Life and Death

Look, Ahsoka, everywhere there is life. Value it. Honor it. Nak-il, to Ahsoka Tano

"Life and Death" is the first episode of the anthology animated television series Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. Featuring a young Ahsoka Tano and her mother before Tano was discovered by the Jedi Order, the episode was shown as part of a panel on the series at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim on May 28, 2022. Alongside the rest of the series, the episode was released on Disney+ on October 26, 2022.

Official description

A child goes through a rite of passage with unexpected results.

Plot summary

Birth

On the planet Shili, a Togruta man Nak-il Tano announces the birth of his newborn daughter Ahsoka Tano to his village in Togruti. As the villagers gather, Pav-ti Tano nurses her newborn daughter. She smiles proudly as the village chief Gantika approaches. Pav-ti names her daughter Ahsoka.

Mother and daughter

A year passes and Tano grows into a toddler. Later, a droid helps Nak-il to lay tiles on the roof of their family home. Pav-ti carries her infant daughter in a baby carrier. Nak-il asks if she is sure that Tano is ready and questions the need to follow tradition. Pav-ti replies that they are following customs and warns Nak-il not to insult the spirits, trees, and ancestors. Before leaving, Pav-ti fetches a hunting rifle. Nak-il wishes his wife and daughter farewell before they leave for the hunt.

While walking through the village, Pav-ti and Tano pass by Gantika, who is feeding several tookas. After confirming that over a year has passed, Gantika paints a speck of blue paint on both Tano and Pav-ti's forehead while uttering a blessing. Mother and daughter then depart for the forest as Gantika continues feeding the tookas.

The hunt

While Pav-ti walks through the forest, Tano notices a squirrel-like creature navigating through the branches. As insects whistle in the background of the lush forest, Pav-ti tells her daughter that they are surrounded by life and to honor it. Pav-ti also walks past several plants with large white seedheads and disperses their pollen through the forest with her rifle. The young Tano giggles with joy until her mother shushes her. They hear several kybucks braying the background.

Pav-ti and her daughter approach a forest clearing where they see several kybucks chomping on grass. Pav-ti takes position behind a tree and aims her rifle at the kybucks. As she fires her rifle, Gantika utters a prayer back in the village. With Tano, Pav-ti approaches the kybuck which she shot. The animal is wounded and dying. Tano is upset but her mother tells her that she must face death and not be upset by it. As the kybuck breathes its last, Pav-ti utters a prayer before slicing the creature's throat. Gantika senses the passing of the kybuck back in the village.

The Sabertooth

Meanwhile, Pav-ti tells Tano that the male kybuck she killed will feed many mouths. While Pav-ti talks about carrying the kybuck back to the village, a raxshir watches them from behind the thick grass. As Tano coos, the sabertooth approaches them from behind. Pav-ti reaches for her rifle and roars loudly at the sabertooth. She fights the sabertooth with her rifle but is outmatched by the larger feline beast. Pav-ti manages to fire a gunshot, which alerts her husband Nak-il. Several dogs also bark.

With her rifle damaged, Pav-ti fights back with a knife. Several villagers including Nak-il race towards the forest clearing. Following a struggle, the sabertooth knocks out Pav-ti with a strike of its paw. Though the villagers arrive, they are unable to stop the sabertooth from carrying the toddler Tano away into the forest. Pav-ti cries out in despair. Nak-il attempts to comforts his wife. Meanwhile, Gantika clutches a talisman and chants a prayer.

Ahsoka's miracle

In the depths of the forest, the sabertooth carries Tano to its nest among several tree roots. The big cat licks it wounds and is initially hostile towards Tano. Before the creature can touch Tano, the toddler touches its nose gently, causing it to reconsider. Back at the village, several Togruta villagers including Nak-il gather with weapons to search for Tano. Before they can depart into the night, the sabertooth returns.

The villagers are about to shoot the creature but Gantika convinces them to wait. As the sabertooth exits the forest clearing into the light, the villagers realize that Tano is riding on the creature's back. The villagers are relieved and amazed that the toddler survived unharmed. The sabertooth bows its head, allowing Pav-ti to pick up her daughter. Pav-Ti thanks the creature in the Togruti language before allowing the sabertooth to return to the forest. Nak-il also embraces his daughter and wife. When Pav-ti asks Gantika how Tano survived, Gantika replies that Tano is a Jedi.