Ahsoka Sabine

Sabine has a bad attitude, so to speak. She was mostly like that in Rebels too iirc, a punk with a chip on her shoulder who was raised to be nobility but rebelled against them too because they were subservient to the Empire. In other words, she’s a very headstrong personality, perhaps to a fault, but that quality can be very useful for a revolutionary.

When we see her in Ahsoka though the revolution is over and there’s no outlet for her anti-establishment tendencies. She seems to be on the verge of quitting the NR military, or forcing them to kick her out. We don’t know the full story between her and Ahsoka, but she clearly didn’t do well as a padawan either. All told I think it’s a complex picture of someone who lacks a sense of purpose, but I still find her sympathetic and likable enough.

 

Yeah, her sarcastic jokey attitude is getting annoying. The quips about wanting a window in her cell. Her uninterested and unimpressed interactions with the Sisters and when meeting Thrawn. She acts like she's the most powerful person in the room, when she's the least.

Not even Han was this blustery.

She's had a few blunders this series. Major ones. And they don't seem to impact her cockiness. I want that gone. I want to see a vulnerable and humble character. it's no wonder she can't use the force.

 

I imagine this is all part of her journey to be resolved at some point in this show, another season or movie. She was like this all through Rebels. She was quippy and sarcastic to people in power in that show too, that is a very consistent part of her character and in terms of Thrawn, this isn’t her first rodeo with him.

 

I liked Ahsoka's measured reaction to Sabine's choice. She shows empathy and understanding to Sabine while not exonerating her and also lamenting that she wasn't able to properly prepare her. Thrawn really hammered it in too to her, I'm interested to see what they have planned for her to redeem herself (sacrificing herself? I think of all the characters she feels least likely to come back)

I would agree Sabine of all the characters feels a little off. She feels too immature and the quips are kinda tired. I think they could have matched her demeanor more to her age/experience more while still having her on a "padawan" journey. That said I still like her place in the overall story and they did a good job with making it much more understandable knowing her family died and all that.

 

Well...actually I think she is too immature, too rebellish, too cocky. But I have to admit that I still like her. I think it's because I like the overall design and because I find her cute.

 

Oh I understand there's an arc here. But its wearing out its welcome a bit for me at this point. Devoted arrogance after failure is a fine line for me.

 

I’ve seen so much commentary from people who wanted more melodramatic waterworks and emotional hooha from Ezra and Sabine’s reunion, but I think the way Filoni played it was absolutely perfect. That mix of joy and uncertainty and awkwardness and the use of humor to break tension is so true to life in terms of reunions after a long separation. I’m glad Filoni didn’t go too syrupy or schmaltzy with it. That’s generally not the Star Wars way.

 

Also she clearly was not ready to tell him how she got there

 

Hey remember when a lot of people thought Sabine going with Baylan meant she was going to the dark side? Yep, that didn't happen. Shocker!

 

Does Sabine assume that Ahsoka is alive or dead? She saw her over over the ledge and that was it. Right? Then she hands over the map to Baylan so she can find Esra. Then she's locked up an complaining about no windows in her cell.

This even should have had more impact on her. It's not a fall to the dark side moment, but she should be feeling really low right now. Even if she's getting what she wants.

 

Billions of people's lives were just put in jeopardy all because Sabine really, REALLY wanted to find Ezra. She put her own self interest ahead of billions. That could be an interesting foundation for telling a story about how Sabine started down a dark path all in the name of trying to save one person. Will she learn that she shouldn't have gambled so much just for Ezra. Thrawn asks as much too. It's all ripe for good storytelling but I honestly think Sabine will tell Ezra what happened, and she'll be all, "yeah, my bad" and Ezra will be mad at her for a minute and then they'll move on. Maybe that's not exactly how it'll play out but, in the end I don't think Sabine's really going to suffer for her actions too much.

 

Well Huyang says its not totally selfish choice and dark.

 

One of Sabine's best looks.

 

Complementing that, these are some vulnerable and/or humble moments that have stood out for me.

Spoiler

 

I mean, in the moment, that one person she was trying to save may have been herself. After all, her only chance of living was to surrender the map dealie.

