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https://nerdist.com/article/the-wheel-of-time-who-are-the-seanchan-season-2-villains-explained/

The ending of The Wheel of Time’s first season brought a small taste of the Seanchan and the immense power they wield. The new enemy arrived in the finale’s last moments, sailing towards a beach in massive ships, bringing a One-Power-made tsunami with them. As the show’s gone on, we’ve seen more of the Seanchan and their lack of mercy. The Seanchan demand fealty. Period. And they have the strongest of the Forsaken, Ishamael, at their side. If you’d like to know more context about the Seanchan from The Wheel of Time books without any plot spoilers, keep reading.

Who Are The Wheel of Time‘s Seanchan?

In season one of The Wheel of Time, characters mentioned something happening with ships in the west. Mysterious occurrences in the west come up in season two, as well. The Seanchan (pronounced SHAWN-chan) have arrived from that direction. But just who are the Seanchan? Well, they have an extensive history in The Wheel of Time books, but we’ll summarize.

The Seanchan empire calls a continent of the same name home in the world of The Wheel of Time. It sits thousands of miles west of the main continent, across the Aryth Ocean. After the Trolloc Wars (the same war that saw the fall of Manetheren), Artur Hawkwing sent a fleet across the ocean. Luthair Paendrag, Artur’s son, led the fleet and started a nearly 800-year process to unite the native nations, a.k.a. the Consolidation. This Consolidation formed the Seanchan Empire, ruled by an Empress or an Emperor with a very rigid class structure.

And now the Seanchan want to retake the continent their ancestors came from. They call it the Return. The Seanchan have been planning and gathering forces and supplies for the Return for decades in The Wheel of Time‘s universe. They’ve made their move thanks to Ishamael’s encouragement. And they’ve arrived in Falme with incredible numbers and formidable warriors, including a number of enslaved channelers. We see all of that in play when the Seanchan attack an unsuspecting village, Atuan’s Mill, and capture the Shienarans and Loial in The Wheel of Time‘s second season.

Alwhin tells the captives, “When the fleet of Luthair Paendrag crossed the Aryth Ocean, the return was promised.” She promises that those who swear fealty “will share in the prosperity of the Seanchan’s return, from Atuan’s Mill to Falme, to our great empire across the sea.”

Later, High Lord Turak explains the Seanchan’s purpose while scolding High Lady Suroth. They want to unite all the people of the world under their Empress to fight the shadow.

Who Rules the Seanchan?

The Seanchan have an Empress or Emperor, but their ruler doesn’t participate in the first wave of the invasion. Instead, we meet High Lady Suroth; she appears to be leading the Seanchan forces. She’s the one taking oaths of fealty in Atuan’s Mill. This The Wheel of Time season two character is part of Seanchan nobility, also known as the Blood. Originally, Seanchan nobles were strictly descendants of Paendrag, hence the name the Blood. However, as a reward for service to the Seanchan, non-descendants are occasionally raised into nobility.

The High Lady Suroth is a member of the High Blood, which sits below only the Seanchan’s Imperial family. The High Blood have the most significant leadership roles. Members of the High Blood shave the sides of their heads and grow two fingernails long and lacquer them. The color of the lacquer is connected to the wearer’s house. As we saw in The Wheel of Time TV series, when the Blood fail in some way, punishment involves cutting their nails, which they hold as a symbol of status. High Lord Turak inflicts this punishment upon Suroth.

Members of the Low Blood are still Seanchan nobility in The Wheel of Time, but they don’t hold positions of great importance.

The Seanchan Threat to Women Who Channel in The Wheel of Time

One of the primary reasons the Seanchan are such threatening conquerors is because they enslave female channelers. As we see in Atuan’s Mill, the Seanchan can identify women who channel. Soldiers then take the channelers into captivity. Women called sul’dam control the enslaved’s every moment of channeling. They call the enslaved channelers damane, which means “leashed one” in the Old Tongue. Seanchan use a ter’angreal, an object made from the One Power, to control women who have the ability to channel. It’s called an a’dam and depicted as a collar with a literal leash to a bracelet the sul-dam wear. Sul’dam means “leash holders” in the Old Tongue. When the sul’dam captured Egwene, we saw the leash. It also demonstrated sul’dam will take damane from wherever they find them and absolutely kidnap Aes Sedai. Damane are forced to enslave other damane.

