The latest live-action Star Wars series, Dave Filoni’s Ahsoka, closed out its 8-episode run with “The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord,” an eventful finale that saw some characters succeed in their mission, others fail in theirs rather bitterly, and still others seek new beginnings. Now that the entire show is available to stream, which episode is the best? Join us as we rank every Ahsoka episode from worst to best!
“Time to Fly” (Episode 3)
Ahsoka‘s third episode, “Time to Fly,” is its most forgettable for one critical reason: it stuffed with filler from end to end. I don’t even care (that much) about its shorter runtime, either. If Filoni and his creative team are going to churn out 30 minutes of nothing, then I suppose that’s better than 50 minutes of nothing. (Yes, this is the bar, apparently.)
There are a handful of cool action sequences — Ahsoka cutting down a TIE fighter mid-flight with her lightsaber is pretty rad — but none of them justify how much filler Filoni crams into a single half-hour.
Related: Why Baylan Skoll Isn’t a Sith in Star Wars: Ahsoka
“Dreams and Madness” (Episode 7)
For a penultimate episode, “Dreams and Madness” does quite a bit of wheel-spinning. The first ten minutes are drawn out and clearly designed to shoehorn an Original Trilogy character into the story, an approach that wouldn’t be that bad if New Republic politics weren’t so damn dull.
Working against it further is the fact that so much of it just falls flat. Ahsoka’s second—and final (?)—duel with Baylan Skoll feels rushed and perfunctory, like just another beat the writers need to address before moving on to the next thing. But its most frustrating aspect is hands down the feeling of “How the hell is Filoni going to wrap everything up in one episode?” it leaves us with when the credits roll.
“Master and Apprentice” (Episode 1)
“Master and Apprentice” isn’t an awful episode of television by any stretch, but it is a poor demonstration of Filoni’s capabilities as a storyteller. Not only does it end on a cheap cliffhanger that no one bought for even a second, but it forces elements into the Ahsoka/Sabine dynamic that don’t belong there.
Natasha Liu Bordizzo makes a great Sabine Wren, and “Master and Apprentice” is at its best when she shares the screen with Rosario Dawson. The two have plenty of chemistry, so much so that the authenticity of their dynamic overcomes the thoroughly silly subplot Filoni threw in for no discernible reason.
Thankfully, despite its many narrative shortcomings, the show mostly improves from here.
“The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord” (Episode 8)
Sadly, Ahsoka‘s finale is also one of its weaker episodes. Sure, it delivers on the action and plot fronts, but it isn’t emotionally satisfying in the slightest. It’s rushed, anticlimactic, and devoid of the emotional weight Filoni seemed to be gunning for, and the only element that actually resonates is Ezra’s reunion with Hera. The rest is just a flurry of perplexing narrative decisions, fun—but occasionally repetitive—action sequences, and a head-scratcher of an ending that almost certainly won’t go down as one of Filoni’s best.
The fact that Baylan didn’t show up until the final few minutes certainly doesn’t work in its favor, either. All in all, I still strongly prefer the Star Wars Rebels series finale.
Related: Why One of Ahsoka’s Lightsabers Is Shorter Than the Other
“Toil and Trouble” (Episode 2)
Ahsoka Episode 2, “Toil and Trouble,” marks the first time we truly feel how incredible the late Ray Stevenson’s onscreen presence is. He’s terrifying, mysterious, and oozing with “Don’t screw with me” energy. His turn as Baylan Skoll reinforces him as one of the show’s finest casting choices, and it’s honestly a shame we didn’t get more of him.
Seeing Ahsoka, Hera, and Sabine onscreen together again is a treat, but it’s Steph Green’s seamless direction that really sells this one for me. Ahsoka’s duel with Marrok is electrifying, even if it’s brief and serves no purpose other than to set up another duel in a few episodes’ time.
“Fallen Jedi” (Episode 4)
“Fallen Jedi” gets major props for pushing the ball forward in a number of shocking ways, but what really ends up working against it is Sabine Wren’s out-of-character decision to basically give Morgan Elsbeth, Baylan Skoll, and company their ticket to Grand Admiral Thrawn.
But the fight sequences? The tension? The raised stakes? The small character moments between Ahsoka, Baylan, and Sabine?Chef’s kiss. All of that is absolutely amazing. This episode had me more excited for what was to come than the previous three combined. And that final moment with Hayden Christensen? Incredible, especially for fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. “Fallen Jedi” is the perfect segue into Ahsoka‘s best episode, and it’s not difficult to see why.
“Far, Far Away” (Episode 6)
After an episode dedicated pretty much entirely to Ahsoka’s internal battle with herself and her former master, “Far, Far Away” spends most of its time catching us up on what Thrawn has been doing for the past few years. The broader strokes are pretty great: Thrawn and Sabine reunite. Baylan and his glowering apprentice, Shin Hati, head out to murder both Sabine and Ezra while Thrawn calls on the Witches of Dathomir to complicate Ahsoka’s arrival on Peridea.
Next to “Shadow Warrior,” this episode is the best, most earnest installment in the series by a reasonably large margin. There’s a ton of fascinating table-setting happening here, but sadly, it all goes downhill after this.
“Shadow Warrior” (Episode 5)
The best episode of Ahsoka (by far) is “Shadow Warrior,” an installment largely focused on Ahsoka reconciling with herself and her former master, Anakin Skywalker. The previous episode saw Ahsoka lose her duel with Baylan Skoll and plummet into the ocean, raising the stakes higher than ever and posing a slew of exciting new questions.
“Shadow Warrior” gives us Clone Wars flashbacks, an Anakin/Ahsoka duel in the World Between Worlds, and an incredible performance by Ariana Greenblatt, who portrays teenage Ahsoka in the aforementioned flashbacks. There are payoffs and callbacks aplenty, giving both casual viewers and hardcore Star Wars more than enough to enjoy regardless of their level of investment.
If you’re looking for more, check out our explanation of why Ahsoka’s Thrawn gets called the “Heir to the Empire” in the Star Wars universe.