[Edited to add: A problem with laying such blame on Sabine is that Ahsoka kind of rang the bell that couldn't be unrung. It was her search for Thrawn; it was her who proceeded to tie it to a search for Ezra.]

Related to above, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't what Huyang said was that perhaps Sabine didn't act willingly?

 

More like she made a choice to be reunited with a friend. And thats not bad

 

Yep, good point. Actually a point I've made myself. Just having a little snarky fun.

 

Not precisely.

Ahsoka says Sabine went with the enemy "willingly," Huyang says that's impossible, Ahsoka says she saw it through the map, Huyang says that's troubling, and then they discuss Thrawn, Ezra, etc. Ahsoka says there wasn't enough time to prepare Sabine to make the right choice. Huyang retorts that the Force provides Ahsoka with insight but perhaps not all the answers. Ahsoka asks what that means, and Huyang responds, "Perhaps, for Sabine, it was the only choice."* Ahsoka sighs and says it's a choice Sabine made for herself. And Huyang says that is Ahsoka's fear. Ahsoka then deflects and asks Huyang to tell one of those stories. We get the "GFFA" line, smash cut to credits, and the next thing we see is Sabine in her cell aboard the Eye of Scion.

The tenor of this conversation suggests Ahsoka's understanding that Sabine simply (and willingly) chose to surrender the map dealie in the interest of seeing Ezra may be incomplete.

*The "only choice" is no choice at all.

 

I don't see Sabine's choice as a primarily "selfish" one. I think that's an extremely harsh interpretation. She did it to save a friend. That's fundamentally a loving and noble impulse, even if a cold utilitarian analysis says that it won't produce the most happiness for the most people. Connection and friendship should not be seen as a selfish thing.

 

Maybe it's the Jarhead in me...but it is a risk / reward thing. Sure she is trying to get to Ezra and bring him back...but the risk of Thrawn coming back is too big to save one person and make her feel better about herself.

 

I agree that it was probably a "wrong" choice in a utilitarian sense, but what I don't agree with is the suggestion that she primarily did it to "feel better about herself". That might be in the mix to some extent, but I think primarily she did it to rescue someone.

 

But every show needs their Quipy one

 

Amoral familism is not a virtue. Limited, emotional empathy for one’s in-group, whether one’s family, friends or ethnic group (which one could define as an attachment), often leads to justifications for horrific injustices and death. I’d argue it’s one of the central ills of human society. We justify or look the other way on so many horrors, because those things help provide security for the small group of people we love. Society would be a much better place if more people thought like Ahsoka, and fewer people acted like Sabine.

That said, what Sabine did is very human and understandable.

And that conflict is why the attachment theme in Star Wars is the most powerful, provocative and profound one.

 

Hmm I would argue that that's an extremely broad-stroke use of the term "amoral familism" and not really applicable here. And I certainly can't agree that loving acts within the context of a relationship of connection are devoid of virtue.

But I'd also argue that there was so much uncertainty and so many variables in the circumstances surrounding Sabine's decision that it can't be simplistically described as her choosing 1 life over X number of lives that will be lost as a result of Thrawn's invasion (even if I accepted bare utilitarianism as the be-all and end-all of the ethics involved).

 

That latter part I agree with. Because Sabine wasn’t presented with the option of directly saving billions of people, or saving Ezra. There’s enough uncertainty about what the consequences will be of handing over the star map that she has some room to justify - even from a utilitarian perspective. Though ultimately, I do think it was the wrong choice, from that same perspective. Ultimately, the choice was “Hand over this thing that greatly increases the possibility of resurrecting Hitler and a portion of the Third Reich army, and you will possibly get to see/ rescue your friend as a result, if he’s alive” or “Destroy this thing and snuff out the possibility of resurrecting Hitler and a portion of the Third Reich army, and you will likely never see your friend again.”

I think the first choice is the far more moral one, but the latter choice is also very human. And many, I suspect, would make it.

Ultimately, Kantian ethics is far too inadequate, IMO, for highly advanced societies that possess massively destructive technological capabilities. Without observing utilitarian ethics, a complex society like the one in Star Wars would very quickly end in total catastrophe. And that’s why the utilitarian approach of the Jedi Order, and it seems other “good guy” institutions in Star Wars, is at the heart of the franchise’s ethics.