Ahsoka Tano’s Mind Probe: A Dark Side Power That Could Make Her a Grey Jedi

The Ahsoka series has revealed that Ahsoka Tano has been exploring the dark side of the Force, suggesting that she might become a grey Jedi.

Ahsoka declared herself as “no Jedi” after she left the Jedi Order following a false accusation of treason in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 5. She lost her faith in the Order and its alliance with the Republic and did not complete her Padawan training.

However, during the Imperial era, Ahsoka continued to fight for the Rebel cause, confronting Inquisitors, protecting Force-sensitive children, and gathering crucial intelligence – all activities that a Jedi would typically engage in.

Ahsoka has developed her own way of doing things over the years. She shares this trait with her former master, Anakin Skywalker, who often ignored the Jedi Council and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s guidance and followed his own judgment.

Anakin’s impulsive instincts usually proved to be correct, especially during the Clone Wars when he was mentoring Ahsoka. While Ahsoka’s influence from Anakin was evident when they were still a master and apprentice pair, the first episode of the Ahsoka series shows that this may be more profound than anyone ever imagined.

The Ahsoka series has disclosed that Ahsoka Tano has been employing the dark side of the Force, implying that she could become a grey Jedi. She obtained a star map from an abandoned temple and shared her discovery with Huyang, the ancient droid of the Jedi Order. Ahsoka revealed that she located the map with the help of Lady Morgan Elsbeth’s directions.

When Huyang inquired how Ahsoka persuaded Morgan to reveal such crucial information, Ahsoka said, “Let’s just say I didn’t follow standard Jedi protocol.” Ahsoka uttered this line with a trace of amusement, but the underlying message was evident.

She must have used the Force, and on someone who could resist like the Dathomirian Nightsister Morgan Elsbeth, it must have been a significant use of power – possibly even a dark side power, such as the Mind Probe.

The Mind Probe is a technique that is generally linked to the dark side in Star Wars canon because of its impact on the target’s mind. It is extremely intrusive and even agonizing and, if applied incorrectly or too forcefully, can damage someone’s mind irreversibly.

However, it is undeniable that it is useful, as Ahsoka demonstrates by having been able to find the star map. But it is a dangerous path – the Mind Probe has often been regarded as an extension of the Jedi Mind Trick, something which was confirmed in the comic book series The Rise of Kylo Ren by Charles Soule. In this series, it is suggested that Ben Solo was able to learn the Mind Probe because of his previous experience with the Mind Trick.

The Jedi Mind Trick could be considered as a dark side power. Similar to the Mind Probe, the Jedi’s technique still intrudes on a person’s thoughts and compels them to obey, depriving them of their free will. The Jedi do not use it with malicious intent, but it is very easy to overstep the boundary.

During the High Republic Era, many Jedi avoided the use of the Mind Trick because they felt it could lead someone to a perilous path. Their fears were realized during the Clone Wars, as Jedi would sometimes use a more forceful version of the Mind Trick to interrogate prisoners. Notably, in one scene from The Clone Wars, it is Ahsoka herself who proposes a targeted use of the Force on bounty hunter Cad Bane’s mind.

The Clone Wars scene established a precedent for Ahsoka. She was concerned about the kidnapped children and saw the combined forceful interrogation as a way to obtain the truth faster. Likewise, in Ahsoka, she is anxious about Thrawn’s return and the possibility of another war.

She would understandably use every tool at her disposal to prevent that from happening, even something as powerful and cruel as the dark side Mind Probe. Ahsoka may be “no Jedi”, but she needs to be cautious as she progresses in Ahsoka – controlling someone’s mind can be an extremely violent act.

About Star Wars: Ahsoka

Ahsoka is an upcoming Star Wars show on Disney+. Created by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, the show will see Rosario Dawson returning as Ahsoka Tano.

The series will follow Anakin’s former Padawan Ahsoka Tano as she hunts the Chiss dictator Grand Admiral Thrawn, who plans to take over the galaxy.

The cast includes Rosario Dawson, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Eman Esfandi,  Ray Stevenson, and Ivanna Sakhno. The series will likely premiere on Disney+ in Fall 2023.

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