So that happened.And that.And that!

Star Wars Rebels: "Twilight of the Apprentice: Part I and II" Images 7 IMAGES

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The Star Wars Rebels: Season 2 finale was a massive episode, filled with events that were crucial for this series, that paid off on years of build up from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and which felt impactful to the Star Wars universe as a whole.It was emotional, it was intense and it was packed with so many lightsaber fights.Let’s get to that ending though and Ahsoka’s fate. As we finally saw her… Die? Maybe?The decision to end the long-awaited Vader vs. Ahsoka battle in an ambiguous manner was an interesting one and the one place I have some mixed feelings about the episode. Because after so much build up, it feels weird to not know exactly what happened to Ahsoka. And let’s face it, by not definitively killing her, it pretty much means she has to be alive, in some way, right? Because it would feel really odd to just have her fate confirmed later by being told she had died by Vader or such.On the other hand, I did love the dream-like quality of those last few minutes. Vader, who was taken to the limit by Ahsoka, limping away from the battle… that owl-like creature (a "convor") flying above again and a cave where… Well, I know I thought I saw Ahsoka walking away. Is that what everyone else saw though? And was that in the real world? Or within the Force? If Ahsoka was still alive, what state is she in? Much to ponder.As for the battle itself, it was exciting and wrenching and oh-so sad, just as it should be. For those of us who watched The Clone Wars, it was appropriately difficult to see the man who was once Anakin Skywalker set on killing his former Padawan, and it was hard not to feel pain for Ahsoka, having to face the monster someone so dear to her had become.Ahsoka slicing open part of Vader’s mask was incredible. The glimpse of Anakin/Vader’s disfigured face… the way The Clone Wars’ Matt Lanter’s voice as Anakin was intermixed with James Earl Jones as Vader… What an amazing moment. Ashley Eckstein was excellent here, bringing all the heightened emotions as Ahsoka faced Vader. And how awesome to hear her say, "I'm no Jedi."Beyond the "Did Ahsoka die?" question, this is why I want to know how that fight ended. If Ahsoka is still alive, why would Vader leave her? Was he himself too injured to continue fighting? And whether she lived or died, did she, perhaps, actually stir something within him he couldn't face - a small part of him that was still Anakin? After all, while he is destined to not be redeemed until Return of the Jedi, Luke says he did feel some good in him after their first encounter. I like the idea that Ahsoka perhaps oh-so slightly opened that window up, even if it was still overshadowed by the evil of Darth Vader for years to come.I’m several paragraphs in and I haven’t even mentioned Darth Maul, which just goes to show you how busy this episode was! Having this fearsome and frightening character return, acting like he was old and weak – with many parallels, dialogue included, to the guise Yoda uses when Luke first meets him – was great, even as we waited for the other shoe to drop. Sam Witwer was awesome throughout, as Maul played one role, and then resumed the one we knew him to be.It was undeniably cool to briefly see Maul fighting side by side with Ahsoka and Kanan, but I’m glad it didn’t last, as truly redeeming Maul would feel forced. So yes, he helped fight their common foe, the Inquisitors, but ultimately, he was as self-motivated as ever……and blinded Kanan! This episode really didn’t shy away from consequences, as Maul cost Kanan his eyes. Which made it all the more gratifying for Kanan to use the Force to fight Maul without his sight, and ultimately beat him.Meanwhile, we met another Inquisitor (the “Eighth Brother”) and got the aforementioned thrill of seeing three Inquisitors fighting our Jedi heroes and Maul all at once. That being said, I was very surprised to then see all three Inquisitors then killed! Farewell, Sarah Michelle Gellar. Inquisitors don’t come out of Rebels season finales doing very well, huh? Hard not to wonder how many of these guys are left now.As an aside, I found the whole helicopter lightsaber thing very goofy, but I did love that it led to the Eighth Brother's demise when his lightsaber shorted out.As for Ezra, it was a bit of a reach that he so quickly fell under Maul’s sway, but it was helped by the fact that there had been plenty of direct discussion in the past about the possibility of him falling to the dark side. And while he did turn his back on Maul (who made it clear he wanted Ezra as his apprentice), that ending sure was ominous, as Ezra was able to open the Sith holocron, after Maul said “One must be a Sith or think like one” to do so.Kanan, Ezra and Ahsoka all running around on Rebels has been a constant curiosity and raised lost of questions, since it was difficult to see how they could still be doing so by the time Luke Skywalker has begun his training, given the whole “that boy is our last hope” exchange - with Leia the only other option. But this episode took Ahsoka off the playing field (at least for now?), badly hurt Kanan and indicated Ezra may be going down the wrong path entirely.Suddenly, that kid on Tatooine must be looking like a much more viable option.