Why did Thrawn call Ahsoka a “ronin” in Episode 8?

Thrawn describes Ahsoka as a “ronin” in the finale, and some Star Wars viewers may not be familiar with that word, so here’s what it means and why he used it.

In our review, we called the eighth chapter an “entertaining” but “frustrating finale… the most compelling elements of the series don’t take precedence, making the whole endeavor feel like a table-setting exercise for whatever comes next.”

It picks up with Ahsoka and co. slowly traveling across Peridea with the Noti so they can reach Grand Admiral Thrawn before he hooks up his Chimaera to the Eye of Sion and jumps back to the known galaxy.

Their efforts aren’t necessarily in vain – you can read our explanation of the ending here – but it’s not exactly a triumph, with Thrawn high-tailing it away and leaving the “ronin” in the Unknown Regions.

Why does Thrawn call Ahsoka a ronin?

Thrawn calls Ahsoka a ronin because she’s a Jedi without a master – but he’s wrong, because she’s still guided by Anakin Skywalker’s Force ghost.

“Ronin” is a term that dates back to the age of the samurai in feudal Japan. It has a few translations, including “drifter”, “wanderer”, and “person of the waves”, used to describe someone with no lord or master – on some occasions, they may have severed all ties to their family or clan.

Towards the end of the episode, Thrawn tells Ahsoka: “Allow me to commend you on your efforts today. You’ve been quite a worthy opponent. I regret we haven’t met face to face, and perhaps now we never shall. Still, I know you, because I knew your master. I concluded your strategies would be similar… one wonders just how similar you might become. Perhaps this is where a ronin such as you belongs. Today, victory is mine. Long Live the Empire.”

He’s referring to Anakin, but he’s operating under the assumption that death severed Ahsoka’s relationship with her master. As we saw in Episode 5, the two are still very much connected, and his Force ghost was seen watching over her in the last shot of the first season. So, while her master may not be present in the terms he understands, he’s still alive – if only spiritually.

You can find out more about Ahsoka Season 2 here, and in the meantime, stream the whole series on Disney Plus and check out our other coverage below:

Episode 1 review | Episode 2 review | Episode 3 review | Episode 4 review | Episode 5 review | Episode 6 review | Episode 7 review | Ahsoka cast and characters | Who plays Grand Admiral Thrawn? | Who is Captain Enoch? | Who is Marrok? | What time does Ahsoka come out? | How many episodes are there? | When does Ahsoka take place in the Star Wars timeline? | How long are the episodes? | Where was Ahsoka during the original Star Wars trilogy? | Darth Sion and the Eye of Sion explained | Who is Jacen Syndulla? | What are purrgil? | The World Between Worlds explained | Why does Anakin call Ahsoka Snips? | Ahsoka budget: How much did it cost? | Dark Jedi vs the Sith | How old is Ahsoka? | The Siege of Mandalore explained | When does Ahsoka die? | Night Troopers explained | Dave Filoni divides Ahsoka fans with Thrawn casting

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