Who Is ‘Worlds Between Worlds Anakin’ & How Powerful Is He?

It goes without saying that the most talked-about thing in the ‘Ahsoka’ series is the return of Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker, who was present in the World Between Worlds when Ahsoka Tano went on a spiritual journey to that plane of existence. In that regard, fans have been giving this character a name as he is often called ‘World Between Worlds Anakin.’ But who exactly is World Between Worlds Anakin, and how strong is he?

What’s the difference between WBW Anakin & Regular Anakin?

If there’s one thing that fans loved about the ‘Ahsoka’ series, it was Anakin Skywalker’s return when Ahsoka Tano entered a near-death state after she lost to Baylan Skoll in a duel on Seatos. Ahsoka somehow managed to enter the World Between Worlds (WBW) after falling into the waters of Seatos when Baylan defeated her. And that was when she woke up in the WBW with Anakin right there to greet her.

The reason why Anakin Skywalker was there in the WBW was for him to complete Ahsoka’s training because she never became a true Jedi before she left the Jedi Order decades ago. Of course, Anakin tested Ahsoka by giving her a choice between life and death, challenging her to a duel, and allowing her to relive some of their moments during the Clone Wars.

Of course, the first thing people would ask about this version of Anakin is how it differs from Anakin Skywalker, who fell to the dark side and became Darth Vader. While some fans thought that WBW Anakin was just a manifestation of Ahsoka’s memories while she was unconscious, he was actually right there, not as a memory but as an actual entity in the WBW. The proof of that is that Jacen Syndulla was able to sense the things happening to Ahsoka while she was in the WBW.

So, the biggest difference between WBW Anakin and the regular version of Anakin is that the Force created WBW Anakin. Back in the events of ‘Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi,’ we saw Anakin Skywalker’s Force Ghost appearing before Luke Skywalker, thereby proving that he had become one with the Force because only those who become one with the Force after death become Force Ghosts. Anakin’s Force Ghost continued to appear to Luke throughout his life, especially while he was still facing many challenges after the fall of the Empire.

As such, WBW Anakin was the Force itself and wasn’t just Anakin. The Force was testing Ahsoka, but it manifested in the form of Anakin Skywalker because he was the one person whom Ahsoka could never completely let go of. The Force knew about Ahsoka’s inner struggles with her regrets and her relationship with her master, and that was why it manifested in the form of Anakin, who was intact with all of his memories and skills.

WBW Anakin was also the manifestation of both of Anakin’s sides in the sense that it was both his light and dark sides. This was seen when Anakin switched between his Jedi and Sith sides in his duel with Ahsoka in the WBW. Of course, Anakin’s dark side was necessary to teach Ahsoka that she also needed to accept her own darkness without necessarily giving in to it.

On the other hand, the regular version of Anakin was the one who was alive up until he fell to the dark side and became Darth Vader just before the Clone Wars ended. Anakin also returned to his old self when he redeemed himself near the end of his life. But since the Clone Wars version of Anakin was the one Ahsoka was most familiar with, that was the Anakin Skywalker who manifested before her as the Force wouldn’t have used Anakin’s 45-year-old version, which Ahsoka wasn’t familiar with.

Anakin in the World Between Worlds is one with the Force

As mentioned, Anakin Skywalker became one with the Force when he redeemed himself by killing Emperor Palpatine, thereby returning balance to the Force and fulfilling his role as the Chosen One prophesized long ago. Upon his death, he became one with the Force and could manifest as a Force Ghost in the realm of the living.

Of course, WBW Anakin was not just a simple Force Ghost but was an actual manifestation of the Force within the WBW, a realm that exists beyond time and space and is a world between life and death. As such, because the power of the Force created this realm, the Force itself could physically manifest Anakin within it.

Because WBW Anakin was one with the Force, the Force could dictate how strong Anakin needed to be. In his duel with Ahsoka, he showcased the same lightsaber skills he had during the Clone Wars, proving he was one of the best duelists ever. He overwhelmed Ahsoka during their earlier bouts and could disarm her in the latter portion of their duel, only for Ahsoka to turn the tables around by disarming him as well.

But the best part about WBW Anakin was that the Force allowed him to be his true self in the sense that he was the manifestation of both the light and dark sides of Anakin. There were instances wherein a façade of Darth Vader could be seen when Anakin switched over to his dark persona. The red lightsaber that he wielded in the latter portion of the duel also showcased the fact that WBW Anakin could switch to his dark persona to test Ahsoka.

While Ahsoka was able to defeat WBW Anakin, the fact is that this version of Anakin only needed to be as strong as the Force needed it to be. That’s because the reason why WBW Anakin showed up was not to defeat Ahsoka but to test her conviction and will to live. But if the Force truly wanted Anakin to defeat Ahsoka, it would have allowed Anakin to be as strong as he should be to easily overwhelm her.

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