Warning! The following contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Ahsoka and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Read at your own risk!
Ahsoka is finally available for sci-fi fans with Disney+ subscriptions, and while I enjoyed the first two episodes of what feels like a live-action continuation of Star Wars Rebels, I still couldn't shake the feeling that the story thus far is similar to one that I've heard and actively experienced before. Franchise fanatics who are also gamers likely checked out Cameron Monaghan's return as Cal Kestis for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor earlier this year, and after watching Ahsoka, I can't be the only one who noticed some key similarities between the two projects.
No doubt Ahsoka and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor are completely different in the majority of ways, but the comparison points that have already sprung up cannot be ignored, especially since the game just came out earlier in the same year. Here's what stood out to me after the first two episodes, and why I think it might be handy if Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka Tano sent a message to Cal Kestis for some pointers on how to navigate this situation.
Both Ahsoka And Jedi Survivor Feature Opposing Sides Using A Map Device To Reach A Point In The Galaxy
In Ahsoka, the much-beloved Jedi with a long history is at odds with Morgan Elsbeth, one of Thrawn's old allies. Both are in search of the location of the Grand Admiral, but of course with different purposes in mind. Ahsoka Tano wishes to bring the Grand Admiral to justice, while Elsbeth needs him to help bolster and rally the remnants of the Empire. Both need the coordinates on the device to find Thrawn, as well as the missing Jedi Ezra Bridger.
In Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Cal Kestis is in search of a map device from the High Republic era with coordinates to a hidden planet untouched by Empire rule. Once there, his hope is to rebuild the Jedi Order in seclusion, and establish forces against the Empire, though he's not the only one. Kestis went up against a fallen High Republic Jedi reawakened from stasis, Dagan Gara, as well as his cohort Rayvis. Quite a few people wanted to get their boots on this planet for various reasons, but at the risk of getting too spoilery, I'll just leave it at that.
The differences between the characters' missions and motivations are apparent, but there's a clear similarity in the idea of fighting over a map device that serves as the only way for our heroes to reach a certain spot in the galaxy. The journey took Cal and friends quite a distance to different locations, so I'm hoping the same will happen in Ahsoka.
Both Include A Witch From Dathomir Providing Assistance
One other neat similarity is that both projects introduce a witch from Dathomir to add some mystical assistance. In Ahsoka, Morgan Elsbeth is linked to the Nightsisters of Dathomir, and her connection to them even gives Baylen Skoll's apprentice, Shin, pause. Even those entrenched within the Empire don't like to mess with the witches and with good reason. They're pretty creepy and powerful.
In Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Merrin is a Nightsister, ally, and love interest of Cal Kestis. Using her magic, she's able to aid Cal in his journey and ultimately helps him find the hidden planet with the aid of her supernatural abilities. The key difference here is that the Nightsister is helping the good guys in their mission, whereas the bad guys have her in Ahsoka. In any case, I'm so glad to see the Nightsisters getting more attention in the lore.
Both Stories Potentially Rely On High Republic Technology
Ahsoka doesn't explicitly explain the origins of the mapping device during its first two episodes, but the device and imagery in the temple she obtains look very similar to the High Republic puzzles found in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. Star Wars Rebels referenced old Jedi technology during the end of its run, but the series aired before The High Republic initiative. None of this is confirmed, to be sure, but going by the High Republic aesthetics shown in comics and the game, I think the influence seems pretty clear.
In any case, both projects are great and worth checking out. I wouldn't call either of them ripoffs or copycats, since this is a universe of cyclical storytelling, after all. But these similarities can't be denied in my mind, and I'm hoping they end up meaning something deeper.
New episodes of Ahsoka premiere on Disney+ on Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET. As someone who is in that time zone, I love the time switch-up of being able to see new episodes in primetime rather than the following morning, so here's hoping the trend continues with future releases.
