Star Wars: Ahsoka's Ending Explained: Baylan Skoll and the Gods of Mortis

Ahsoka's finale ties into one of the most confounding pieces of Star Wars canon.

By Jamie Lovett

Star Wars: Ahsoka concluded on Tuesday night with the debut of its eighth episode, "The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord." The episode didn't bring much resolution to the series' plots. Yes, Ezra Bridger made it home, but Thrawn's threat now looms while Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren are stuck in the next galaxy over. Even less resolved is Baylan Skoll's role in the how. Midway through the series, Baylan abandoned his apprentice, Shin Hati, to embark on an unexplained quest, apparently heeding some call. Anyone hoping that the Ahsoka finale would illuminate Baylan's motivations more fully is likely to be disappointed.

However, there are some clues, and they reference one of Star Wars canon's most divisive story arcs and its characters. It seems that Baylan Skoll is following the footsteps of the Gods of Mortis.

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(Photo: Lucasfilm)

What is Mortis?

The Mortis gods were introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars' third season in a trio of episodes titled "Overlords," "Altar of Mortis," and "Ghost of Mortis." In the episode, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano are lured into Wild Space by a Jedi distress call and end up on the mysterious planet of Mortis.

But Mortis is more than a planet. It's a spiritual realm that exists outside of physical space. The world could not be found voluntarily or charted. Its landscape changes regularly, reshaping itself based on the time of day. Mortis primarily existed in myth, legend, and old tales, but some believe it to be the place from which the Force originates and a conduit for its power throughout the galaxy.

Who are the Mortis gods?

Upon arriving on Mortis, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka met a trio of extremely powerful Force-users called the Ones. The Ones presented as a family unit, with the elder called the Father and his two children being the Son and the Daughter. These beings seem to be of the Force, its avatars, the Son representing the dark side, the Daughter the light, and the Father trying to keep the balance between them.

The Father had lured the Jedi to Mortis because he was dying and needed to find a replacement to keep the balance between his children after his death. The Daughter is loyal and eager to follow the Father's wishes, but the Son seeks to usurp the Father and escape Mortis to wreak havoc across the galaxy.

The Father chose Anakin Skywalker to take his place

Aware of the prophecy of the chosen one, The Father sought Anakin Skywalker to take his place on Mortis. The Father tested Anakin's skills, determining that he was the Chosen One who would bring balance to the Force. In The Father's view, that meant remaining on Mortis to keep the Son and the Daughter in check.

Anakin refused to stay on Mortis. The Son sought to corrupt Anakin and use him to escape, going as far as to show Anakin a vision of his future deeds as Darth Vader. But Anakin remained firm. The Son then possessed Ahsoka Tano and had her attack Anakin. The following events led to the death of the Father, the Son, and Ahsoka. Anakin revived Ahsoka by channeling the Daughter's life force into his padawan. The three Jedi then left Mortis behind.

How does Mortis relate to the Star Wars: Ahsoka finale?

The Ahsoka finale alludes to Mortis several times. First, there's the appearance of Morai, the convor (an owl-like bird) with white plumage who had a connection with the Daughter. Since Anakin used the Daughter's life to resurrect Ahsoka, Morai has seemed to follow Ahsoka, appearing at vital moments in the ronin Jedi's life. She previously hovered in the air in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars finale, in the aftermath of Darth Vader's fall and the execution of Order 66, as Ahsoka fled into hiding. Here, she appears in the sky as Ahsoka comes to accept that, in being left behind in this strange new galaxy, she is where she needs to be.

Then there's Baylan Skoll. We last see Baylan looking out onto a vast landscape. He stands on the arm of a statue carved in the image of the Father, the sculpture pointing the way forward. Behind the Father is a statue of the Son and another of the Daughter, though the Daughter's head is missing. Whatever Baylan is searching for, it seems to be related to Mortis and the Ones.

What does this mean for the future of Star Wars?

Star Wars has never reckoned with the Mortis arc of The Clone Wars or concretely defined its or the Ones' place in the mythology of the Force, leading to confusion about the Force's nature. It has long stood out from the rest of Star Wars: The Clone Wars for its heady, spiritual, philosophical nature compared to the rest of the show, which dealt much more with the actual war and serialized adventure.

However, Dave Filoni has never really forgotten Mortis, even if it has been only subtly referenced. The statues Baylan finds aren't the first visages of the Ones to appear in one of Filoni's Star Wars shows. A mural of the Father, Son, and Daughter had been created to hide the entrance to The World Between Worlds that Ezra Bridger discovered at the Jedi Temple on Lothal, suggesting some connection between The World Between Worlds and Mortis that hasn't been explored yet.

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Could Baylan be seeking an entrance to The World Between Worlds or Mortis? For someone who seems interested in breaking the cycle of the light side battling the dark side, finding the supposed source of the Force would be a logical goal. Might we be seeing the creation of a new version of The Ones' family, either literally or symbolically, with Baylan hoping to take the Father's role while Shin Hati and Ahsoka become Son and Daughter, respectively? We still don't know much about Filoni's plans leading into his Star Wars movie. With no news about a possible second season of Ahsoka, fans will no doubt be waiting impatiently to find out.

Fan-favorite Star Wars hero Ahsoka Tano returns in the brand new series on Disney+. Rosario Dawson stars in Star Wars: Ahsoka, which premiered on August 22nd on the streamer. The series picks up after the events of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, in which we saw the former Jedi searching for Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and helping Luke Skywalker train Grogu. Ahsoka will be joined on her new mission alongside longtime allies Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) as they attempt to track down Thrawn, who was last seen disappearing to the far reaches of space after a confrontation with Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi). Star Wars: Ahsoka is the latest live-action series from Lucasfilm's creative duo of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni.

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