When Ahsoka Tano returned to Star Wars Rebels to face off against Darth Vader, she uttered the iconic line: "I am no Jedi." Yet, as fans await the debut of her live-action series Ahsoka, it's worth noting that even if she doesn't identify as a Jedi, she certainly acts like one.
In her appearances on The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett Ahsoka maintained the calm and compassion of a Jedi. She fought Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth's people with lethality when liberating the village. Yet, Jedi were never pacifists. They don't seek a fight, nor do they relish one, but they will kill to protect themselves or others. What fans need to remember is that Ahsoka never left the light side of the Force. Rather, she walked away from the Jedi Order at the height of the institution's corruption and right before its fatal fall. If anything, Ahsoka is a Jedi in the vein of Qui-Gon Jinn, not waiting on orders or council deliberations to act. She steps in and helps when and where she can. Ahsoka is no Jedi, but she acts like one.
Analyzing Ahsoka Tano's 'I Am No Jedi' Scene From Star Wars Rebels
During the season finale of Star Wars Rebels, Ezra Bridger faced off against Darth Vader. Just before dealing the killing blow, Ahsoka Tano appeared. She and Vader discussed Anakin Skywalker. When Vader said he "killed" Anakin, Ahsoka said she would avenge her friend and Master. When Vader reminded her that revenge is not the way of the Order they once belonged to, she responded by saying, "I am no Jedi." It is a good line and a dramatic moment, but not the declaration that some fans think it was.
At that moment, Ahsoka is in pain. She grieves for Anakin, perhaps because she hoped she could turn Vader back to the light. She says she's no Jedi because she wants to avenge Anakin, but destroying a Sith Lord is one of the most Jedi things a person can do. Later in the fight, when she damages his helmet and sees Anakin's face beneath it, things change. She is no longer trying to kill him. Yet, she's also not willing to leave him behind again. It is the most selfless thing she could do for both her Rebels friends and her closest friend and former teacher.
In her live-action appearances, Ahsoka seems hesitant to accept the Jedi moniker because of the responsibility it carries. She won't take a Jedi Oath and become part of Luke Skywalker's training temple. Rather, she will continue her mission: finding her friend Ezra, her enemy Grand Admiral Thrawn and helping anyone she can along the way. Ahsoka is rejecting the dogma of the Jedi Order, not its core beliefs or the light side of the Force. Ahsoka isn't a Jedi, but she's definitely a hero doing good in the galaxy.
Ahsoka Is Not Dark Sider, a 'Gray Jedi' or Anything Like That
A concept that bled over from Star Wars Legends and a misunderstanding of what George Lucas meant by "balance" in the Force is the "Gray Jedi." Effectively, this is a Jedi who doesn't exclusively follow the light side of the Force, using dark side powers like Force-choking or even Force lightning. Since Ahsoka left the order, some fans have thought this is what the former Padawan has become. Yet, the idea of balance in Star Wars is not equal parts light and dark. Rather, the Force is in balance when the light side is strongest and out of balance when the dark side thrives. Qui-Gon is also sometimes considered a Gray Jedi because of his animus with the Jedi Council.
Yet, Dave Filoni is a devotee of George Lucas's teachings, and he would not make such a mistake with their creation. Ahsoka, Qui-Gon and even Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi have abandoned the dogmatic nature of the Order, not the tenets of the Jedi. Ahsoka considered training Grogu when she met Din Djarin but ultimately decided against it. In a way, her humility shows that she understands what it took Luke a lot longer to learn. The Force does not belong to the Jedi, and the Order's beliefs weren't the only ones of value.
Ahsoka is the Padawan Qui-Gon likely hoped Anakin would be. She follows the will of the Living Force, as evidenced in her first post-The Clone Wars story. In either the Ahsoka novel or her third episode of Tales of the Jedi, she tried hiding from the Empire under the assumed name "Ashla." Yet, rather than let someone be injured, she used the Force to save them. She then joined Bail Organa to fight the Empire in the slow, methodical way he did rather than the direct action favored by the likes of Andor's Luthen Rael. Ahsoka may not actually be a Jedi Knight, but she's as light side as they come.
Why Ahsoka Tano Says She's 'No Jedi,' and What That Means to Star Wars
Fans now know that Ahsoka will see the titular hero face off against Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati, two dark side users. Rather than Sith, these two may simply be "Dark Jedi," or those Jedi who have given in to tapping into the dark side of the Force for power. The lesson of the prequel trilogy and The Clone Wars was about how good people and good institutions can be corrupted. Ahsoka's expulsion in the animated series, leading her to leave the Order behind, saved her from continuing down the wrong path Obi-Wan and Yoda walked. As a Padawan who trained at the Jedi Temple for most of her life, it makes sense Ahsoka wouldn't consider herself a Jedi.
When Order 66 happened, Ahsoka Tano was almost back in the Jedi fold. She'd been given new lightsabers, and she led half of the 501st Battalion to victory during the Siege of Mandalore. After the fall of the Republic, claiming to be a Jedi meant that one either completed their Jedi trials or didn't but still adhered to the dogma of the defunct Order. Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger and even Luke are all Jedi in that former category. Ahsoka never took the trials, though defeating and capturing the former Sith Lord Maul is arguably as good. Yet, for her, the corruption of the Jedi Order and Anakin is too personal and painful. While she may get there someday, by the time of The Mandalorian she is not yet ready to call herself a Jedi.
Still, all one has to do to be a hero in Star Wars is simply choose to be compassionate and selfless and help others in need. Ahsoka does this every day. She may be a little quicker to behead an enemy or use violence to save lives, but she is by no means touching the dark side of the Force. That's more a reflection of a child who came of age while leading soldiers in war than anything else. This may mean that the characters are learning the lesson of the prequels and the sequels. A rigid order tied to the political structure of the galaxy is not the best way to serve the Force.
Ahsoka premieres in August on Disney+.