Ahsoka Tano, the strong-willed Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, could have easily passed the Jedi Trials to become a Jedi Knight before the end of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars. She had experience beyond that of an average Jedi, and her knowledge of the Force was clearly on display throughout the war. However, it was not fated that Ahsoka would become a Jedi, but rather leave the order to follow her own path.
Each Jedi, when the order existed before the Empire, began as a Padawan before completing training to become a Jedi Knight. This was done through the Jedi Trials, in which the Jedi would prove their skills in multiple situations, demonstrating their ability to work in tandem with their peers and on their own, face the lure of dark side emotions, and show how they were able to embody the Jedi way. This could be done through trials set up by the council and/or a Padawan’s master. Other times, as with Ahsoka Tano, a Jedi’s trial could be a spontaneous event in which a Jedi must survive using the skills they have learned throughout their training.
From her first day as a Padawan, Ahsoka fought side by side with Anakin Skywalker proving her abilities in the war against the Separatists. She was resourceful, able to complete missions on her own, but also able to work closely with clone troopers and other Jedi, such as Plo Koon and Obi-Wan Kenobi. In The Clone Wars, season 5, episode 20 “The Wrong Jedi”, she is even able to work with an enemy, Asajj Ventress, and convinces her to stay her hand and not murder multiple clone soldiers.
Throughout her time as a Jedi Padawan, Ahsoka learned many lessons about both failure and victory. Her first mission as a leader was a disaster as she was responsible for the loss of a full squadron of clone pilots, but she learned a valuable lesson about leadership and the responsibility of command. Later in the war, she was often the catalyst of great victories and missions that saved many lives, such as when she orchestrated the escape of a group of captive Padawans from their Trandoshan captors that were hunting them for sport. Of the group, it takes the expertise of Ahsoka to manage their escape.
Perhaps Ahsoka’s greatest downfall as Padawan was her master, Anakin Skywalker. Had she been the Padawan of any other Jedi, she may have been invited to complete the trials sooner than the end of the war, or could possibly have been promoted due to exemplary displays of bravery. However, the council never liked Anakin, and she had a tendency to follow his lead in her emotional display and attachment to friends. Like her master, she often displayed bouts of anger, but it must be remembered that Ahsoka was a teenager and, assuming the Togruta species similar to humans, it is difficult for a teenager to be fully in control of her emotions. For one so young – with such high expectations for her future – Ahsoka had incredible control over her emotions, never fully acting in anger or fear.
Ultimately, Ahsoka never became a Jedi Knight, even though she had the experience and temperament necessary for the role. She was invited back into the order after being cast out due to being framed for the bombing of the temple, but Ahsoka chose to follow her own path. She lost faith and trust in both the order and the Jedi Council. This decision, perhaps, saved her the premature death that was dealt to many Jedi in the execution of Order 66, and set her up to become more instrumental in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and to the future of the Star Wars universe than if she had been simply another Jedi Knight.
