Star Wars: Ahsoka Reveals Official Name and Inspiration for Classic Jedi Training Technique

Star Wars: Ahsoka Episode 3 has revealed an official canon name for one of the most iconic Jedi training techniques around: the Zatoichi technique. Star Wars fans know it from the very first movie, Star Wars: A New Hope, when Obi-Wan Kenobi put a blinder helmet onto the head of Luke Skywalker and trained him to fight with a lightsaber while riding with Han Solo and Chewbacca on the Millenium Falcon.

(SPOILERS FOLLOW!) 

In Ahsoka Episode 3 "Time to Fly" Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) decide to make use of their time pursuing Morgan Elsbeth's (Diana Lee Inosanto) forces by getting in a little Jedi training for Sabine. After practicing her basic lightsaber stance formations with Huyang (David Tenant), Sabine is approached by Ahsoka, who wants to try out the young Mandalorian's Force sensibilities by forcing her to fight without sight. The Zatoichi technique gets name-dropped before Sabine learns the hard way that she indeed has a lot to learn about using the Force. 

Star Wars Jedi Zatoichi Training Technique Explained

The name "Zatoichi" is a reference to the character known as The Blind Swordsman Zatoichi, who was the main character of a series of Japanese films and TV series inspired by the writing of Kan Shimozawa.  As the character's name and premise suggest, Zatoichi was a blind man who was nonetheless a master swordsman, thanks to his heightened other senses. The original film series had 26 installments, starting with The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) and ending with Zatoichi (1989), with actor Shintaro Katsu playing the role of Zatoichi. 

It's never been a deep secret that George Lucas brought together an eclectic blend of cultural influences to create Star Wars, with Eastern history, philosophy, and folklore being a major influence on the lore behind the Jedi Order and the Force-sensitive powers of a Jedi. Zatoichi's name being invoked as part of Jedi training is a nice head nod back to where Lucas likely got the idea for that scene – and a lot of other Jedi tropes – in A New Hope.

Star Wars Rebels Reference

The Zatoichi technique sequence in Ahsoka was also a  callback to some famous Star Wars Rebels storylines. There was the story arc about Jedi Kanan Jarrus having to learn to "see" through the Force after being blinded in battle – as well as the arc where Sabine Wren had to get training from a blind Kanan, in order to master the Dark Saber and lead the Mandalorian clans.

 That latter scene of Kanan training Sabine showed the amount of anger and emotional weight Sabine carries – the same emotional weight that could still be weighing her down now, as she trains with Ahsoka. 

Star Wars: Ahsoka is streaming new episodes Tuesday nights on Disney+.