Ahsoka Tano was a young Jedi Padawan who was assigned to Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars. She was a skilled fighter and played a key role in many battles. However, she was framed for a crime she didn’t commit and betrayed by the Jedi Council. This led her to walk away from the Jedi Order. But who exactly was behind her expulsion from the Order? Let’s take a closer look at the key events and suspects.
Quick Summary
Ahsoka Tano was framed for orchestrating a terrorist attack on the Jedi Temple. She was expelled from the Jedi Order and turned over to the Republic for trial. The true culprit was her friend Barriss Offee, who bombed the Temple to protest the Jedi’s wartime policies. Though Ahsoka was offered reinstatement, she refused and left the Order disillusioned.
The Bombing of the Jedi Temple
The incident that kickstarted Ahsoka’s expulsion was the bombing of the Jedi Temple hangar. The attack killed several Jedi and clone troopers. Ahsoka was seen fleeing the scene and identified as the likely culprit. She went into hiding to prove her innocence.
The Jedi Council did little to defend her. Certain Council members like Mace Windu assumed her guilty from the start. Others like Plo Koon were more conflicted but did not override the Council. Only Anakin stood by Ahsoka’s side and sought to clear her name.
Key Suspects in the Bombing
Several suspects emerged in the bombing investigation:
- Ahsoka Tano: Seen fleeing the hangar after the blast, though claimed to be chasing the real culprit.
- Asajj Ventress: Former Sith and longtime foe of the Jedi. Was on Coruscant at the time.
- Barriss Offee: Ahsoka’s friend who aided in the investigation but later revealed as the mastermind.
- Letta Turmond: radical anti-Jedi activist who fed Ahsoka information but was later murdered.
The most suspicious was Ventress due to her past animosity toward the Jedi. However, she was ruled out and the evidence eventually pointed to Barriss Offee.
The Trial of Ahsoka Tano
Despite catching the true perpetrator, the Jedi Council continued to show little trust in Ahsoka. They expelled her from the Order and turned her over to the Republic for trial. The penalty for her alleged crimes was death.
During the trial, Ahsoka was defended by Senator Padmé Amidala while prosecuted by Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin. Anakin again proved staunchly loyal and defied the Council to provide key evidence and testimony to exonerate her.
In the end the charges were dropped, but the damage was done. The Council offered to welcome Ahsoka back to the Order, but she refused and abandoned her Jedi path.
Betrayal by the Jedi Council
The Council’s lack of trust in Ahsoka was seen as a betrayal by many. Rather than stand by one of their own, they willingly gave her up to military authorities and a possible death sentence. Their offer to reinstate her seemed more an admission of guilt than an act of faith.
According to Ahsoka, this betrayal had been building for a while. She felt the Council was using her and other Padawans as tools in the war. The Council believed themselves infallible, yet they could not see the threat within their own ranks.
Barriss Offee’s Motives
Barriss Offee was revealed as the Jedi Temple bomber. Once Ahsoka’s friend, Barriss had grown disillusioned with the Jedi Order and their conduct during the war. Her specific motives included:
- Protesting Jedi involvement in the Clone Wars
- Taking violent action to make her voice heard
- Exposing Jedi hypocrisy and fallibility
- Causing the Jedi to lose faith in themselves
- Framed Ahsoka to make her point about the Jedi
In Barriss’s view, the Jedi had lost their way as keepers of peace and justice. By framing Ahsoka, she hoped the Jedi would realize their failures and reconsider their role in the war.
Confession of Barriss Offee
Once exposed, Barriss confessed her crimes to Ahsoka, Anakin, and the Jedi Council. She explained her motivations and called out the Jedi for betraying their values. Barriss was unrepentant and insisted violent action was the only way to make the Jedi see the truth.
Her fate following these confessions is unclear. Some sources say she was imprisoned, others that she was executed for her treason. Either way, she remained committed to exposing hypocrisy within the Jedi ranks.
The Jedi Council’s Failings
While Barriss’s actions were extreme, she did highlight legitimate shortcomings in the Jedi Council’s leadership:
- Aggressive pursuit of the war at the expense of Jedi ideals
- Using Padawans like Ahsoka as military commanders
- Arrogance and infallibility in their judgments
- Self-righteousness against dissenting voices
- Lack of trust in Ahsoka despite years of loyalty
Their treatment of Ahsoka proved Barriss’s point. The Council assumed her guilt, gave her no benefit of doubt, and were ready to hand her over for execution. Only later did they admit fault, but by then the damage was done.
Anakin Skywalker’s Loyalty
In contrast to the Council, Anakin Skywalker offered fierce loyalty and support for Ahsoka through her ordeal. He broke rules and defied orders to prove her innocence. According to Ahsoka, she could never have survived the ordeal without Anakin’s faith in her.
This loyalty further cultivated Anakin’s distrust in the Jedi Council that would ultimately lead him down a dark path. He saw firsthand how the Jedi would betray even the most loyal among them.
Ahsoka’s Departure from the Jedi Order
In the aftermath of her trial, Ahsoka was invited to rejoin the Jedi Order. But their betrayal had irrevocably shaken her faith in their leadership. She refused their offer and chose to walk her own path.
Ahsoka laid much of the blame at the feet of the Council:
“I’ve lost faith in them. I understand wanting to catch the criminals who orchestrated the attack, but they gave in to the pressure and blamed me without any evidence at all. The Council was so certain… I would never have walked away from the Order if they hadn’t done that. It’s their fault, not mine.”
Her decision proved insightful later as the Jedi faced extinction under Order 66. By leaving, Ahsoka escaped this fate.
Lasting Impact on Ahsoka
The framing and betrayal had a deep impact on Ahsoka’s development. It shook her moral compass, but ultimately made her more resilient, insightful and independent. She lost faith in the Jedi way, but gained faith in herself.
The experience also made her more pragmatic. She began to see the Jedi as flawed and hypocritical, rather than the unquestionable arbiters of good. This served her well as the Republic descended into the Empire’s tyranny.
Who Betrayed Ahsoka Tano?
Conclusion
In the end, both Barriss Offee and the Jedi Council betrayed Ahsoka Tano in different ways:
- Barriss Offee – Betrayed their friendship by framing Ahsoka for her terrorism. Hoped to expose Jedi hypocrisy but nearly got Ahsoka killed.
- The Jedi Council – Betrayed Ahsoka’s loyalty and years of service by expelling and prosecuting her without cause. Failed to stand by one of their own in a time of need.
These betrayals caused Ahsoka to lose faith in the Jedi way. But they also made her a stronger person as she carved her own path. She emerged with wisdom the Jedi Council lacked and a pragmatic outlook that let her survive Imperial tyranny.