Warning: If it’s not obvious from the title, there will be spoilers for Star Wars Rebels and, of course, Episode 7 here.

Ahsoka Tano is one of the most beloved Star Wars characters of all time. She started as Anakin Skywalker’s kid apprentice on “The Clone Wars” and, after a brief period of uncertainty, endeared herself to the audience. So when she made her debut on Star Wars Rebels, the fanbase was understandably excited. Her arc through the second season, realizing that Darth Vader truly used to be her master, Anakin Skywalker, culminated in an epic episode at the end of the second season, “Twilight of the Apprentice.” In this episode, she had a final showdown with Vader. The two engaged in a lightsaber duel, the exact result of which is unknown. The Sith temple they had been fighting in – this will be important later – exploded, and the last thing we see at the end of the episode is Vader, broken and beaten, walking away from the wreckage; and what looks to be a small figure entering a cave, which may or may not be Ahsoka. Dave Filoni, showrunner of Rebels and the Clone Wars, has been coy about whether Ahsoka survived or not and, if so, in what capacity.

Fast forward 30-40 years in-universe time, to the end of Force Awakens and the beginning of Ep. 8 (Rian Johnson has said they’re going to essentially pick up where TFA left off). Think about the state of Kylo Ren. He’s so desperate to become as strong as Darth Vader. He’s petulant, immature, and impatient, and he just killed his own father. Despite all of this, he still feels a “pull to the light.” If I had to guess, I would say they’re setting Kylo up for a redemption arc – I think that he thinks that killing Han cemented himself in the darkside, but in reality, I think it may be the seed which blossoms and pulls him away from the dark.

Anyway, Kylo is in a low place. His father is dead; the superweapon the First Order had created is destroyed; and most importantly, he’s been defeated by a scavenger, a girl with no Jedi or force training of any kind. Even being injured as he was, that has to be a blow to the ego – and it’s possible, if the writers are trying to push along the redemption arc, that Snoke is none too pleased with him. From TFA, we can tell that he’s not one for excuses (see: when he yells at Hux).

So here’s how this might work in my estimation: Kylo goes back to Snoke (at the end of TFA Snoke says “it’s time to complete his training”). He gets back, tells Snoke about the final lightsaber battle. Snoke is not pleased. Kylo failed to get the information, failed to get the girl, and then failed to kill her when he knew he couldn’t turn her. Kylo begs Snoke to help him become more powerful. “Vader,” Kylo says. “Vader has to be the key. I must learn more about Vader.”

This is where Snoke, who we don’t know much about, has a bit of plot-driving knowledge: Knowledge of the aforementioned Sith temple from Rebels. (Sidenote: I actually think it’s more likely Kylo would go back to Vader’s castle, but for the purposes of this argument let’s make it the temple). Kylo travels to this temple and explores the ruins; he feels a pull from the Force and makes his way to the cave.

Once he enters, he feels a presence. He is greeted…by the Force Ghost of none other than Ahsoka Tano. (I think this works better if she’s just a voice to start).

Kylo: “Who are you?”

Ahsoka: “I am the spirit of one long gone.”

Ahsoka: “Why are you here?”

Kylo: “I am looking for information about someone.”

A: “Who?”

K: “Darth Vader.”

Ahsoka frowns. “I do not know anyone by that name.”

K: “Anakin Skywalker?”

There is a pause.

Kylo looks impatient. He starts farther down the hall. Suddenly, the Force Ghost of Ahsoka Tano appears before him.

A: “I knew this man you speak of… I was his apprentice. In life, my name was Ahsoka Tano.”

This leads to Kylo’s understanding of Vader expanding – but not in the way he expected. Through Ahsoka, he gets to know Anakin Skywalker, the brash, heroic, caring young man that used to call Ahsoka “Snips.” He hears about the sorrow she felt when she learned it truly was Anakin who had turned to the Dark Side. None of the people in Kylo’s life had ever known Anakin as a person; even Luke, who believed Anakin was in there somewhere, only knew the real Anakin for a short time. Ahsoka knew him, and was close to him – closer than anyone, sometimes even Padme, I would say. She describes him as “the greatest Jedi she’d ever known.” She could even go into some details about the Mordis trilogy – about how Anakin had to hold together the Dark and the Light as the Chosen One.

This leads to what really happens with Kylo. I do not think he would go full light-side. I think that he is too conflicted, wants too much from the dark. But, through Ahsoka, he gains a more full understanding of the Anakin/Vader persona. He starts to see that both versions were powerful…and he starts to want to pursue a path that would make him as great as both of them.

This is where it’s even more perfect that it’s Ahsoka who he speaks to. Ahsoka, you’ll remember, is not a Jedi. She left the Jedi order after she felt they had betrayed her. In her final battle with Vader, she tells him she’ll kill him. He responds, “That is not the Jedi way,” to which she replies, in very Eowyn-inspired fashion, “I am no Jedi.” Ahsoka represents the middle area – the grey. This moral ambiguity is something that Star Wars as a whole is exploring in this generation. Besides Ahsoka, in Rebels, Ezra Bridger often flirts with both Darkside and Light, and constantly questions why they need to be separate. This season we’ve met the Bendu, the “One in the Middle.” Even Rogue One tackles moral ambiguity, not necessarily in a Force sense, but in a more thematic one.

Bringing Ahsoka into Episode 8 accomplishes a few things. One, it links us not only to Vader, but to the Prequels, and to Anakin Skywalker. This adds a depth and a sense of continuity to the universe. Moreover, it links the movies and the TV shows in an incontrovertible way. The inclusion of Saw Guerrera in Rogue One was a nice shout-out, but how incredible would it be if arguably the main character of a five-season TV show, and an important one for another two seasons of a different show, would get the spotlight in the movies? It’s also another level of fan service – rewarding those fans who love the Clone Wars and Rebels, and rewarding the character of Ahsoka, making her continually an important part of the Star Wars universe in the way that Yoda or Obi-Wan are.

In the story, her link to Anakin could help provide Kylo Ren with a more full understanding, and her position in the middle might help Kylo create or discover a “third way” – between light and dark – that would satisfy both his dark tendencies and his “pull to the light.” We know Rian Johnson doesn’t hesitate to get into messy or uncertain territory, and his take on Star Wars will most likely be a bit more heady than previous installments.

Mostly, I just love Ahsoka and think it would be great to see her more.