As we’ve seen from the sul’dam “training” Egwene until she breaks, damane cannot ignore commands from sul’dam. They cannot remove their bonds without experiencing great pain. Damane cannot even think about harming a sul’dam. The connection the a’dam maintains damane and sul’dam prevents it. Escaping from a sul’dam is near impossible. It’s why Ryma has been trying to understand how to work the a’dam she shows Nynaeve and Egwene. She wants to set her captured sisters free.

The Seanchan sul’dam train damane to use the One Power as a weapon—something Aes Sedai make an oath not to do in The Wheel of Time. It’s a horrific use of the One Power, unlike anything we’ve seen in the TV series so far.

The Seanchan and the Battle of Falme

When the Seanchan invaded Falme, the Watchers of the Waves, a group who believe Artur Hawkwing’s descendants would return one day and maintain a watch, sent pleas for help around the world. No one answered, except for the Whitecloaks. They made a plan to remove the invaders and with the help of the Heroes of the Horn, they succeeded. The Seanchan were defeated in The Wheel of Time season two finale. Moiraine used the One Power to destroy their fleet of ships on the ocean outside Falme.

However, it’s unlikely the Seanchan are off the board as a threat. Their numbers are vast. They believe in their Empress’ cause. The Seanchan are probably here to stay.

Originally published on September 1, 2023.

The post Who Are THE WHEEL OF TIME’s Seanchan? appeared first on Nerdist.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/5-things-from-the-devil-may-cry-video-games-we-hope-gets-directly-translated-into-the-netflix-series/

Along with the iconic Resident Evil series, which has received numerous adaptations into various media, including movies, TV, and even podcasts at this point, the Devil May Cry franchise is among the most successful of CAPCOM’s IP. But even though it’s recognized as one of the greatest gaming series ever made, Devil May Cry hasn’t really received the same amount of studio adoration that Resident Evil has. Not that it wasn’t adapted into other media — there was a reasonably voice-acted Japanese-style animated series in 2007 — but most of those adaptations weren’t backed up by powerful distribution companies.

In 2018, Adi Shankar, who previously worked on Netflix’s Castlevania, teased the possibility of Devil May Cry receiving an animated series at Netflix. The news was confirmed by the streaming giant approximately one month later, but there hasn’t really been much talk about the project since then. This has since changed, as Netflix dropped an announcement trailer, proving that the project has seen some development behind the scenes.

Now that we’ve finally received a taste of the thrilling action that awaits us upon the series’ release, the Devil May Cry fandom is ecstatically discussing which aspects of DMC Netflix might adapt. In the spirit of stoking the fires of anticipation, here are five things from the Devil May Cry video games we hope get directly translated into the Netflix series.

J.D. Morrison

J.D. Morrison was the only side character from 2007’s Devil May Cry: The Animated Show who was adapted into a Devil May Cry video game. CAPCOM obviously had a change of heart when it came to Morrison’s depiction, and instead of modeling the character as a Caucasian man, as he’s portrayed in the anime, Devil May Cry 5 introduces Morrison as an older, more experienced African American man who provides the Devil May Cry agency with information.

Both his character design in the game and his voice acting depict Morrison as a middle-aged man within the game’s storyline. There was some controversy surrounding the actor voicing Morrison in Devil May Cry 5, and if Netflix chooses to bring in Morrison in its own adaptation, we’d like to hear a more suitable voice actor for the role. Keith David seems like an excellent choice.

Agni and Rudra

Besides Dante’s iconic Rebellion — the sword that was bestowed upon him by his father, the Dark Knight Sparda — Agni and Rudra are quite possibly the best weapon set in 2006’s Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening. Collectively known as Firestorm, Agni and Rudra are a pair of living twin demon swords sealed away by Sparda himself in Temen-ni-gru, and they serve as the guardians of the Firestorm Chamber.

Unlike most demons, who are belligerent toward humans just by their nature within the confines of the DMC series, Agni and Rudra are quite courteous and only attack Dante after he demands that they let him through their gate. After he defeats them, they ask to be taken with him as Devil Arms, to which Dante agrees only under the condition that they remain quiet. Though Dante later sold them as Devil’s Arms, as they constantly annoyed him, it would be nice to see these two silly and overly chatty swords in Netflix’s adaptation.

More of Trish and Lady

The details surrounding the upcoming Devil May Cry anime from Netflix still remain tightly under wraps, but Shankar has already confirmed that they’re looking at a multi-season series, much like Castlevania. Producing multiple seasons would allow Netflix to dive deeper into the Devil May Cry lore and explore its numerous characters, such as Trish and Lady. 

