Who were the Nightsisters of Dathomir in Star Wars? Ahsoka is a Star Wars series that has been completely unafraid of the past. It draws from the wider universe of Star Wars in both movie and TV form, with an ensemble drawn primarily from the animated series Star Wars Rebels. But the Nightsisters reach even further back than that.
Star Wars fans who are familiar with one of the franchise’s best animated series, The Clone Wars, will already be aware of the Nightsisters. But the new Star Wars series, Ahsoka, has brought the witches of Dathomir back into the spotlight, appearing in live-action for the first time.
We’re thrilled to see Ahsoka Tano take center stage, as one of the best Star Wars characters has finally got her own Disney Plus series in which to shine. But as we learn more about the Ahsoka cast, it’s also worth delving into history to find out: who were the Nightsisters of Dathomir, and why are they so feared by the rest of the Star Wars cast?
Who were the Nightsisters of Dathomir?
The Nightsisters were a coven of witches with formidable magical powers who lived on the planet of Dathomir, which was also the homeworld of Darth Maul.
Though they were created as part of the 1994 Star Wars novel The Courtship of Princess Leia, TV viewers first met the Nightsisters in the third season of The Clone Wars when we learned that Asajj Ventress – one of the best Star Wars villains on the small screen – had been part of the coven, led by Mother Talzin.
Ventress and the Nightsisters joined forces to help the former get back at her former master, Count Dooku. But the assassination attempts went awry, and Dooku sent in General Grievous, along with a droid army, to massacre the Nightsisters. Their powerful magic was no match for the sheer numbers of Grievous’ forces.
Mother Talzin was one of very few who survived the attack. She later helped to nurse her son Darth Maul back to health for his own campaign against the Sith who had left him behind.
We also saw the spirits of the Nightsisters in the Star Wars Rebels season three episode ‘Visions and Voices’, in which Maul and Jedi apprentice Ezra Bridger became unlikely allies in order to uncover hidden knowledge on Dathomir.
Are the Nightsisters in Ahsoka?
Ahsoka villain Morgan Elsbeth is a descendant of the Nightsisters. We’ve also seen a trio of Nightsisters on Peridea, helping Thrawn with their dark magick.
Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto), who was introduced as ‘The Magistrate’ in The Mandalorian season 2, revealed in Ahsoka episode 1 that the temple visited by Ahsoka in search of a crucial star map was an important location built by her ancestors, the Nightsisters.
We got even more information in Ahsoka episode 6 when it emerged that Thrawn made a deal with the Nightsisters in order to secure his return. That deal is the reason why Thrawn is going to Dathomir in the Ahsoka finale and the reason why the blue baddie has an army of undead Night Troopers.
In fact, we saw Thrawn take advantage of the magick utilized by the Nightsisters, who are referred to as “Great Mothers”, in Ahsoka episode 7. He used their skills to locate Ahsoka Tano before using the might of the Eye of Sion to flush her from her hiding place, allowing her to spend time finding Sabine and Ezra while he prepared for his escape from the galaxy.
The alliance between Thrawn and the Nightsisters also came to a head in Ahsoka episode 8, when Morgan Elsbeth fought Ahsoka with the Blade of Talzin. Thrawn used the fight as a distraction, giving him time to escape from Peridea. Although Elsbeth was defeated in the finale, we are willing to be that this isn’t the last time we see the Nightsisters in the Star Wars canon, so stay tuned for updates!
For more on one of the best TV series for Star Wars fans, learn how Ahsoka was inspired by the best fantasy movie ever made and find out about the tweet that made Ahsoka happen. Of course, you should also be watching the Star Wars movies in order frequently. It’s the law.
As for the future, we’ve got plenty of information on the new Star Wars movies set to join the franchise and everything new on Disney Plus very soon. You can also look ahead to the Andor season 2 release date or switch franchise entirely to find out more about Avatar 3. Finally, we’re big Star Wars fans with big opinions, and so we’d like to explain why the new Star Wars movie needs John Boyega and what shows you should watch next after Ahsoka.