Although Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was released in 1999—nearly a decade before Star Wars: The Clone Wars debuted, one subtle Anakin Skywalker detail in the movie surprisingly foreshadows the eventual introduction of his Jedi Padawan, Ahsoka Tano.
Star Wars movies and TV shows have long been known for their retcons, and The Clone Wars was no exception. That show (and the identically named movie before it) was set between Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith in the Star Wars timeline, years after the prequel trilogy concluded.
Among the changes The Clone Wars made to the prequels was the revelation that Anakin had once had a Padawan, something that wasn’t indicated at any point throughout the prequel trilogy. Yet, one blink-and-you-miss-it detail in The Phantom Menace foreshadows Ahsoka’s eventual introduction, even if she wasn’t planned for at the time.
Anakin Skywalker’s Phantom Menace Podracer Shares A Design With Ahsoka
One of the most critical moments in The Phantom Menace is Anakin’s podrace, upon which his freedom depends (unbeknownst to him). Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn has made a deal with Watto, who owns both Anakin and his mother, Shmi Skywalker, as slaves, wherein Watto must release Anakin from slavery if he wins the race.
Perhaps because of the intensity of those circumstances, it’s easy to miss that Anakin’s podracer design is very similar to the design of Ahsoka Tano’s lekku. Although Ahsoka is not a Twi’lek, which is the Star Wars race best known for their lekku, Ahsoka (a Togruta) has distinctive blue-and-white striped lekku that are surprisingly similar to the stripes on Anakin’s podracer.
In fact, more strangely, Anakin’s podracer even has an orange design that looks like an “A,” reminiscent of both Ahsoka’s face and her name. Interestingly, these details seem to have gone largely overlooked by many Star Wars fans, despite how jarring the similarity is. That may very well be because, truthfully, there is very little likelihood this similarity was intentional.
It was George Lucas himself who wanted Anakin to have a Padawan, although Ahsoka’s design was primarily created by brand-new Lucasfilm Co-President Dave Filoni, who didn’t join the company until 2005—years after The Phantom Menace. It’s possible there was some connection, but it’s much more likely that this is an odd coincidence that foreshadows one of the best choices Star Wars ever made.
Ahsoka Wasn’t The Plan Yet, But She Became Crucial
Despite Ahsoka not being present in the prequel trilogy and all three movies going without any mention of or reference to a Padawan for Anakin, she has become one of the most critical characters in Star Wars. For one, Ahsoka was instrumental in making Anakin’s fall to the dark side make considerably more sense.
Specifically, when Ahsoka left the Jedi Order, it meant a massive hit to Anakin’s trust in the Jedi. Those cracks in his trust and belief in the Jedi ultimately allowed Palpatine to corrupt Anakin’s mind, convincing him that he needed to turn on the Jedi in Revenge of the Sith.
In fact, a major complaint about that movie had been that Anakin seemed to turn on a dime. With the introduction of Ahsoka and Anakin’s painful narrative arc when it came to his relationship with her, his fall became much more contextualized and, as a result, much better.
Ahsoka’s influence and importance extend far beyond just Anakin’s story, however. Ahsoka is also crucial for the future of the Star Wars franchise. Most notably, Ahsoka season 2 is currently the only confirmed upcoming live-action Star Wars show, and it’s clear that, particularly with Filoni now at the helm, she will continue to be very important moving forward.
Ahsoka’s extensive influence and future almost certainly weren’t on anyone’s mind as the designs for Anakin’s podracer in The Phantom Menace were being drawn up, but the visual similarities between the two are jarring, and, perhaps inadvertently, they now serve to foreshadow the introduction of this massively important character, as well as Anakin Skywalker’s eventual fate.
- Release Date
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May 19, 1999
- Runtime
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136 minutes
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
