Here’s Why Anakin Had a Jedi Padawan Without Being a Jedi Master

One of Anakin Skywalker’s biggest frustrations with the Jedi Council was that they never granted him the title of master despite his skills and experience. Even though he was not a Jedi Master, during the Clone Wars, Yoda assigned Ahsoka Tano to be trained by Anakin. This was particularly unusual in the Jedi Order as Padawans and Jedi Masters were guided to each other by the Force, so why did Yoda assign one to Anakin? That’s what we are here to find out. Here’s why Anakin was assigned Ahsoka as his Padawan!

The main reason for Anakin having a Padawan was to teach him responsibility. While Anakin was a great warrior and leader, he was always known for being reckless and running into battle. While he did garner great results, the Jedi still viewed him as arrogant and reckless, so he gave him a Padawan to teach him to be more responsible. 

Now that we have briefly discussed why Anakin was given a Padawan let’s analyze it in more detail! If you’re interested in why Ahsoka was specially chosen for him and if the plan worked, stay with us and keep reading!

Why did the Jedi give Anakin a Padawan?

Anakin was known in the Jedi Order for being a great leader and warrior with exceptional skills on the battlefield, but he was also known for his recklessness. Anakin was not the typical Jedi as he followed his own rules instead of the standard protocol and would have emotion be the leading factor in many of his decisions, which was not the Jedi way.

Skywalker was also extremely arrogant and felt others slowed him down or did not value his skills in the Force, viewing himself as underappreciated and undervalued by Jedi Masters like Mace Windu.

Due to his lack of responsibility, Yoda decided the best way for Anakin to learn was to have a Padawan of his own, despite him only being a Jedi Knight. This was very unusual in the Jedi Order as usually a Jedi Master would pick their own apprentice, and the Force would guide this decision. While the rest of the Jedi Council weren’t so trusting of Skywalker, Yoda saw the potential in him and thought he was good enough to teach someone else. 

Another reason Anakin was given a Padawan was to teach him to let go of his attachments. Anakin was known for his past attachments to his mother, so  Yoda felt it would be good for Anakin to realize that he can’t always be overprotective. With Ahsoka constantly in battle, Anakin must let go of his fears of her getting hurt. Otherwise, his part of the mission would be compromised if he wasn’t fully focused. 

Why was Ahsoka chosen for Anakin?

Yoda did not randomly choose Ashoka. Just like anything the Grand Master does, he had his reasons. Like Anakin, Ahsoka was reckless, cocky, and constantly questioned Jedi Masters. The decision to have the two of them together was intentional, as it meant Anakin would have to point these traits out on her, making him see them in himself. 

Seeing these traits as flaws in Ahsoka would cause Anakin to look within himself and change for the better. However, the two of them developed a strong bond, and while they might not have been what the Jedi hoped they were, they still worked very well together.

What was the relationship between Anakin and Ahsoka?

While under Anakin’s tutelage, Ahsoka respected Anakin and looked up to him. They developed a strong brother and sister bond and constantly looked out for each other in battle. However, due to Anakin’s concern for Ahsoka, there were times that he would seem like an overbearing father figure, constantly holding her back in missions due to fears for her safety. 

While Yoda assigned Ahsoka to Anakin to teach him not to be so overprotective, this did not work. Anakin was always concerned for Ashoka’s safety, and even though he trusted her abilities in the field, he would still try to intervene and keep her out of the firing range. 

Did Yoda’s plan work?

In many ways, Yoda’s plan worked but also failed. While Anakin did learn responsibility and matured as a Jedi, he still got far too attached to Ahsoka. This was proven countless times when he would be overprotective of her during battle and hold her back.

The two of them developed a strong attachment to each other, which the Jedi are encouraged not to do. Then, when Ahsoka was framed and left the Jedi Order, Anakin was left devastated and resented the Order for what happened. With Anakin already having issues with the Jedi Order, this pushed his hatred even further and became a major factor in pushing him towards the Dark Side.

Why do you think Anakin was given an apprentice? Let us know in the comments!