Trish was initially introduced in the original Devil May Cry game as an ally to Dante, but it’s later revealed that she’s a demoness created by Mundus to look identical to Dante’s mother (whom he has vague memories of) to lure and kill Dante. She’s eventually defeated by Dante and later joins the Devil May Cry agency, becoming a devil hunter alongside our stylish protagonist.

Lady, on the other hand, was introduced in Devil May Cry 3 as a human seeking revenge against her father for seeking demonic ascension. She teams up with Dante and eventually joins the Devil May Cry agency. Needless to say, both she and Trish are playable characters who are very significant to the series’ narrative, and while we’re likely to see them in the upcoming adaptation, we’d like to see the show explore their origins a bit further or for the characters to get more screen time than they got in video games.

Dante’s Awakening

Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening takes place a whole decade before the events of the first game, with Dante just opening his Devil May Cry devil-hunting agency. He’s initially portrayed as a carefree and very self-confident character who becomes entangled in the conflict instigated by his brother Vergil. The two eventually clash mid-game, and Vergil defeats Dante and stabs him with Dante’s own sword, Rebellion, which is believed to have the ability to unite both man and devil.

Unintentionally, Dante’s blood unlocks the seal on the sword, which awakens Rebellion, which, in turn, awakens Dante’s Devil Trigger — a special power that allows demons and demon-hybrids to release their inner supernatural potential and assume their demonic form. Adapting this whole event into the upcoming anime could provide the necessary character development that follows the awakening of Dante’s innate demonic powers.

Vergil

Vergil is the older twin brother of Dante and the main antagonist of the Devil May Cry franchise, and we’d like to see him in the upcoming anime as well. In the narrative, Vergil and Dante go their separate ways following the death of their mother, Eva, with Vergil rejecting his humanity and embracing his demonic heritage, in contrast to Dante. Following the events of Devil May Cry 3, he was enslaved by Mundus and trapped inside one of Machiavelli’s Black Knight Armors, becoming Nelo Angelo, one of the bosses and a primary rival to Dante in the original Devil May Cry.

Honorable Mention: Sin Devil Trigger

The Sin Devil Trigger is a second demonic transformation form, which is often referred to as the True Devil transformation. It was originally available in Devil May Cry 2 only, but following Dante’s absorption of both Rebellion and Sparda (the sword), Dante unlocks his true potential, a Sin Devil Trigger — a form powerful enough to confront the mighty Demon King. As a result of his transformation, both Rebellion and Sparda are reforged inside Dante into a whole new sword called Devil Sword Dante.

Unfortunately, beyond the short announcement trailer, Netflix has not shared any details about the DMC animated series, such as the release date or whether the series will adhere to the narrative from the video games. Whatever the case may be, the universe of Devil May Cry features some of the most fantastic things in gaming, and our “5 Things” list is way too short to account for all of them. Hopefully, fans of the Netflix original fare better.  

https://www.thenerdelement.com/2023/10/04/some-disney-news-updates/

Good evening, everyone! Today I want to talk about some of the news that came up to be very interesting to me! So, let’s get started, shall we?! Starting with some of the details of the Disneyland Forward expansion. The expansion plans reveal 16 new rides, new show could come to Disneyland Resort. New rides and attractions similar to Radiator Springs Racers, Toy Story Midway Mania and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad could be coming to Disneyland Resort if the company’s DisneylandForward expansion plans get approved by the City of Anaheim. Maps included in the 17,000-page environmental report for the proposed expansion indicate that as many as 16 new rides and a new outdoor show be added, the Orange County Register reported. The plans show a potential new theme park stationed on the Downtown Disney and Lilo and Stitch parking lots, woven amid the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel – which is currently getting reimagined into the Pixar Place Hotel. Maps of the westside site bordered by Katella Avenue, Walnut Street, Magic Way and Disneyland Drive show plans for five thrill rides, nine family rides, two round rides and an outdoor show, the Register reported. The two outdoor rides would be similar to Big Thunder Mountain and Incredicoaster and the three indoor rides would be similar to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance or Space Mountain. Autopia and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree would be the inspiration behind the five proposed outdoor family rides, while the four indoor family rides would be similar to Soarin’ Around the World and Haunted Mansion. The two round rides would resemble Dumbo the Flying Elephant and King Arthur’s Carrousel. The beloved “World of Color” and “Fantasmic” shows would be the inspiration behind the new proposed outdoor show. Should Disney receive approval for the plans, it would implement temporary sound barriers during construction and permanent 12-foot noise barriers along property lines outlined in expansion plans to combat noise. Fireworks would also be prohibited in proposed expansion areas to mitigate noise levels in the surrounding communities, according to the report. Last month, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro talked about the possibility of bringing Frozen’s Arendelle, Black Panther’s Wakanda and Coco’s Santa Cecilia to life in some capacity at the “Happiest Place on Earth” and potentially its sister park in Orlando. Disney fans have theorized that lands, rides, and attractions based on “Tangled,” “Zootopia” and “Tron,” or expanded areas based on “Peter Pan” and “Toy Story” could also be in the works, should Disney receive approval. I think I would love to see some new rides added such as the Happy Baymax ride at Tokyo Disneyland, Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast like Tokyo Disneyland, Frozen Ever After like at Epcot, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train like at Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland. These additions would fit well in Disneyland Park, depending how big the buildings are. In California Adventure, I would like to see some new rides like Slinky Dog Dash like in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure like at Epcot, A Bug’s Life attraction, and maybe Alien Swirling Saucers also at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It can have more Pixar rides.

