Summary
- The recent return of Ezra Bridger in Ahsoka episode 6 suggests that there was always a plan in place for his character's storyline, as hinted by creator Dave Filoni's previous statement that Ezra was "far, far away."
- The episode's title, "Far, Far Away," further emphasizes the cleverness of Filoni's joke, indicating that Ezra and Thrawn would be featured in this particular episode.
- Filoni's ability to foreshadow events and tease fans with hints about the storyline showcases his skill in engaging the audience and maintaining interest in the Star Wars universe.
The following contains spoilers for Ahsoka episode 6, "Far, Far Away"Star Wars seems to have a bit of a reputation for making things up as it goes along, though that frankly just makes it all the more relatable. However, a recently resurfaced moment from Star Wars Celebration 2022 may have proved that there's always a plan in place, or at least sometimes a plan in place.
Ahsoka episode 6 saw the long-awaited return of beloved Star Wars character Ezra Bridger after disappearing during the Star Wars Rebels finale in 2018. The latter series' finale featured Ezra pulling off a daring gambit with the help of hyperspace-traversing whale-like creatures known as purrgil. The Imperial master strategist Grand Admiral Thrawn seemed to have the fledgling Rebel Alliance dead to rights until Ezra boarded his ship and, thanks to the purrgil attaching themselves to its exterior, jumped them through hyperspace into unknown reaches. But was there always a plan in place behind the scenes?
Well, based on an appearance by Ahsoka creator Dave Filoni last year, it seems the knowledge of exactly where Ezra had ended up may have been in the works for a while. As documented by Twitter user @RaFe_Tano, Filoni addressed an audience curious about Ezra's whereabouts with the simple answer, "he's far, far away." At the time, it likely seemed to be a cheeky reference to the famous Star Wars tagline, "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away," particularly since making an unplotted trip through hyperspace will take somebody on a long trip to somewhere. But in retrospect, there was something there.
Not only was the "far, far away" particularly apt, given how Ezra and Thrawn ended up literally in a far-off galaxy. But the two characters also returned in an episode named "Far, Far Away." In that sense, it's like Filoni was making an extremely on-brand Star Wars joke where his answer was essentially "he's in this episode." Of course, those paying particular attention when watching Ahsoka likely already fully expected to meet Ezra and Thrawn in this episode based on how events progressed up to that point. But it's still a bit of a chuckle-worthy moment from the creator himself.
Ahsoka hasn't been shy about callbacks and references, with even the ancient droid Huyang effectively making the "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away" canon within the Star Wars universe. It even drew some notable connections between Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka Tano and The Lord of the Rings. But seeing Filoni tell fans exactly what would happen, just from a certain point of view, is a perfect way of doing things within this universe.
It wouldn't be surprising to see fans now combing through Filoni's other interviews from recent years to see what else they can dig up. Maybe they'll find out what Baylan and Shin's deal is regarding the Jedi. Or perhaps it will turn up nothing. Either way, fan engagement with Star Wars will likely always remain high and passionate, and moments like this are a good reason why.
Ahsoka releases new episodes on Tuesdays on Disney Plus.
Source: @RaFe_Tano/Twitter