The following contains spoilers for Ahsoka, Season 1, Episode 3, “Time to Fly,” now streaming on Disney+.
The third episode of Ahsoka sees the search for Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn heating up. Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren have left Lothal as master and apprentice, tracking Morgan Elsbeth to the planet Seatos in the Denab system, where the hyperspace transport ring dubbed the Eye of Sion is under construction. Morgan has overseen the construction of this colossal transport in order to reach the distant galaxy where Thrawn is currently in exile. Seatos serves as a point of contact between that galaxy and the main galaxy of the Star Wars saga, hosting several visitors from Ahsoka‘s new galaxy.
Episode 3 of Ahsoka, “Time to Fly,” introduces the Purrgil to the series. First seen on the animated series Star Wars Rebels, the Purrgil are spacefaring whales with the natural ability to travel through hyperspace. It is the Purrgil who are said to have led the galaxy’s first star pilots through hyperspace, inspiring the creation of hyperdrive technology. It was also the Purrgil that carried Ezra and Thrawn to the galaxy they now reside in at Ezra’s command. With Sabine now learning to use the Force, she may end up imitating Ezra’s signature move in order to find him.
How Ezra Summoned the Purrgil on Star Wars Rebels
The search for Ezra and Thrawn lies at the heart of Ahsoka‘s story, following on from the characters’ disappearance at the end of Star Wars Rebels. Ezra was introduced on Rebels as an orphaned teenager living on the streets of Lothal who demonstrated an aptitude for using the Force. When Ezra was taken in by the rebel cell known as the Spectres, the former Jedi Padawan Kanan Jarrus took him on as his own apprentice and trained him in the ways of the Force.
One of the first Force powers Ezra learned to use was the ability to connect with animals. He was first seen forming bonds with Loth-cats and Fyrnocks but later went on to connect to the Purrgil when the Ghost crew first encountered them. Ezra’s first encounter with the Purrgil saw him saving them from the Mining Guild, who were shooting down Purrgil that lived off the gas they were attempting to mine. Ezra would call upon the Purrgil again during the Liberation of Lothal when they helped him save his home planet from Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Imperial fleet.
Through his connection with the Purrgil, Ezra summoned the space whales to Thrawn’s Star Destroyer while he was aboard. In an act of self-sacrifice, Ezra had the Purrgil grab the ship and jump to hyperspace in order to banish Thrawn from the galaxy. This selfless act represented the zenith of Ezra’s Jedi journey and was made possible by the Force power that he was best known for. It was also this moment that set the stage for Ahsoka‘s story, with Ahsoka and Sabine now tasked with finding Ezra and preventing Thrawn’s return. The key to finding them both may once again lie with the Purrgil.
Sabine Might Learn Ezra’s Signature Force Power
Ahsoka has revealed a missing chapter from the stories of Sabine and Ahsoka. At some point between the end of Star Wars Rebels and the beginning of Ahsoka, Sabine was Ahsoka’s Padawan learner. However, things didn’t work out between the two of them, and they ended up parting ways before Sabine’s Jedi training was complete. Despite being a keen warrior, Sabine does not possess a Jedi’s natural talent for wielding the Force. Ahsoka has seen Sabine resume her training, but she is still struggling to feel the Force as her Jedi master does.
“Time to Fly” was the first episode of Ahsoka to show Sabine being trained by Ahsoka. She is not without promise as a duelist, but she is yet to use the Force. At one point, she is seen attempting to move a small cup with the Force but proves unable to do so. Clearly, the story of Sabine’s development as a Jedi will be a core part of the story Ahsoka is telling. While she may not be able to wield the Force at this early stage, it is likely she will learn to do so as the series goes on, confirming anyone can learn to use the Force in the Star Wars galaxy. And rather than moving objects around with her mind, her first Force skill may be the one that Ezra mastered.
While Morgan Elsbeth has had the Eye of Sion constructed to enable her to reach Thrawn in the other galaxy, Ahsoka and Sabine may well need to find their own way there if they cannot safely board the giant hyperspace ring. Now that they have been reunited with the Purrgil on Seatos, many fans are expecting them to turn to the creatures for help. Sabine learning to connect with the Purrgil through the Force in order to have them ferry her and Ahsoka to Ezra’s location could be the perfect payoff to her Jedi training.
Ahsoka Will Explore Sabine’s Bond With Ezra
So far on Ahsoka, Ahsoka’s priority has been locating Thrawn in order to prevent his return to the galaxy; the fact this could also mean saving Ezra is simply a fortunate opportunity that the mission has presented. For Sabine, though, the chance to reunite with Ezra is what drew her to this mission. Before he disappeared, Ezra told Sabine that he was counting on her. The two had developed a close friendship over their time together, and now, Sabine has the chance to save her friend. Doing so by mastering an ability that is so closely associated with him would be a perfect way for Ahsoka to honor the bond between these two characters.
Exploring Sabine’s connection to the Force and her Jedi training through the lens of her friendship with Ezra also highlights the impact he has had on her. Throughout Star Wars Rebels, Sabine was never depicted as a potential Jedi. The fact she has started training under Ahsoka since Ezra disappeared suggests that he has been a powerful influence on her, and she is now following in his footsteps as a way of honoring him. Sabine is evidently struggling to learn how to wield the Force under Ahsoka, so having her breakthrough moment come from her connection to Ezra would demonstrate his importance to her development.
New episodes of Ahsoka are available to stream every Tuesday on Disney+.