Warning! This article contains spoilers for Ahsoka episode 5.
Summary
- The return of the purrgil space whales provides a potential means for Ahsoka to find Sabine Wren and Grand Admiral Thrawn in a different galaxy.
- The purrgil are able to travel through hyperspace, a separate dimension that enables faster travel. Their consumption of Clouzon-36 allows them to access hyperspace.
- The purrgil’s migration routes take them across different galaxies, and Ahsoka decides to trust their instincts rather than rely on a map. This concept aligns with the Jedi’s trust in nature and animals over technology.
Ahsoka episode 5 has marked the surprise return of the purrgil space whales from Star Wars Rebels as a possible key to finding Sabine Wren and a new galaxy. On the plane Seatos, Ahsoka and Sabine came into conflict with Nightsister Morgan Elsbeth and her forces building a gigantic hyperspace ring called the Eye of Sion in orbit. They hope to use this vessel to follow an ancient map and travel to a different galaxy to find and bring back the lost Grand Admiral Thrawn. Ahsoka and Sabine, intent on finding the missing Jedi Ezra Bridger, are close behind on Elsbeth’s trail.
But in episode 4, Ahsoka was presumed dead after falling into the sea, and Sabine departed with the villains onboard the Eye of Sion after the map to their destination was destroyed. With no way to reach them, the heroes were left with only what they had on Seatos. After Ahsoka returned from meeting with a spectre of Anakin Skywalker in the World Between Worlds, she came up with the idea of using the purrgil in the skies of Seatos to reach the separate galaxy her enemies are bound for. The purrgil are gigantic, hyperspace-adept space whales that iconically with a deep connection to nature and the Force, along them to chart a path to Star Wars’ new galaxy.
Star Wars’ Space Whales Are Able To Travel Through Hyperspace
The purrgil are a unique example of a biological creature that’s able to travel through the realm of hyperspace. But what is hyperspace in Star Wars? Hyperspace still remains much of a mystery in-universe, but it’s known that it is a separate dimension that allows for traveling long distances in a much shorter period of time than in ‘realspace’ (the normal universe). The way the purrgil are able to access this dimension is through their consumption of Clouzon-36, as seen in their debut appearance in Rebels, a rare gas that can be used as hyperfuel, fuel for special engines that allow craft to access hyperspace.
Purrgil are very ancient within the galaxy, and are implied to be the inspiration for sentient beings originally creating the hyperdrive. From this it can be assumed that Ahsoka’s knowledge of the purrgil and Ezra and Thrawn’s fate led her to trust in using them to continue the search and find Sabine. While she’s uncertain of where specifically the purrgil will take her, Ahsoka’s faith in the creatures and the Force will deliver her to the new galaxy.
The Purrgil Migration Routes Take Them Across The Galaxies
The purrgil are heavily hinted to be a very ancient force within the known galaxy in various pieces of Star Wars media, but the Ahsoka series appears to suggest that they may not even be from the galaxy. This is a concept new to live-action Star Wars, but there have been species from different galaxies in Star Wars publishing before.The void between galaxies is incredibly vast, so the power of hyperspace, with the knowledge of a destination, allows the purrgil to pass through this space safely.
The main danger of traveling between galaxies is getting lost in what Star Wars calls the ‘intergalactic void’, and Ahsoka is deciding to trust the instincts of the purrgil for her direction instead of the actual map. This is not only a clever and very Force-attuned way of solving her problem, but trusting the instincts of animals above technology epitomizes the Jedi.This concept is in-tune with George Lucas’s ideals for Star Wars, as seen with the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi defeating a technologically superior Empire.
Morgan Elsbeth’s Star Map Was Based On Ancient Purrgil Migration Routes
Upon paying close attention to the design of Morgan Elsbeth’s star map, and the end credits of Ahsoka, which depict elements of the map in greater, stylized detail, it’s clear the purrgil have directly influenced its creation. Glyphs of the purrgil appear on the projections from the map, and the purrgil glyphs seem to be following a route which leads to the destination, another galaxy– which Ahsoka saw while dueling Baylan Skoll in episode 4. Purrgil are also frequently seen in the skies above Seatos, which is the very specific site of a henge where the map can be used. Seatos is in the Denab system, which appears to be the specific destination the purrgil use as a starting point on their hyperspace jump to the separate galaxy, which might even be their home.
All of these details together make it clear that intergalactic travel, which has long-eluded the citizens of the Star Wars galaxy, is possible through the purrgil. Right under the noses of space-farers, and within their legends of old, the purrgil hold the key to leaping through the intergalactic void safely, relying on their natural migration patterns. This is going to be incredibly helpful for Ahsoka Tano as she ventures into the unknown with only her Jedi droid Huyang, searching for her missing apprentice Sabine Wren, her lost friend Ezra Bridger, and the menacing Grand Admiral Thrawn as Ahsoka charges towards its climax.
Ahsoka releases new episodes Tuesdays at 6 pm PT / 9 pm ET on Disney+.
