Star Wars Rebels keeps showing us these fascinating corners of the Star Wars universe that the main movies can’t quite get to. Last night, we discovered something very important—namely, that not everyone in the galaxy agrees on what the Force even is.
In the episode, called “Legends of the Lasat,” Zeb discovered two members of his race (he thought they were practically extinct.) One of them, Chava, explains their people’s and beliefs to him, including the “Ashla,” which seems to be the Lasat interpretation of the Force.
This feels like a big moment for Star Wars, diving into something rarely discussed. We know there’s a Force, but we don’t know if everyone in the Galaxy believes in it or how everyone explains it. (Most races probably aren’t up on Midichlorians, I’m sure.) That’s fascinating, especially when you consider how many different races and peoples are potentially in the Star Wars universe. Do they all have different beliefs regarding the Force? How often does the Force figure into their religion? How do they view the Jedi and the Sith, if they know about them at all?
Most importantly, does the Ashla differ from the Force? We don’t know. We may, however, see it used later in the episode. Zeb takes his staff and helps guide the Ghost through a massive, seemingly impenetrable space maelstrom. It’s one of the trippier, more ethereal and chill-inducing moments in Star Wars Rebels and may be a visual realization of how the Ashla is used by the Lasat. Or maybe it’s just cool.
How very 2001: A Space Odyssey of them, right?
“Legends of the Lasat” was all about providing back story for Zeb, sure. But it’s exceedingly awesome to get a peek in to the nature of the mysterious spirituality in the Star Wars universe.