Darth Vader Is Not Alive in ‘Ahsoka.’ Here’s How “He” Made an Appearance

One of the things that fans often talk about in relation to Star Wars shows is the possibility of one of their favorite characters making a cameo appearance. This is perfectly understandable in ‘Ahsoka’ because we know that Ahsoka Tano has a long history with a lot of different Star Wars characters, particularly her own master, Anakin Skywalker. Of course, Anakin became Darth Vader, who sacrificed himself to bring balance to the Force. So, how is Darth Vader in ‘Ahsoka’ if he’s already dead?

Darth Vader is not in ‘Ahsoka’ per se. Instead, Anakin Skywalker was the one who returned in the events of ‘Ahsoka.’ However, Anakin returned not as his alive self but as a memory or possibly even a Force vision within the World Between Worlds, which is a realm outside of time and space.

Because of the nature of the World Between Worlds as a realm that exists outside of time and space, there are a lot of things that are possible in this plane of existence. In that regard, it is very much possible that Anakin or any other person can appear in this realm due to how it is a construct of the Force itself. So, with that said, let’s look at how Anakin made an appearance in ‘Ahsoka.’

Darth Vader died at least five years prior

The influx of live-action Star Wars shows on Disney+ has allowed us to see the return of familiar faces into the Star Wars universe. Of course, we know that Darth Vader returned in the events of ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ because this series takes place just ten years into the reign of the Empire. But what about the ‘Ahsoka’ series?

Well, for starters, we know that the ‘Ahsoka’ series takes place during the New Republic era. The series takes place during the same era as ‘The Mandalorian’ and is likely happening after season 3 of ‘The Mandalorian.’ And we know that this era happens after the era of the Empire.

Likely taking place on 9 ABY or after, ‘Ahsoka’ no longer has any true Sith Lords in the galaxy because of what happened at the end of the reign of the Empire. In ‘Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi,’ which took place on 4 ABY, Darth Vader sacrificed his life to kill Emperor Palpatine and save his son, Luke Skywalker, from certain death. Vader was Anakin Skywalker at the end of his life, and he died redeeming himself by bringing balance back to the Force and fulfilling his destiny as the Chosen One.

In that regard, Darth Vader is already dead by the time ‘Ahsoka’ started. Even in ‘The Book of Boba Fett,’ which takes place before ‘Ahsoka,’ we could see Ahsoka Tano and Luke Skywalker talking fondly about the memory of Anakin because he was already gone by that time.

Anakin returned, not Darth Vader

Of course, when ‘Ahsoka’ was announced, fans were already expecting Darth Vader to make a possible return because we know that he has a connection with Ahsoka Tano. In this series, fans were already talking about rumors of Hayden Christensen reprising his role as either Anakin or Vader. And it’s all because the relationship between Anakin and Ahsoka never had a true resolution.

However, in episode 4 of ‘Ahsoka,’ we saw that a familiar face in the form of Anakin Skywalker returned. That means that Darth Vader is yet to return to the series. Instead, we got Anakin Skywalker, who greeted Ahsoka with the “Snips” nickname he gave her decades ago during the Clone Wars.

But we do know that there are rumors regarding Vader’s possible return to the series. The earlier reports suggest that Darth Vader will return not as the masked figure that we know and love but as the man who led the siege on the Jedi Temple to kill all of the Jedi stationed there.

These rumors say that Ahsoka will appear in Mustafar using the World Between Worlds so that she can stop the fallen Anakin. But this led to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s death on Mustafar as Ahsoka had to learn the hard way that she cannot change the course of history.

Of course, these are simply rumors that may or may not be true. We aren’t sure whether or not the pre-Mustafar-burnt Darth Vader will appear in the series. But we have already seen the Clone Wars version of Anakin appearing to Ahsoka in the World Between Worlds.

Everything seems possible in the World Between Worlds

Speaking of the World Between Worlds, it is clear that this plane of existence is something that makes the impossible possible. Based on what we know from the events of ‘Rebels,’ the World Between Worlds is a realm that is beyond the reach of time and space. This allowed Ezra Bridger to pull Ahsoka from Malachor V two years before to prevent Vader from killing her. And Ahsoka went through her own spiritual journey in the World Between Worlds after Ezra rescued her.

Then, at the end of episode 4 of ‘Ahsoka,’ Ahsoka found herself in the World Between Worlds for some reason after she was struck down and defeated by Baylan Skoll. And that was when she reunited with Anakin Skywalker, who said that he wasn’t expecting to see her that early.

This changes everything that we know about the World Between Worlds, which used to be just a plane of existence outside of time and space. The fact that Anakin is there likely as a spirit means that there’s a good chance that the World Between Worlds also transcends life and death. Of course, that would mean that this realm or plane is more special than we originally thought it was.

But then again, we aren’t sure why or how Anakin is in the World Between Worlds or even how Ahsoka got to this place without entering a doorway. Still, the fact is that everything seems to be possible in a place that transcends time and space and probably even life and death.

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