Would Anakin Still Have Fallen To The Dark Side If Ahsoka Tano Never Left The Jedi Order?

Ahsoka Tano's departure from the Jedi Order in Star Wars: The Clone Wars was a massive Star Wars moment, but how much did it really affect Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side? Although there was plenty of backlash when Ahsoka was introduced in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie, she quickly won audiences over, and she is now largely considered one of Star Wars' best characters. This made it all the more alarming that she had such proximity to Anakin, though, especially as Order 66 drew ever nearer.

Ahsoka was ultimately revealed to be one of the Jedi survivors of Order 66, but she survived for one key reason: she had left the Jedi Order. While this departure may have been protective for Ahsoka in the long run, it did have devastating effects in other ways, including in terms of its impact on Anakin. While it's undeniable this was a brutal moment in Anakin's Star Wars timeline, it remains highly debated whether Ahsoka's departure from the Jedi Order contributed to Anakin's fall to the dark side.

Ahsoka Leaving The Jedi Order Shook Anakin's Trust In The Jedi

The Jedi Order Mishandled Ahsoka's Murder Trial, And It Damaged Anakin's Faith In The Jedi Permanently

Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order did not come out of nowhere. This major decision came on the heels of the Jedi Council effectively abandoning Ahsoka. In The Clone Wars, Ahsoka was falsely accused of murder after the woman who bombed the Jedi Temple, Letta, was Force choked to death while Ahsoka was in her cell with her. Ahsoka was eventually cleared of this charge when Anakin proved she had been framed by another Jedi, Barriss Offee, but the damage was already done in terms of Ahsoka's relationship with the Jedi Order.

Rather than protecting Ahsoka, the Council removed her from the Order, which left her in the hands of the Republic Senate—a change that meant she could face death if she was found guilty. At the conclusion of the trial, when her innocence was proven, the Jedi Council invited Ahsoka back, but she declined. It was the Jedi Council's approach to Ahsoka Tano's murder trial that was the most damaging for Anakin.

Anakin didn't blame Ahsoka for her decision, and he even said he had contemplated leaving the Order himself (no doubt a reference to Padmé). Ahsoka's choice to leave was devastating to Anakin, but the larger issue was that Anakin never fully trusted the Jedi again. He had seen that, when it came down to it, the Jedi would throw their own to the wolves if the Senate demanded it, and that created fissures in Anakin's faith in the Jedi that never healed. This made it that much easier for Palpatine to manipulate Anakin into believing the Jedi were evil.

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If Ahsoka Had Stayed, Anakin Might Have Trusted The Order More With His Nightmares

Anakin's Choice Not To Confide In Obi-Wan Is Very Telling

One of the most pressing factors in Anakin's fall to the dark side was his fear that Padmé would die in childbirth. This fear began with Anakin's nightmares in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, which were very similar to the nightmares he had previously had about his mother, Shmi Skywalker. Sadly, those premonitions came true, only fueling Anakin's anxieties about Padmé.

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Surprisingly, Anakin did actually seek the advice of Master Yoda when it came to his nightmares about Padmé dying, although he was not entirely forthcoming. Because attachments were forbidden in the Jedi Order, Anakin spoke around the exact person he was talking about, and he downplayed the connection he had to the subject of his nightmares. Despite Anakin doing the right thing by seeking Yoda's guidance, Yoda unfortunately (and unhelpfully) told Anakin that these nightmares could lead him down a dark path and, essentially, should be ignored. This sent Anakin right into Palpatine's trap.

As shocking as it was that Anakin tried to do the right thing, it was even more shocking that it was Yoda, not Obi-Wan, whom Anakin spoke to. It may have been the situation with Ahsoka that led Anakin to avoid going to the larger Jedi Council, including Obi-Wan. Clearly, Anakin no longer trusted the Council, but he previously surely would have gone to Obi-Wan. After all, in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Anakin openly confessed his obsession with Padmé to Obi-Wan.

Anakin's faith in Obi-Wan specifically was likely shaken following Ahsoka leaving the Order, as Obi-Wan had been among the Jedi Council members who did not protect Ahsoka—a major blow and shock to both Anakin and Ahsoka, unquestionably. Had Obi-Wan not broken Anakin's trust in such a massive way, he may still have trusted Obi-Wan enough to go to him. Few Jedi, or people, would have been more helpful to Anakin as he navigated these fears about Padmé than Obi-Wan, but sadly, their relationship was too far gone.

Anakin Had A Better Chance Of Not Falling If Ahsoka Had Stayed

This Wasn't Ahsoka's Fault, But It Undeniably Affected Anakin For The Worse

Interestingly, Ahsoka Tano live-action actress Rosario Dawson and Anakin Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen have directly addressed this question. At FAN EXPO Philadelphia 2024, Christensen and Dawson were both asked whether they believed Anakin wouldn't have fallen had Ahsoka stayed, and, as revealed in a video posted by va.va.vera on TikTok, they hilariously had very different answers.

As indicated by Dawson in the video, Dave Filoni himself said Anakin would have fallen to the dark side either way, but Christensen has a good point even so.

Anakin was fated to fall to the dark side whether Ahsoka stayed or left, and Ahsoka certainly can't be blamed for Anakin's fall, but it's undeniable that this impacted Anakin and his perception of the Jedi for the worse. At the very least, this made Anakin's fall much more likely. While Ahsoka Tano leaving the Jedi Order didn't single-handedly cause Anakin's turn to the dark side, it did make it so much easier for Palpatine to manipulate him and twist him to the dark.

Ahsoka Tano's Departure Prevented Anakin From Earning The Rank Of Master

In the same video of Christensen and Dawson addressing whether Ahsoka staying in the Order would have prevented Anakin's fall, Christensen jokes, "If I only got the rank of Master." Although Christensen meant the comment in jest, Anakin's frustrations over not being granted the rank of Master had a major influence on his opinion of the Jedi. In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin had an outburst very reminiscent of his troubling behavior in Attack of the Clones about the Council's decision being "unfair."

In truth, the Council not granting Anakin the rank of Master was based on the rules regarding the Jedi Order ranks. To be a Master, a Jedi must have successfully trained a Padawan to the rank of Jedi Knight. Ahsoka left just before she had reached this rank—Mace Windu even commented that this near-death murder trial would have been her Jedi Trials.

This means that it was Ahsoka's departure from the Jedi Order specifically that prevented Anakin from earning the rank of Master that he so clearly coveted. This alone would not have tipped the scales for Anakin, but it is yet another way in which Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order had a major influence on Anakin's path. Ahsoka Tano's decision to leave the Jedi Order was one she had to make for herself, but it is clear that her departure affected Anakin Skywalker in ways that contributed to his fall to the dark side.

Source: va.va.vera