In other news… A new Disneyland Hotel called the Villas has officially opened up on September 28^th. On Thursday, Disneyland opened the new tower at the Disneyland Hotel — and debuted a kind of hotel room the resort has never had before. And it has the lowest rate possible at the hotel. While the grandest of the rooms, a three-bedroom villa, can cost almost $6,000 a night in peak times, the new tower also has the Disneyland Hotel’s most affordable room, called a Duo Studio, which sleeps two and costs significantly less than what used to be the least expensive accommodation at the hotel. These Duo Studio rooms are smaller than the standard rooms at the Disneyland Hotel: They sleep only two but still feel spacious because the sitting area converts into the bedroom by lowering the Murphy bed (which has a queen-sized mattress) down from the wall. Some have balconies and views of the Disneyland Hotel monorail pool and the Disneyland Park fireworks. Similar rooms, called Deluxe Studios, debuted at Walt Disney World’s Riviera Resort in 2019 but have never been at Disneyland before. The new tower of the Disneyland Hotel is called the Discovery Tower, also called the Villas at the Disneyland Hotel, which is a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) property. Disney Vacation Club is a timeshare vacation program where members purchase points, they then use to book rooms (referred to as “villas” by Disney) at DVC hotels around the world. Buy-in can cost tens of thousands of dollars; for those who can afford it, it’s like prepaying for a decade of Disney vacations. That means when members want to book at the property, priority goes to them; a certain number of rooms are reserved strictly for DVC members. Another perk for DVC members staying at the villas is that they have exclusive access to a private lounge in Disneyland. Called Star View Station Member Lounge, the area is on the second floor of Star Wars: Launch Bay in Tomorrowland and is inspired by Walt Disney’s fascination with space travel. It even has a replica spacecraft he used as a prop in “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color” TV show. But the tower is also open to regular guests, as of Sept. 28. These villas can be booked by nonmembers through the Disneyland Hotel website. The Deluxe Studios have kitchenettes, unlike the standard rooms in the other towers, and any larger villa (one to three bedrooms) has a full kitchen and in-unit laundry. The other major perk is that the Discovery Tower has a private pool. It might not have monorail water slides like the main hotel, but it does have a “Steamboat Willie”-inspired splash pad with Mickey Mouse. The rest of the hotel is in blazing color — the splash pad, as an homage to the cartoon, is in black and white. A standard room in the Disneyland Hotel, in one of the original three towers, sleeps four (though some rooms sleep five because of a daybed). On Jan. 9, 2024, for example, a standard-view room in one of the three other towers of the Disneyland Hotel — the Fantasy, Adventure and Frontier towers — costs $466 a night. On the same night in the Discovery Tower, a standard-view Duo Studio “villa” is $394. A standard view Deluxe Studio villa, which sleeps four and has a kitchenette, is $525. A standard room at Pixar Place, Disney’s most affordable (but still expensive) room, costs $356 on that night. On May 14, a standard room is $669. In the villas, a Duo Studio is $566, and a Deluxe Studio is $755. A standard room at Pixar Place costs $503. SFGATE attended a media preview of the villas Thursday, before guests checked in for the night. While the other three towers of the hotel are themed to lands inside the park, the Discovery Tower is more inspired by the company’s history of animation. Rooms are themed to one of four Disney movies: “Fantasia,” “The Jungle Book,” “Sleeping Beauty” and “The Princess and the Frog.” The three-bedroom Grand Villas include all four in the space, plus movies like “Bambi.” “We wanted to have an original story,” principal interior designer Anne Miller told SFGATE, but Disney wanted that story to start from “older stories from the golden era [of Disney animation] because they inspired Disneyland and the Disneyland Hotel.” “We wanted to tie into that history of Disneyland,” she added, “but we also wanted to bring in some newer stories too.” The detailing is gorgeous: The carpets have quotations from the movies woven into them, the original wallpaper designs reflect the animation aesthetic, and the bathtubs in the larger villas feature luminous mosaics. Every closet has another interesting detail inside. Even the mirrors and light fixtures are customized to match the theme. But as much as it’s a departure architecturally from the rest of the hotel, it still feels like it’s part of the same environment. The lobby has a huge mural by Disney animation artist Lorelay Bové, which incorporates movies from “Bambi” and “Alice in Wonderland” all the way to “Raya and the Last Dragon” and the forthcoming “Wish.” The inspiration she drew from Disney legend Mary Blair (responsible for the It’s a Small World aesthetic and many other iconic Disneyland moments) is clear in the artwork, which feels modern despite its retro-inspired aesthetic. I am really excited to see this new hotel in person!!

