By George & Josh Bate
It’s rare that we indulge in theories for upcoming Star Wars projects, but there’s one circulating around social media that is so wild (and yet somehow plausible) that we had to break it down.
Ahsoka Season 2 recently wrapped filming and is expected to debut next year on Disney+. So far, fans have had mere crumbs to feast on from the show, with ambiguous behind-the-scenes pics from cast members being the primary source of news about the new Star Wars season. However, recent comments from Bryce Dallas Howard, who directs two of the eight episodes of Season 2, combined with the tantalizing note Season 1 concluded on, has sparked speculation of what’s to come.
The theory, which is outlined by ScreenRant, suggests that the Mortis Gods will play a significant role in Season 2. This is a reasonable assumption given that Season 1 concluded with Baylan Skoll atop a massive statue of the Father.
But the Father is just one of three Mortis Gods – the others being the Son and the Daughter. For those unfamiliar, the Mortis Gods were introduced in The Clone Wars as three extremely powerful figures that represent three distinct facets of the Force: the dark side (the Son), the light side (the Daughter), and balance (the Father). It is implied that, through the murder of the Daughter in The Clone Wars, the balance of the Force was off, thus setting the stage perfectly for Anakin’s descent to the dark side in Revenge of the Sith.
Anyways… there is a fourth figure of importance for the lore of Mortis Gods. That figure is Abeloth, also known as the Mother or the Beloved Queen of the Stars. Abeloth has yet to appear or even be mentioned in canon but was the primary antagonist in the nine-part novel series Fate of the Jedi. Abeloth is definitely one of the more out-there Star Wars characters (just read her Wookieepedia page to get a sense of how crazy things get with her). But essentially her character began as the Mother of the Son and the Father. Out of a fear of dying, the Mother fled her family and bathed in the Font of Power and the Pool of Knowledge, which corrupted her and turned her into the malevolent being known as Abeloth. Due to her profound strength, Abeloth was imprisoned to stop her from wrecking havoc on the galaxy.
The theory about Ahsoka Season 2 posits that Baylan Skoll is searching for Abeloth. While some theories have suggested that Baylan Skoll’s apprentice Shin Hati is secretly Abeloth, an even wilder theory is that Natalie Portman will return to play Abeloth in Ahsoka Season 2. Bryce Dallas Howard recently referred to the second season as “romantic,” a term one probably wouldn’t use to describe the fairly love-less Season 1. But “romantic” could be the perfect descriptor if indeed Anakin is deceived by Abeloth, who takes on the look of Anakin’s true love Padme. This theory suggests that Abeloth will play on Anakin’s deepest insecurity to gain power over the Jedi-turned-Sith-turned-Force Ghost.
For now, all of this remains a theory, but it’s certainly an interesting one to ponder. Regardless of whether Portman herself returns to Star Wars (something she has expressed interest in), it seems increasingly likely that Abeloth will be introduced into canon sooner rather than later.