The galaxy has a funny way of rhyming with Earthly tales, especially when Dave Filoni steers the ship. Case in point: the word-soup of a title, “The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord,” that capped Ahsoka’s first season. No, you didn’t trip into the fantasy aisle by mistake. This was 100% a legendary Filoni wink at none other than C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It’s more than a pun though—you’ll find Filoni stitching Narnian charm and meaning right into the very fabric of Star Wars lore.
So, buckle your crash-webbing. We’re tumbling head-first into hyperspace to explore every hidden portal, fantasy echo, and mischievous nod packed into this chapter—because Star Wars just got its own taste of Turkish Delight.
The Filoni-Lewis Connection: Beyond the Title
Let’s get the obvious out of the way. When Ahsoka fans first saw that episode title flash across the Disney+ screen, the whispers began immediately—“Is that a Narnia joke or what?” Turns out, it’s absolutely deliberate. Dave Filoni is a huge fan of classic fantasy. He has mentioned in interviews how C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books and other mythic sagas inspired him, especially when building the more mystical edges of Star Wars’ ever-expanding universe. Just look at the “World Between Worlds” in Rebels—straight out of a fantasy portal playbook.
But what’s even cooler? Filoni didn’t just clone Lewis’s vibe. He took the Narnian spirit—magical, hopeful, dark, and redemptive—and in typical Star Wars fashion, made it his own. The craftsman in Filoni doesn’t stop at surface-level winks. He’s cooking up deeper parallels and blending character archetypes in ways that enrich both galaxies.
Which Character Is Which? Mapping Lewis’s Icons onto a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Casting our own light through the wardrobe, let’s meet the matches:
- The Jedi (Ahsoka)
Think of Ahsoka as our resilient force of good, a guide, a warrior, a voice of balance. In Lewis’s Narnia, the role of courageous guidance falls first to Aslan, the great lion. Clearly, Ahsoka comes with less mane and more head-tails, but she rallies everyone to hope and action just the same. She mentors Sabine, she faces spectral challenges, and her presence alone seems to calm the spiritual chaos of Peridea. Leadership? It’s in her bones—or, um, lekku.
- The Witch (Morgan Elsbeth)
Morgan, now fully transformed after her induction by the Great Mothers, soaks up all the White Witch energy. She’s cunning, cruel, and literally wields green fire. In this episode, Morgan wields the Blade of Talzin—a weapon dripping with Dathomirian and Nightsister history. Like Jadis the White Witch, Morgan promises gifts but delivers only dread. She doesn’t turn anyone to stone, but reanimating dead troopers feels pretty close.
- The Warlord (Thrawn)
If Grand Admiral Thrawn isn’t the very picture of a “warlord,” then maybe blue is the new black. He’s the brooding strategist, always two tactical steps ahead. His cool composure provokes even more fear than the witch’s magic, because he’s not just out for chaos—he’s got a grim, chessboard vision for the entire galaxy. While the White Witch wanted eternal winter, Thrawn wants order… his order.
Filoni loves archetypes, and these three aren’t just a simple cut-and-paste from Narnia. They’re evolved. Each steps into myth while carrying the weight of Star Wars history, lore, and character backstory.
The Settings: Peridea’s Haunting Echoes of Narnian Winter
Think of Peridea for a second. Shrouded in death, filled with undead hosts, mist, and secrets. This planet serves as the shadowy domain for the villains of Ahsoka’s first season. Just as Narnia lived under the thrall of the White Witch’s endless winter—frozen, silent, oppressive—Peridea suffers beneath the shadow of Great Mother sorcery. Here, magic rules over reason and resurrects forgotten evils. The Nightsisters preside where the sun rarely shines. When Ahsoka, Sabine, and Ezra arrive, it’s as if the Pevensie children tumbled through the wardrobe, armed with lightsabers instead of daggers or warm coats.
And yet, it’s not all gloom. With our trio’s arrival, hope flickers back into the darkness, echoing the way the Pevensies’ courage eventually began to thaw Narnia’s endless frost. Yes, this is a fairy tale planet, but never for long in Filoni-land.
Plot Parallels and Literary Winks—Downright Cheeky!
Filoni not only borrows Lewis’s structure, but he gleefully subverts it:
- The Lure of Power: Both the Witch and Warlord dangle promises—Morgan with Nightsister resurrection, Thrawn with visions of a “restored” galaxy. It’s classic evil-lures-hero stuff.
- Magical Weaponry: The Blade of Talzin? Straight out of any fantasy saga. If you squint, it’s the Turkish Delight of the episode, seducing with forbidden power. But unlike Edmund in Wardrobe, the heroes of this episode don’t bite.
- Friendship and Loyalty: Sabine and Ezra’s teamwork feels reminiscent of the Pevensie siblings’ bond. They fight for each other, not just for victory. Even the quirky animal guides have space here—hello, Loth-cats and Noti!
- Sacrifice and Resurrection: Narnia and Star Wars both love dangling afterlives and the power of sacrifice. Ezra risks his freedom for Sabine, much as Aslan did for Edmund. And Ahsoka? She risked herself in the World Between Worlds back in Rebels—a nod to stepping between realms to bring back wisdom.
Thrawn’s Return: Not Just a Villain… A Fairytale Nightmare
Let’s crank up the tension. To the New Republic, Thrawn isn’t just some moody blue guy. He’s the threat, the myth come alive, and the nightmare storyline looming on the horizon. When Thrawn sails his Star Destroyer back to the known galaxy at this episode’s end, the imagery feels straight out of a dark fairytale. The “warlord” doesn’t just return; he signals that the age of heroes and monsters is far from over. He’s the storm that follows winter for Narnia, the tyrant too smart for simple heroics.
Even the cargo Thrawn lugs from Peridea brims with dread—coffins, relics, maybe even cryptic secrets tied to the Great Mothers. With his boots firmly back in galactic space, he morphs from chessmaster to harbinger of a shadow new era. Thrawn thrives as a mythic figure because his arrival changes the rules of engagement.
That Final Feeling: Doorways, Hope, and the Timeless Dance
So why bother with all this literary echoing? Because, like C.S. Lewis, Filoni wants viewers to see doorways everywhere—between worlds, hearts, and even between genres. Star Wars fans enter this last episode expecting a battle. Instead, they get a fable full of mythic weight and moral complexity.
What really sells it? The way “The Jedi, the Witch & the Warlord” pulls off the oldest trick in the fantasy book. It tells us that darkness, though powerful, is never the full story. Ahsoka’s light, Sabine’s loyalty, and Ezra’s hope charge straight out of Lewis’s view of heroes and never feel out of place in the Star Wars framework.
So, next time you step through a portal—whether it’s a wardrobe, a galaxy-spanning hyperspace ring, or just another streaming episode—remember, Filoni and Lewis agree: fantastical tales don’t just echo. They transform. They expand. And in a universe as wild as this one, there’s always another adventure waiting just around the bend, dressed in shadows and light, ready to be explored.
Now, who’s hungry for some Turkish Delight? Or maybe just a blue cookie and a good lightsaber duel.