New Genie Plus Additions… Disneyland has announced that the 2 new rides called Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland’s Mickey’s Toon Town and the Little Mermaid, Ariel’s Undersea Adventure will be added to Genie Plus starting next month. Don’t know when, but sometime next month. In Disneyland, you can purchase and activate Genie+ once you enter a theme park. Then you can book a Lightning Lane for an attraction! Wow! This is very interesting. They want people to keep using genie plus and it increases the service value.

The last news… Disneyland has announced that families can buy a discount ticket for kids than can now visit for $50 per day. If you haven’t already started planning your family’s 2024 Disneyland trip, now is the time. The new year is quickly approaching, and you need to get a head start if you want to score a hotel room near the parks, get the best dining reservations and have enough time to learn how to navigate Disney Genie+ and all the perks (like free Disney PhotoPass attraction photos) that come along with the skip-the-line service. If you want to save money on your Disneyland vacation, you can take advantage of a limited-time special ticket offer that brings the price of Disneyland kids tickets down to as low as $50 per child per day. Beginning Oct. 24, you can purchase a child’s ticket (valid for kids ages 3-9) for use between Jan. 8, 2024, and March 10, 2024, starting at just $50 per day. This special offer applies to one-, two- or three-day single-park or Park Hopper tickets. Like with all Disneyland tickets, you will have the availability to add Disney Genie+ starting at an additional $25 per day. There are no blackout dates, but you will still need a theme park reservation to get into your chosen park for the day (or your first park of the day if you purchase Park Hopper tickets). The discounted kids’ tickets will expire 13 days after the first use or March 10, 2024, whichever comes first. Regularly priced Disneyland kids’ tickets can run as high as $179 per day for a one-day, one-park ticket or about $113 per day for a three-day, one-park-per-day ticket. How much you can save with this new offer will likely depend on the dates and length of your visit. Disneyland will release more details when the discount becomes available Oct. 24, so stay tuned for further updates or check Disneyland’s “Offers & Discounts” page on that date. For now, you can read these related stories to start planning your next visit to The Happiest Place on Earth.

So, what are your thoughts and comments about these news?! Which part of the news interests you the most? Pick one!!! Stay tuned for Disney updates.

The post Some Disney News Updates appeared first on The Nerd Element.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/how-ahsoka-tano-taught-me-lessons-i-didnt-know-i-needed-to-learn/

To be completely transparent, I am not a Star Wars fan. Therefore, I’m not writing for people who can quote Luke Skywalker and have stormtrooper paraphernalia. I’m writing this article for women like me who have admired and needed strong female leads.

Although I’m not a fan of the franchise, that’s not to say that I won’t one day give it a chance and admire Anakin Skywalker like everyone else. However, for the sake of this article, I want to focus on Rosario Dawson’s character, Ahsoka Tano.

After all, she is why I continued watching the show, which just finished its first season that streamed on Disney+. Even though I only understood half of each character’s complex backstories in the first few episodes, I didn’t switch to another series. Ahsoka captured my attention and solidified my commitment to the show. 

Ahsoka was a character I knew very little about. I still don’t know if what is attached to her head is hair or an extra body part. Yet I was amazed by her talents. She wielded two lightsabers and destroyed her opponents with them. She is a multi-layered heroine who taught me about life and how to navigate through life’s challenges with grace and skill. 

