chose to wait it out, a decision that has put him at odds with some of those who did.
Never one to shy away from speaking his mind — regardless of whether or not he has support from his peers — Hamato may not have had as much sway as Princess Leia, but it never silenced his opinion. He feels incredibly strongly about the holdovers from the Rebellion — a frustration that he later displaced on the burgeoning Resistance during the rise of the First Order — and regards their decision as “lawless.” He has a particular frustration with the way many of the heroes of the Rebellion conduct themselves and flounce orders.
Though his time on-screen in Ahsoka was short, the senator rankled fans several times over by undermining Hera – accusing her reports of being “fairy tales,” and his treatment of droids as second-class citizens. I mean, C-3PO has been a fan favorite since 1977, you just don’t come for the series’ literal golden boy.
Hamato Xiono in Star Wars: Resistance
Ahsoka has done a fantastic job of laying the groundwork for Hamato’s emergence as the most frustrating father in all of Star Wars. He is a stalwart defender of what he views as right, even to the detriment of his relationship with his son, Kazuda. The elder Xiono forces his son into the New Republic Defense Force Academy to shape him into his successor, but he refuses to hear his son’s own ambitions for the future, even when he brings the threat of the First Order to his father’s attention. Hamato is more than willing to use his connections to help his son get ahead in life, but only as far as it serves his own own purpose.
His pushing only succeeds in pushing his son away, and though Kaz loves his father, their relationship is strained to say the least. When Kazuda joins the Resistance — after perceiving the First Order as a threat to the Republic — Hamato refuses to hear out his son’s concerns. Instead, he accuses the group of being filled with extremists and berates his son for getting involved with them in the first place. Shortly after, the Starkiller base is deemed fully operational after its successful firing test on Hosnian Prime. Though Xiono is initially thought to have died on-world, it’s revealed that he, several other senators, and a few remaining troops escaped the planet just in time.
Is Hamato Xiono a First Order spy?
Xiono’s stark opposition to the Rebellion and the Resistance have led many fans to assume the character was a First Order spy. Though the series never gotten the chance to explore the possibility, fans have pointed to a number of moments that could indicate Xiono’s turncoat status. Beyond his outright dislike of dissidents, his survival on Hosnian Prime seems incredibly suspect, likewise, the senator is able to contact Kazuda, despite other long-range communications being jammed. The final pieces of evidence fans lean on are some incredibly perceptive First Order notes on Kaz – information that many fans feel would only be available from someone with connections to the younger Xiono himself.
With Ahsoka doing its best to connect Filoni’s Star Wars to the world on the big screen, we’ll hopefully see the final pieces of Xiono’s story. Whether he’s an incompetent, short-sighted politician or a morally corrupt turncoat is yet to be seen. Here’s hoping that we finally get more of that oh-so-punchable personality.