Ahsoka’s Giant Statues: What They Are And What They Mean For Season 2
The Ahsoka finale had quite a few thrilling moments—zombie stormtroopers!—but was noticeably light on scenes involving the series’ two antagonists, Baylan Skoll and his apprentice Shin Hati. Each of the dark Jedi was given one scene: Shin was shown aligning herself with the mysterious bandits that plague the natives of Peridea, and Baylan was seen…walking on a giant hand. While Baylan’s last scene in Ahsoka may have seemed anti-climactic to the casual Star Wars fan, diehard devotees of the church of Lucas know that it was the single most important scene in the whole eight-episode arc because that wasn’t just any hand Baylan Skoll was standing upon. It belongs to the Father.
Or rather, a statue of the Father flanked on the right by a similar statue of the Son. On the left of the Father are the remains of what was once a monument to the daughter. Together, the trio of statues represent the Mortis gods, a family of uber-powerful Force wielders first introduced in the Clone Wars animated series.
What does Baylan Skoll want with the Mortis gods, and are they the ones that were calling to him throughout Ahsoka, or was it something else, something malevolent?
The statues resemble a similar pair of sculptures from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, constructed to mark the northern border of Gondor. The statues—collectively known as “The Argonath” also show a father and son, legendary warrior Isildur and his father Elendil, but that’s where the similarities end.
While the statues in Lord of the Rings represented a people’s admiration for their heroes, the ones in Ahsoka have a more mysterious origin, most likely based upon worship…or fear.
The Mortis Gods Of Star Wars
In Star Wars, the Mortis gods were a trio of Force users that lived on the planet Mortis. The family consisted of the Father, who represented Balance in the Force, the Son, who embodied the dark side, and the daughter, who was synonymous with the light. The Mortis gods have lived for over a million years in the Star Wars universe, with the two siblings fighting an unending battle and the Father attempting to keep the peace.
It was that very sibling rivalry that led to Ahsoka being killed during her visit to Mortis in the middle of the Clone Wars. When further fighting between the Son and his sister resulted in the Daughter being wounded, she transferred what was left of her life essence into Ahsoka, resurrecting her. This is most likely the reason why the Daughter’s statue on Peridea is mostly destroyed.
Given that the Nightsisters were known to worship the Mortis gods, it’s not surprising to see statues of them on Peridea. The real question is, what does Baylan Skoll want with the Mortis gods, and are they the ones that were calling to him throughout Ahsoka, or was it something else, something malevolent?
The most interesting aspect of the Mortis gods and possibly the thing that connects them to what Baylan was searching for is the one family member not represented by a statue in the Ahsoka finale: the Mother. Originally a young woman who somehow ended up in the presence of the Mortis gods, the Mother started out as their servant before falling in love with the Father and convincing the two warring siblings to live in peace.
Abeloth, The Bringer Of Chaos
The Mother, unlike the other Mortis gods, was mortal and aged as such. In a desperate effort to preserve her life and gain the same power as the rest of her family, the Mother drank from a pair of forbidden fountains and transformed into Abeloth, the Bringer of Chaos.
While Abeloth has yet to make the leap into canon like the Father and his children, in legends, she was one of the most terrifying villains in the Star Wars universe. Abeloth’s transformation drove her mad, and she wanted nothing more than to cause the galaxy great destruction and despair.
Over the course of hundreds of thousands of years, the other Mortis gods would imprison or otherwise defeat Abeloth time and time again, only to have her come back each time like the Star Wars equivalent of Jason Vorhees.
Could it be that Abeloth is what is calling to Baylan under the guise of the less destructive Mortis gods? All we know is that the arm of the Father statue that Baylan was standing on in the Ahsoka finale is pointing at something or someone in the distance.
That, coupled with the fact that the Nightsisters were so eager to leave Peridea despite it being their ancestral home, hints at something very powerful and possibly sinister lurking on Peridea waiting to be awakened.