Here are the lessons I took away from watching Ahsoka, and here’s why I think every woman should embody parts of this character.

Before you read on, there are some spoilers, so I continue at your own risk.

How to be a respectable rebel

I don’t know how often her robot partner, Huyang, told her she wasn’t following Jedi protocol. Yet she knew that sometimes following pre-dated regulations doesn’t always lead to the best outcome.

While she bent the rules occasionally, she still respected what it meant to be a Jedi. She trained, and she honored her teachings from her master. When she fought against her master, Anakin, she put up a good fight. Yet she respectfully disobeyed yet defeated Anakin during their fight sequence.

Life isn’t black and white. Often, rules are set to help us; sometimes, as women, we must live by our own rules and honor who we are. 

It’s okay to show both my hard and soft sides

As a Jedi, she is an exceptional fighter. Robots, stormtroopers, a powerful witch, you throw almost any opponent at her, and she can defeat them. The execution of these fight scenes is something I enjoy about the show. The way Ahsoka gracefully and fiercely maneuvered her lightsaber made me question why there’s the expression “you hit like a girl.”

Despite her toughness, her soft side came out when she wasn’t in fighter mode. Her words were often soft-spoken and chosen carefully. She was thoughtful and curious. 

Ahsoka’s actions are great reminders that women must be tough, but showing our soft side doesn’t mean we are weak. Yet if someone mistakes softness for weakness, like Ahsoka, it’s okay to show off some ass-kicking moves.

The importance of forgiveness and compassion

The show exhibited many disappointing moments between Ahsoka and her former apprentice, Sabine Wren. I know that Ahsoka was especially disappointed when Sabine went willingly with the enemy. Heck, I was mad at Sabine for giving up so easily.

Yet, as disappointing as the situation was, Ahsoka looked past it. She never questioned Sabine on why she did what she did. She didn’t scold her for her decisions. Instead, Ahsoka showed Sabine compassion, just as her master showed her. 

These scenes were great reminders that even when the ones we care about may frustrate us, showing them compassion is essential. 

The value of hard work and dedication

Ahsoka did not have a day off. When she wasn’t trying to get ahead of her enemy’s plans, she was training, meditating, and always staying on top of her game.

Thanks to Ahsoka, I’ll be hitting the gym more often. However, besides staying physically fit, I was reminded that it’s important to stay mentally fit. When you’re mentally strong, you leverage more power than with physical strength alone. No, I’m not talking about wielding the force.

Mental strength means having a clear mind to make the best decisions. Ahsoka taught me that life doesn’t always get easier, but I can overcome challenges with the right training. 

Whether we are a mentor or a mentee, we are all learning from each other 

Throughout the series, the theme of master and apprentice is seen with Ahsoka and Sabine, the crazy old guy, and the feisty blonde girl, Ahsoka and Anakin. There was always one person whose role was to listen to and follow the lead of the other. However, Ahsoka showed me that relationships are bi-lateral.

Although in a mentorship, one person is more skilled than the other and has knowledge and wisdom to bestow on the other, that doesn’t mean the teaching goes one way.

I watched Ahsoka be distrusting, doubtful, and perhaps even a little upset at her former apprentice. But in the end, she learned to trust her, even when she made decisions she disagreed with. 

Relationships, whether master and apprentice, best friends, parents, and children, aren’t always about what one person can teach the other. They are about how each other can grow from the relationship itself. 

The importance of trusting myself

During one episode, Ahsoka somehow communicated with a space whale and convinced it to carry her and her ship inside the whale’s mouth to another galaxy. It was quite the plot twist for me. What I admired at that moment was how calm she was in uncertainty. She had no way of knowing how things were going to turn out. When basic logic and Huyang dictated that something could go wrong, she trusted her instinct. 

In those moments of uncertainty, it wasn’t about making the right decision. Instead, Ahsoka focused on trusting that she could handle the outcome no matter where life led her.

Life is uncertain, and most of us, especially myself, often want some guarantee of a positive outcome. Someone, please tell me if I take this risk, everything will work out okay. Yet, instead of needing outside confirmation that I’ll be okay, I can take a page from Ahsoka and trust myself. I can remind myself that despite the outcome, I will be okay. 

Embraces new beginnings

Ultimately, Ahsoka became stranded in some random galaxy that looks like a desert wasteland. Instead of regretting her decision and trying to restrategize, she accepted that she was where she was supposed to be. 

Her peaceful acceptance reminded me that new beginnings aren’t always bad; instead, they are opportunities.