Summary
The following contains spoilers forAhsokaepisode 6Aside from being many viewers' favorite part ofAhsokaon Disney Plus (and for good reason), the mercenary and former Jedi Baylan Skoll (played by the late Ray Stevenson) also seems to be single-handedly expanding the depth ofStar Warslore with effortless charm. This is deftly demonstrated in episode 6, “Far, Far Away,” when he added an entirely new dimension to the Jedi with a single word.
The invigoratingAhsokaepisode 6 continued the trend from episode 5 of continually ramping things up, particularly for long-timeStar Warsfans. Perhaps the most obvious example is its long-awaited on-screen return ofGrand Admiral Thrawnand Ezra Bridger, both teased long before the show began. Their live-action debuts set the stage for the final 2 episodes of the season (hopefully giving way to another in the future). But that’s not the only major development that took place, and no, it’s not the adorable wolf-horse thing Sabine rode on her search for Ezra.
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In one of the quieter moments of the episode, Baylan spoke with his apprentice Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) about his time in the Jedi Order. During this conversation, he mentioned how Ezra’s status as a Jedi is different from his own, saying “he comes from a breed of Bokken Jedi, trained in the wild, after the Temple fell.” As pointed out byInverse, that single word used to describe Ezra and others trained in the years after the Jedi Order fell effectively redefines the lore of the Jedi.
In the real world, a “bokken” is a Japanese wooden training sword used by students of various kenjutsu swordsmanship styles. While made in the shape of real swords like katana and the like, they are expectedly ineffective against the genuine article, and that seems to be the point Baylan is making withthis particular retcon inAhsoka. He appears to view Ezra as an inferior Jedi due to his non-traditional training outside the Order. But it may not be that simple.
Given this definition, powerful characters like Luke Skywalker and Rey Skywalker are also Bokken Jedi. Neither came into their abilities or underwent their training in a traditional Jedi manner, yet they both became saviors of the galaxy. But Baylan’s assertion could also play into his statement at another point in the conversation where he carries nostalgia more forthe idea of the Jedirather than what they were. This could help pushStar Warsback into the same territory as many of its now non-canon stories, which depicted the Jedi as more of an ideal to follow rather than a religion-like order.
TheStar Warsprequels established the Jedi Order as this reverent, almost regal organization with a strict focus on rules. But many stories before and since have shown why that idea is unsustainable. Does Baylan wish to accomplishwhat the Jedi Order could not? Or is he trying to abolish the idea altogether? It looks like there are 2 more episodes ofAhsokato find out.
