I can’t deny that Ahsoka Tano. However, Anakin pulled back when Ahsoka needed her master the most: a decision that shaped the galaxy.

The Marvel Comics miniseries Star Wars: Obi-Wan & Anakin by Charles Soule and Marco Checchetto follows a young Anakin as he questions his place in the Jedi Order. Anakin expresses that he wants to leave, as he feels like there’s so much more waiting for him in the galaxy.

Similarly to her master, Ahsoka Tano finds herself disillusioned with the Jedi Order as a whole in the animated series Star Wars: The Clones Wars. The parallel stories show a stark difference between how Obi-Wan and Anakin respond to their padawans, with Anakin making all the wrong choices with Ahsoka compared to Obi-Wan's choices with him.

Anakin and Ahsoka Both Questioned the Jedi Order and Their Place in it

Anakin's Questions Begin in Star Wars: Obi-Wan & Anakin #1 by Charles Soule, Marco Checchetto, Andres Mossa, and Joe Caramagna

In Star Wars: Obi-Wan & Anakin, Obi-Wan calmly discusses Anakin’s feelings with him and guides him through what was to be Anakin’s final mission, if Anakin chose to leave. However, behind the scenes, Obi-Wan blatantly informed Yoda that if Anakin left the Order, he would go with his apprentice and continue to train him, following Qui-Gon’s dying wish. Though Yoda notes that such a move would be considered treason, Obi-Wan was steadfast in his decision. When I think of what a Jedi should be, I think of Obi-Wan Kenobi. So seeing him blatantly defying the law for the sake of his padawan is a striking move.

Though Anakin has unwavering faith in Ahsoka and her innocence, he takes her defection from the Order on a more personal level...

Anakin, on the other hand, ultimately did not share his master’s dedication to following his apprentice’s path. In The Clone Wars season 5, episode 20, “The Wrong Jedi,” Ahsoka chooses to leave the Jedi Order after the Council puts her on trial and treats her like a criminal for something she did not do. Though Anakin has unwavering faith in Ahsoka and her innocence, he takes her defection from the Order on a more personal level, leading to a sense of abandonment by one of the people he loved the most.

Anakin and Ahsoka Were a Perfect Fit as Master and Apprentice

Anakin Needed Ahsoka as Much as She Needed Him

Don’t get me wrong; I think Anakin was not only a great master for Ahsoka but was actually the best master she could have possibly had. Ahsoka and Anakin were both full of spunk and willing to do the unexpected, constantly surprising the rigid Jedi Council with their unorthodox ways of approaching problems. I don’t think Anakin could not have connected with another padawan the way he did with Ahsoka.

Conversely, Ahsoka would not have flourished and become the pivotal figure she was destined to be without Anakin as her mentor. The two were essentially made for each other, pushing each other to be better, smarter, and stronger Jedi. But in the end, Anakin’s raw emotions - as they often did - got in the way of making the right decision for Ahsoka. In the Disney+ series Ahsoka, the Anakin that Ahsoka meets in the World Between Worlds anguishes that she abandoned him when he needed her the most, and lashes out with the emotions that eventually would consume Anakin and turn him into Vader.

Don't forget to check out Ahsoka's own comic-book journey in Star Wars: Ahsoka #1 by Rodney Barnes, Steven Cummings, Wayne Faucher, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Travis Lanham, which is available now from Marvel Comics.

Whereas Obi-Wan reacted to Anakin questioning his place in the Jedi Order with unwavering devotion and selflessness, thinking only of what he could do to continue to guide his young padawan, Anakin ultimately behaved in the opposite manner to his master. Though I don’t think Anakin ever intentionally planned to let Ahsoka down, as he loved her too much to ever hurt her consciously, he failed to see things from her perspective. He wants her to stay, yet never considers following her when such an act would have been not only the best for Ahsoka, but for Anakin as well.

Anakin's Choice at the Crucial Crossroad for Ahsoka Rippled Through the Galaxy

Everything Would Have Changed if Anakin Had Followed Ahsoka

Had Anakin chosen to go with Ahsoka, every problem he faced with trying to marry his place as a Jedi with his secret life with Pe would have been resolved in that instant. But beyond the personal benefits, Anakin did not have the strength to do what Obi-Wan would have. Whereas Obi-Wan was prepared to leave the Jedi Order with Anakin to stand by his padawan and continue to train him, Anakin lets Ahsoka walk away from the life of a Jedi after years of being her master.

By allowing Ahsoka to leave the Jedi Order alone, Anakin failed to complete her training and took away the most important person in her life, the one person she looked to for guidance and . Though Anakin harbored deep feelings of resentment towards Ahsoka for “abandoning” him, he could not see that he was actually the one not standing by her side. Anakin’s choice to stand aside and let Ahsoka walk away broke off a vital piece of his heart and further isolated himself from someone who could have swayed the dark path he wound up taking, thus determining the whole future of the galaxy at that moment.

Could Ahsoka's Choice to Leave the Order Have Changed Anakin's Fate?

Fans Have Differing Opinions

Whether Ahsoka could have prevented Anakin from becoming Darth Vader is a hotly debated topic. But I think there’s nothing to debate; Ahsoka easily would have been a huge influence in keeping Anakin from being swayed by Palpatine’s manipulation. Ahsoka, had she stayed in the Order and been at Anakin’s side, would have clearly seen the path Anakin was being pulled towards. Obi-Wan missed it, or overlooked any possible misgivings. Pe missed it and trusted that Anakin would find a way to handle his inner turmoil. But Ahsoka and Anakin had a unique connection.

Ahsoka was never afraid to confront her master. She was never one to hold her tongue, much like Anakin himself. Out of everyone, I don’t think Anakin could have ever raised his lightsaber against his beloved padawan to strike her down, even under Palpatine’s influence. However, whether Anakin would have fallen to the dark side would have been moot if he had been the type of master that Obi-Wan was: one willing and ready to follow his apprentice, no matter the cost.

As Thrawn said to Ahsoka in Ahsoka: "I suppose you do come from a long line of non-traditional Jedi." Qui-Gon’s insistence on taking on Anakin, Obi-Wan’s promise to commit treason against the Jedi, and Anakin and Ahsoka’s entire way of being Jedi were all certainly non-traditional. In the end, Anakin let his own feelings about the Jedi Council get in the way of seeing that his apprentice needed him to take that step at such a monumental moment in her life. In failing to Ahsoka Tano by leaving the Order with her, Anakin Skywalker sealed his fate - and the fate of the entire galaxy.

Star Wars: Obi-Wan & Anakin is available now from Marvel Comics.

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  Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader

  Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Pé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine's right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.
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  Ahsoka Tano

  The apprentice of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano was an accomplished Padawan who served during the Clone Wars. Ahsoka left the Jedi after she became disillusioned with the Jedi Council, but returned to serve in the Siege of Mandalore at the end of the Clone Wars. She survived Order 66, becoming a Rebel agent during the Dark Times of the Empire's reign, and her adventures continue in the New Republic era. Ahsoka was last seen stranded in a distant galaxy, having failed to prevent Grand iral Thrawn's return.