If there is one thing Star Wars fans enjoy, it’s heavy-duty theorizing about characters, with romance being one of the top subjects: Star Wars Ahoska is no different.
Currently, none of the live action series of the Mandoverse have any confirmed romance, though Dinbo of the Mandalorian seems pretty darn close. However, that doesn’t mean there will not be any romance at all.
While one can ship any character in Star Wars that they please, there does seem to be some support for at least three different Ahsoka romance theories. Ironically, none of them actually involve the titular character.
However, let’s get one thing out of the way: there may be no romance in this series at all. I’ve been told before that Dave Filoni does not think romance is that important to Star Wars. However, I can’t find any quote or interview to corroborate that.
It is true, though, that Star Wars Rebels waited until close to the end of the series for the Kanan and Hera Syndulla relationship to be validated. This attitude is in contrast to George Lucas, who found romance to be part and parcel of the swash-buckling, high stakes, Golden Age serial-esque franchise.
In addition, Dave Filoni doesn’t have the experience writing romance as Jon Favreau does, the latter having written Couple’s Retreat.
However, this doesn’t mean he can’t or won’t do it at all. So with that being said, let’s get into the top three Ahsoka romance series.
The Sabreza Theory — The Oldest of the Three
Sabreza is the oldest of the Ahsoka romance theories. This is because Sabine Wren and Ezra Bridger were introduced in Star Wars Rebels and the romance speculation began then.
When Ezra Bridger is first shown in season 1 of SW Rebels, he does flirt a bit with Sabine. However, she does not seem to show interest in him.
Fans of Sabezra point out that while Sabine does not seem outwardly to be in love with Ezra, she does honor his wishes to take care of Lothal. And when we see her in Star Wars Ahsoka, she is indeed doing that.
These two have been close friends for a long time. Sabine has wanted to find him since he was whisked away by the magnificent Purgill to Peridea. She even makes the decision, against Ahsoka Tano’s wishes, to not destroy the magic sphere that could take her to Ezra.
However, while there is much support for this Ahsoka romance, there are things that also point against it.
Filoni has been somewhat dismissive of Sabezra in interviews. Not actively hostile by any means, but he has said this:
“It’s been a varied thing and I think everybody’s knee-jerk reaction is to ship the two. You know, to think that, because the two are similar in age, that there’s some type of gravity between them romantically.”
Dave Filoni
Filoni wanted to highlight a friendship between a girl and a boy, and any of Sabine’s actions in Ahsoka can still be regarded as the actions of a devoted friend.
We also can’t ignore the first episode of Star Wars Ahsoka, in which Ezra Bridger openly states that he sees Sabine as a sister. It’s possible he is trying to avoid putting pressure on Sabine by saying this. However, the official Star Wars Data Bank reinforces it.
So…make of that whatever you will.
Ahsoka Romance Number 2 — Shinezra
So, if you haven’t already, I highly suggest you read my article on the Heir to the Empire Mandoverse theory. I say this because these next two Ahsoka romance theories rely in part on the Heir to the Empire retelling theory.
In very short, the theory is that Filoni and Favreau are loosely retelling the story of Thrawn and the book Heir to the Empire using the characters of the Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew.
So far, we have not gotten a character that takes the place of Mara Jade, a novel character that had worked for the Emperor, began as a foe of the Jedi Luke Skywalker, and eventually married him.
Now let’s get into the last two Ahsoka romance theories. In both of them, Shin Hati will be the Mara Jade character. Remember that this is only a BROAD retelling, not point-for-point. Shin doesn’t have to be Mara Jade. She just has to be in a similar story place.
Namely, she is a current antagonist working for a Darker Side figure of Baylan Skoll. She is uncertain of her future and place with him, as he does abandon her, and seemingly his principles she believed in as well.
Now why should Shin and Ezra Bridger get together? Well, the story of Luke and Mara Jade requires one light side Jedi. And while I briefly mused if this meant Ahsoka Tano would have a love interest, I don’t think Dave Filoni is even remotely interested in Ahsoka having one.
However, we currently have the Jedi of Ezra. Shin and Ezra had little interaction in season 1, but fans point out the dialogue between Ezra and Sabine, in which the latter tells Ezra that Shin Hati is like him, but without the humor.
Some fans see this, and their relative roles in the story as a prelude to a future romance.
The one thing that points ways from this, is that Shin Hati and Ezra Bridger have little time together, and are separated by season one of Ahsoka. As, are Sabine and Ezra, for that matter, but at least those two have history together.
While I’m sure they will all meet again, there isn’t much to grab onto for a story between Shin and Ezra. At least not now.
Wolfwren — The Sabine Wren x Shin Hati romance theory
Now this theory is a bit like the Shinezra theory in that it also pulls on the Mandoverse Heir to the Empire theory. Except in this case, Sabine Wren is the Jedi-in-training. However, unlike Shinezra, there is much, much more of a relationship between them, from episode 1 of Ahsoka, to the conclusion of season 1.
After all, unlike Ezra, Sabine and Shin Hati both end up on Peridea by the finale, a narrative position that can allow them more interaction for the next season.
Sabine has been fighting with Shin since she first met her. And as many fans have pointed out, it very hotly resembles the initial encounters of Kylo Ren and Rey. While I doubt they will have the power or bond of a Dyad, the enemies-to-lovers story parallels are there.
Sabine and Shin constantly look at each other. Shin never tells Thrawn that she found Sabine, only Ezra. When Shin flees from Ahsoka Tano, it is Sabine that tries to run after her.
They are framed as being constantly drawn together.
Both characters are undergoing parallel, but separate journeys in Star Wars Ahsoka. Sabine Wren fights with her former master Ahsoka Tano, but ultimately makes up with her. Shin Hati begins as a devoted padawan complete with a braid, but ends up alone.
Shin and Sabine seem to be on a collision course of fate. And, yeah, they are pretty hawt, let’s not forget Star Wars’s rule of Hawt. Luke and Leia didn’t happy in part because Carrie Fisher had more chemistry with Harrison Ford. It was almost inevitable that Han Solo was the obvious choice.
It’s a film and TV thing, to show characters destined to be in a romantic relationship in very close proximity constantly.
However, it’s just as possible that Wolfwren won’t happen any more than any other romance, and they will simply be good friends.
Conclusion: Which romance will happen? Will any?
I’m personally biased towards what’s in front of me, so I see Wolfwren as having the strongest chance. Apart from the rule of HAWT, they are the only two of the three that end up in the same physical place at the end of season one.
However, I’m just as inclined to believe there will be no Ahsoka romance at all, given Filoni’s seeming disinclination towards it. Sabrezra is also a viable second possibility as Sabine and Ezra do have their history, even if Filoni does seem to be trying to throw us off the trail on purpose.
And a part of me is afraid that some powers that be aren’t really brave enough to do Wolfwren at all. Or worse, that they are afraid of doing any romance at all, even Sabezra.
Hopefully that is nothing more than jaded cynicism on this blogger’s part. After all, Din Djarin and Bo-Katan Kryze looks very strong and very likely to happen. If the Mandoverse Heir to the Empire theory holds, romance is a part of the story, with Din + Bo as the story’s Han + Leia. And who is our Luke and Mara Jade? Well, that remains to be seen.