In a Star Wars Day panel at FAN EXPO Philadelphia, live-action Ahsoka Tano actress Rosario Dawson revealed Dave Filoni himself answered the burning Star Wars question regarding whether Anakin Skywalker would have become Darth Vader if Ahsoka hadn’t left the Order. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, one of Star Wars’ best TV shows, Anakin’s Padawan Ahsoka was kicked out of the Jedi Order after being falsely accused of murder. When she was acquitted, the Jedi tried to welcome her back, but she left. Ahsoka then struggled with immense guilt, but it wasn’t clear how much this impacted Anakin’s fall.
Now, it seems Dave Filoni himself has given the answer. In the FAN EXPO Philadelphia panel “Hayden Christensen and Rosario Dawson: A Galactic Reunion,” Rosario Dawson revealed that she asked Dave Filoni whether Ahsoka staying in the Jedi Order would have prevented Anakin Skywalker’s fall to the dark side. In response, Dave Filoni said, “Absolutely not.” Interestingly, Anakin Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen said it was a complicated question and answer, nodding toward the ways in which Anakin’s fall was a combination of events and circumstances, some of which were his fault, and some were not.
Although Ahsoka’s departure from the Jedi Order in The Clone Wars no doubt had a profound impact on Anakin, as he had grown incredibly close with his Padawan, his fall was inevitable—and not just because the original trilogy had already sealed his fate. Yes, Anakin likely reflected upon his own conflict about remaining with the Order because Ahsoka left, with him even saying to her that he understood better than anyone wanting to leave. However, other events had already transpired that began his path to the dark side, and worse moments were yet to come.
The death of Anakin’s mother in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones was really the beginning of the end. This created a rage in him so intense that he wiped out an entire Tusken Raider camp, increasing the darkness growing inside him, and it made him realize he couldn’t trust the Jedi. He had long had nightmares about his mother, and, had the Jedi listened to him with compassion, they might have allowed him to go to Tatooine and save her. Instead, the Jedi fear of attachments was so great, they would never have allowed it.
For this reason, when Anakin began having nightmares that Padmé would die, very similar to those he’d had of his mother, he knew he couldn’t turn to the Jedi for help. Moreover, because he had accurately predicted his mother’s death, he felt certain his visions of Padmé’s death would come true. This ultimately pushed him right into Palpatine’s trap, sealing his fate.
In the end, Ahsoka truly wasn’t at fault for Anakin’s fall. In fact, not only was Anakin’s descent already well underway, but also, Ahsoka leaving almost certainly saved her life. While Ahsoka may have carried that guilt around for quite some time, Dave Filoni and Rosario Dawson are right: Ahsoka Tano was not responsible for Anakin Skywalker’s fall to Darth Vader in Star Wars.
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