Will We See Darth Vader in ‘Ahsoka’?

The first two episodes of ‘Ahsoka’ dropped on Disney+, and fans couldn’t be more pleased with what we’ve seen so far. It has all the makings of becoming one of – if not the best – Star Wars shows on Disney+. Especially considering that a return of Ahsoka’s old Jedi Master – and a fan-favorite character – was teased numerous times. So, will we see Darth Vader in ‘Ahsoka’?

It’s all but confirmed that Hayden Christensen will return as Anakin Skywalker in ‘Ahsoka.’ We’ve heard him in a voiceover in one of the trailers, and even his face was shown. In the same trailer, however, Darth Vader’s suit was shown, so it’s possible that we’ll see both Anakin and Vader in the show.

What will their reunion look like – will we see only flashbacks of Ahsoka’s training with Anakin, or perhaps her battle with Darth Vader that we’ve iconically seen in ‘Star Wars: Rebels’ – remains to be seen. For now, let’s try to piece together everything we know so that we can make an educated guess about Anakin’s – and Vader’s – appearance in ‘Ahsoka.’

Will Anakin Skywalker appear in ‘Ahsoka’?

As we’ve mentioned, it’s all but confirmed that Anakin Skywalker will be a part of the ‘Ahsoka’ series in some form and capacity. It was first hinted at months ago, but a recent trailer – or better said, trailers – for the show basically revealed it to be true.

In the trailer you can see above, we hear a voiceover of Anakin Skywalker talking to Ahsoka, his former Jedi Padawan:

“In this war, you will face more than just droids. As your master, it’s my responsibility to prepare you. I will always be there to look out for you. Don’t be afraid, and trust your instincts. I know you can do this, Ahsoka.”

Now, we can’t say for sure if this was said in some sort of a flashback, seeing that the events of ‘Ahsoka’ are supposed to take place after the events of Star Wars: Rebels, where Ahsoka and Vader famously faced off – but it seems evident that we’ll see them together on-screen one way or another.

Also, at about the 22-second mark of that trailer, we see Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker, either as a hologram or a Force Ghost (wouldn’t make sense timeframe-wise, but we’ll leave it as a possibility).

Another piece of evidence pointing at Hayden’s return as Anakin is a scene in another trailer showing his face, followed by a shot of Darth Vader’s armor. Again, we can’t be sure if it’s a flashback or a conversation we’ll actually get to see in ‘real-time,’ but it’s certainly going to happen.

Ultimately, the answer to our question is that Anakin Skywalker will certainly be a part of the ‘Ahsoka’ TV series. We haven’t seen Hayden Christensen appear as Ani since ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ – and we couldn’t be more excited for his return.

Will Anakin appear in ‘Ahsoka’ as Darth Vader?

The biggest question people have right now is – will Anakin Skywalker appear not only as himself but as Darth Vader as well? It would certainly be iconic, but it needs to be done right.

As I’ve mentioned, there is a shot of Darth Vader’s armor in one of the trailers, which might suggest two things – one, Darth Vader will actually appear, or two, it’s only a flashback/callback to the iconic character.

We also need to acknowledge the time frame in which Ahsoka allegedly takes place. It ought to play out after the events of ‘Star Wars: Rebels.’ In that show – which is considered non-canon or a part of Star Wars Legends – we see Ahsoka face off against Darth Vader in a duel where she splits his helmet in half.

Now, the suit of armor we see in the ‘Ahsoka’ trailer has a normal, non-damaged helmet, so I believe we could see Darth Vader in flashbacks. Who knows? Perhaps we’ll even get to witness their battle in live-action for the first time!

In other words, Vader may appear in the show, but the most likely appearance will be in flashbacks, not the main timeline of the series.

When will Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker appear in ‘Ahsoka’?

Remember that voiceover from the trailer we’ve mentioned above? “As your master, it’s my responsibility to prepare you. I will always be there to look out for you.” – Anakin said to Ahsoka.

This would indicate either one of two things. First, we might be listening to Ahsoka’s conversation with her Master while she was still Skywalker’s Padawan. It might be a flashback (yeah, we’re mentioning these quite a bit) or simply a scene where we get to know more about their relationship.

Secondly, it might be Anakin speaking to Ahsoka as a Force Ghost – although the timelines wouldn’t add up if this was the case. Therefore, my money is on the first theory – we’ll get to see a part of the relationship between Ahsoka and Anakin and learn more about their time as Jedi Master and Padawan. But when will that happen in the show?

Well, if you’ve had the chance to watch the first two episodes of ‘Ahsoka’ – SPOILER ALERT – you’ll know that Anakin (or Vader) has not appeared yet. There is a clue, however, about when we could expect to see him in the show.

Throughout September, Episodes 4-7 will drop on Disney+ weekly. On September 15, however – lining up with Episode 5 of ‘Ahsoka’ – Disney+ will also premiere a special Star Wars title – likely a behind-the-scenes affair – titled ‘Master & Apprentice: A Special Look at Ahsoka.’

Knowing that I believe that Anakin will appear in Episode 5 of the show and that Disney+ will release this special for those who haven’t seen ‘Clone Wars’ or ‘Rebels’ and don’t have a clear picture of Anakin and Ahsoka’s relationship. We’ll probably learn more about the show itself and how it looked on set between Ani and Snips.

To further supplement that theory, here’s an official description of ‘‘Master & Apprentice: A Special Look at Ahsoka’:

“On September 15, audiences can watch how the series continues Star Wars’ legacy in Master & Apprentice: A Special Look at Ahsoka.”

The next episode of ‘Ahsoka’ drops on August 29, 2023, exclusively on Disney+.

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