What Ahsoka's Space Whales Could Mean For The Future Of Star Wars

This article discusses spoilers for the latest episode of "Ahsoka."

We're only two weeks and three episodes into "Ahsoka" (you can check out Bryan Young's recap of episode 3 here) and fans have already enjoyed an avalanche of Easter eggs, references, and callbacks to the beloved animated series "Star Wars: Rebels." With creator Dave Filoni at the helm and finally able to complete the arcs of characters like Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), the fiery Mandalorian Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), General Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and eventually the long-missing Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), there's simply no telling how many more connections we're about to get in the weeks ahead that further tie together every corner of the "Star Wars" universe. This latest one — for all intents and purposes, the live-action debut of the fan-favorite species of space whales known as the purrgil — might very well be the most significant development yet.

Yes, yes, they were teased in an episode of "The Mandalorian," but it's safe to say that staging a dogfight sequence between Ahsoka and Sabine's starship and a pack of leftover Imperial remnants while the immense purrgil serenely float through the skies, tendrils and all, feels slightly more thrilling than seeing them as distant silhouettes in hyperspace, as was the case with Grogu. In any case, their unexpected presence immediately makes an impact on both Sabine and Ahsoka, neither of whom have seen such creatures since the day Ezra and the villainous Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) disappeared in the "Rebels" finale.

The purrgils' sudden appearance in "Ahsoka" is certainly not by coincidence, especially as our heroes search for the map leading to Thrawn and Ezra, so here's how they could impact the rest of the season to come — along with the franchise overall.

While non-"Star Wars Rebels" fans might not have grasped the full significance of the purrgils, both Ahsoka's and Sabine's awed expressions ought to have clued viewers in to the fact that something much larger was afoot ... and that's not just referring to the massive bulk of these "star whales," as the droid Huyang (David Tennant) calls them. Thankfully, Filoni includes a line of dialogue between Ahsoka and Sabine referencing the fact that the last time they saw these creatures, the naturally hyperspace-sensitive beasts had whisked both Ezra and Thrawn far, far away to distant parts of the galaxy (or, as we found out in "Ahsoka," a different galaxy entirely) during the liberation of Lothal. /Film's Bryan Young previously wrote a handy purrgil explainer here, delving into their previous appearances throughout "Rebels," but it's their implications for the remaining episodes (and beyond) that feels most relevant here.

As established in the first two episodes and once again reiterated in episode 3, primarily by Hera's desperate attempts to gain the New Republic Senate's permission to have the fleet join Ahsoka and Sabine in their mission, the specter of Ezra's disappearance looms large in the minds of our main characters — even more so than the threat of Thrawn's imminent return. The Force-wielding Ezra always held a special connection with the purrgils, to the point that he willingly left behind the only family he had ever known as a tradeoff to removing Thrawn from the equation entirely. But with the dual reveals that Thrawn and Ezra may be found in another galaxy and that Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) is constructing some vast hyperspace ring to retrieve their long-lost admiral, we now have a pretty clear hint about how the rest of the story may unfold.

"Ahsoka" might be set during a chaotic time period we've only barely scratched the surface of, but our heroes' current predicament is nothing we're not familiar with already. Outmanned, outgunned, and left to fend for themselves, Ahsoka, Sabine, and Huyang are trapped in the Denab system on the planet Seatos ... with the Imperial remnant, led by Ray Stevenson's Baylan Skoll and Ivanna Sakhno's Shin Hati, on the hunt. So beyond merely surviving to fight another day, what could they possibly have up their sleeves next? The purrgils might just provide the answer, both in the short term and the long run.

It's been made abundantly clear that Morgan and her forces intend to use their fancy, super-powered hyperspace ring, built upon a starship called the Eye of Sion, to travel to parts unknown and retrieve Thrawn from distant exile, while Ahsoka and Sabine are equally as motivated to prevent that. It's doubtful that the Empire sympathizers will simply allow our heroes to tag along with them once construction of the ring is complete, of course, so what can they possibly do to keep pace with the enemy? The answer might just be staring them in the face. Not only can the purrgils be used to cover such vast intergalactic distances in the blink of an eye, but it's all but confirmed that they could be the key to opening up the "Star Wars" universe in ways we never imagined before.

For 45 years, it's always been, "In a galaxy far, far away..." Now, perhaps future stories can tell fresh, original, and brand-new adventures in other galaxies — far, far away from the age-old conflict between rebels and an oppressing empire. The implications are, frankly, staggering.

"Ahsoka" airs new episodes on Disney+ every Tuesday night.