Could Ahsoka Have Turned To The Dark Side With Maul? It’s a Bit Complicated For This ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ Character
Episode 10 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars gave fans a ton of new information that changes the way you view the prequels. Heck, it changes the way you see Anakin and Ahsoka’s stories as well. While fans never got a chance to fully see how Ahsoka fits into Order 66, some of the reveals in this episode. “The Phantom Apprentice,” were still beyond shocking. One of them reveals how far Ahsoka could have strayed from the Jedi. Could Ahsoka actually have turned to the Dark Side? Not so fast. [Spoiler alert: Spoilers ahead for The Clone Wars Episode 10].
Ahsoka came closer to joining forces with Maul than fans ever realized
Going into this final arc of The Clone Wars, aka the Siege of Mandalore, fans already knew a lot was in store. This arc was going to answer a lot of questions and give fans another point of view of Order 66, the Jedi Purge.
Episode 9, “Old Friends Not Forgotten,” ended with Ahsoka and Maul face-to-face for the first time. And by the end of Episode 10, they were dueling yet again. However, right before their epic battle, Maul tried to level with Ahsoka. He was visibly disturbed by something, which Ahsoka already heard from Almec. Maul shared with Ahsoka that the Republic and Jedi were going to crumble soon and that the only solution was to overthrow Darth Sidious.
Ahsoka was already well aware of the Jedi Council’s hypocrisy, as Maul calls it, and her trust was already broken with them. Things were looking pretty grim, and Maul had such conviction. Ahsoka could also see just how frightened he was of Sidious’ plan and she most likely also felt the impending doom right before Order 66. At this point, the Dark Side is so strong in the Force, she was no doubt affected by it, just like Maul was. Ahsoka basically agreed to join him, if he shared more of what Anakin Skywalker had to do with his vision.
Just like Ahsoka’s alliance with Asajj Ventress, she would have joined out of necessity, not to turn to the Dark Side
This is probably the most surprising thing to happen in this episode. Ahsoka isn’t a Jedi; she left in Season 5 after they banned her from the Order for a crime she didn’t commit. They basically left her out to die. If Anakin hadn’t cleared her name, Tarkin would have petitioned for the death penalty for bombing the Jedi Temple. But that doesn’t mean Ahsoka automatically edged closer to the Dark Side.
In fact, fans have already seen what Ahsoka’s alliance with a former Sith apprentice looks like. In Season 5, after Ahsoka ran from the Republic guards into the Underworld of Coruscant, she joined forces with Asajj Ventress. Ventress was no longer an apprentice figure to Count Dooku, however, she was definitely more aligned with the Dark Side than Light. Still, she was able to help Ahsoka in her time of need, and the former Padawan knew it would be worth it.
An alliance with Maul would have been very similar. Ahsoka believed Maul about Sidious and how they could work together to overthrow whoever he was. Ahsoka still knows Maul isn’t to be trusted. Plus there’s no way Ahsoka and Maul would have been able to beat Palpatine, at least not without Obi-Wan or more. And Maul definitely would have tried to gain power if they succeeded. However, Ahsoka was going to join him for the greater good. If it wasn’t for his vision about Anakin.
Even though Ahsoka isn’t a Jedi anymore, she never uses her powers for evil, nor does she have dark tendencies like her master
Once Ahsoka found out Maul had a vision that Anakin was the apprentice Sidious was grooming, all hope of her joining Maul was dashed. She was so sure of her master that she initiated the duel with Maul. Now, audiences know Maul was right, but for Ahsoka, that was completely out of the question. They fought, Ahsoka won, and Maul is now in custody. Episode 11 is going to bring the moment we’ve all been waiting for and dreading a bit: Order 66.
What would have happened if Ahsoka didn’t ask about Maul’s vision? We already saw, she would have joined him and they most likely would have headed to Coruscant. It’s anyone’s guess what would have happened next, though. What if Ahsoka had gotten face-to-face with Anakin before he stopped Windu? Could she have talked some sense into him? Held him back? Again, hard to say.
However, Ahsoka never would have gone “dark.” There were a lot of opportunities for Ahsoka to turn to the Dark Side in her long Star Wars history. She didn’t even become a rogue mercenary like Ventress or try her hand at more power like Maul. The betrayal from the Council stung and could have festered in her. Or she could have used her Force abilities for selfish gain.
But Ahsoka never did. She instead hid her powers right after the war and went on to help anti-Empire efforts on her own before even becoming a part of the Rebellion. Ahsoka is a good person and she always fought for what was right, even years after the Clone Wars. Even if Ahsoka did stop adhering to the Jedi Code, it’s only because she wasn’t a Jedi. Not because the Dark Side was ever an option.
