Now that Ahsoka ended on that cliffhanger, we’re all waiting to see what Thrawn has in store. We didn’t get much insight into his masterplan but the fact he decided to go straight for Dathomir tells us he’s got something wild up his sleeve. The only problem is, Darth Maul may have scuppered some of it.
Star Wars has a deep history. So deep, that even if you sat down and watched all the Star Wars movies in order you’d only understand a sliver of it. Something that’s not mentioned much between the Jedi of the Sith are Nightsisters – essentially Force witches (yes, they’re cool AF). Among the best Star Wars characters, they’re mysterious entities that Thrawn has at his disposal.
The Nightsisters come from Dathomir, the homeworld of Darth Maul, and a location seen in a couple of Star Wars series now, particularly Rebels. The planet’s use in the latter could feed into whatever Thrawn’s plan is, since a rather important location got messed up.
Specifically, the Nightsisters lair, one of the last strongholds of Nightsister spirits. Maul brings Ezra Bridger there in order to use dark magic to track down Obi-Wan Kenobi. It’s essentially an old cave that’s full of powerful magical energy that can be channeled to use all sorts of abilities.
It’s also home to a slew of vengeful spirits, who possess Ezra’s friend Sabine, as well as his master, Kanan Jarrus. Maul and Ezra escape the ensuing struggle, but Ezra proves he’s one of the nicest people in the Star Wars cast by refusing to leave his friends.
After Maul heads off, Ezra returns to rescue Sabine and Kanan. He manages to do so by offering his body for Kanan’s. The sisters, fancying a duel, challenge Ezra to beat his master before leaving Kanan’s body. Ezra wins, and once the three pals are reunited, they wreck the altar, making it impossible for spirits to return again.
As an offhand storyline, this was just good, spooky fun. But Thrawn likely doesn’t know this has happened. So if he’s looking for more Nightsister magic, Dathomir will have less than he bargained for. Likewise, he’s down one resource for summoning ancient forces.
Of course, Thrawn is a master tactician, so maybe he’s planned for all of this. I wouldn’t be so sure, though. Even the best Star Wars villains have suffered from being arrogant, and Thrawn has definitely never contemplated defeat.
That will be his downfall, and none other than Darth Maul will have contributed to it. Delicious, delicious irony. Ahsoka is now streaming on Disney Plus now. Check out our guides to the new Star Wars movies, as well as the Skeleton Crew release date and the The Acolyte release date. Or, look ahead to other new movies, like The Marvels for more intergalactic fun.