Clones are an intrinsic part of Star Wars’ DNA. From the first time Obi-Wan mentioned he fought in the Clone Wars alongside Luke’s father, they’ve been integral to the timeline. That conflict was expanded in the prequels and given a thorough deep dive in The Clone Wars, but the cloning hijinks didn’t end there.
With the introduction of The Mandalorian and the Star Wars live-action television universe, cloning again became a topic of speculation, and the reappearance of Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker cemented it as a mainstay. Now, could the upcoming series Ahsoka introduce a forgotten clone storyline, and set up a huge reveal in the next Star Wars movie? Clones could provide the opportunity to bring back a classic character in an intriguing way.
It’s no secret that Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire novel is a major inspiration for Ahsoka. Not only does it feature Grand Admiral Thrawn as a major villain, but Ahsoka literally describes him in the trailer as the “heir to the empire.”
In his trilogy, Zahn initially planned to feature a mad clone of Obi-Wan Kenobi who tries to stop Luke in his mission to rebuild the Jedi order. The idea was rejected by editors, and the character was changed to Joruus C’baoth, an insane Dark Jedi clone of Jedi master Jorus C’baoth.
Redditor Chief_Justice10 posits that Zahn’s original plan could still come to fruition. Zahn consulted on Ahsoka, and we’ve already seen Moff Gideon cloning himself, so Thrawn may have bigger plans afoot. Heir to the Empire is serving as a rough inspiration, not being adapted beat by beat. Why not take inspiration from what could have been as well?
Even if an evil Obi-Wan Kenobi clone isn’t seen in Ahsoka, he could serve another purpose. With cloning established by the Mando-verse as relatively common, it could pay off in the next Star Wars movie, which will follow Rey as she tries to rebuild the Jedi order, much like Luke was trying to do in Zahn’s books.
The draw of an insane clone Obi-Wan in the books was the prospect of Luke having to face off not only against his old master, but an opponent with no control over their dangerous Force powers. Rey has never met Kenobi, but that wouldn’t make him any less dangerous.
Or, for a more emotional threat, Star Wars could bust out Luuke Skywalker, the deranged clone of Luke introduced by Zahn in the Thrawn trilogy’s finale. His story would have to be altered a fair bit, but the shock of having to fight her old master could be quite the challenge for Rey. Whatever happens, it’s clear that clones — evil or otherwise — are on the table going forward.
Ahsoka premieres on Disney+ in August 2023.
