Could Zorri Bliss in 'Rise of Skywalker' be Ahsoka Tano in disguise?

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker still has a slew of mysteries we know little about, and high on that list is the identity and role of Zorri Bliss, a masked rogue played by Keri Russell that’ll be introduced in Episode IX. On Wednesday, Entertainment Weekly released a new official image that doesn’t show us much more beyond what we already knew, but it does fuel theories about Palpatine’s Sith fleet, among other things.

Here’s what we do know: Zorri Bliss is an old friend of Poe’s, might be a smuggler, might fly a Y-wing, and has a sleek purple costume and a large helmet, all amounting to some strange, roguish figure with a mysterious agenda.

Here’s one thing we don’t know: Is she even human?

The odd shape of Zorri’s helmet at least makes it seem possible that she could be an alien, and the ancient language etched into her costume is one that fan-favorite Ahsoka Tano once described as “the old tongue.” We’ll have to see Keri Russell’s face before we know for sure, but is it possible that she’s playing Ahsoka, an alien from The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels series?

While this feels highly unlikely, there’s at least a small glimmer of hope.

Ahsoka Tano was a Jedi apprentice to Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars who has a tumultuous history. After being framed for a terrorist act she was eventually acquitted of, she veered away from the Jedi Order and became a non-affiliated Force user who wields white lightsabers. She squared off against Darth Vader and only survived because Ezra Bridger, the protagonist of Star Wars Rebels, pulled her through the world between worlds, an extra dimension space that transcends the laws of time and space.

While Ahsoka did return back to her time, that doesn’t mean she can’t find her way back to the world between worlds and into the future to do more time traveling. Even if she doesn’t, she could still be alive during the events of The Last Jedi — though she would be around 70 years old.

As a member of the Togruta species with a life expectancy of around 94, Ahsoka would still be quite old, but she would still appear a bit younger than a standard human of that age. The more important question is physiological: Could her Montrals fit inside that helmet?

Togrutas have head tails similar to Twi’leks (like Jabba the Hutt’s henchman Bib Fortuna or Jedi Knight Aayla Secura), but they also have Montrals that are hollow, cone-like horns that also function as extrasensory organs. Pretty handy for a Jedi, they allow a Togruta a greater degree of awareness for their surroundings.

Unfortunately for this theory, a Togruta’s Montrals grow taller with age, and this really isn’t the type of thing you can just get removed — even if you’re desperate and trying to hide from Order 66. If Ahsoka is alive during The Rise of Skywalker, then her Montrals might have grown so large they can’t be hidden. As much as we might wish that Zorri is Ahsoka, it doesn’t seem likely — even less so when we remember that despite plenty of movie characters appearing in the shows, characters created for the shows almost never make it over into the movies, though Ahsoka is a fan favorite.

Last month, someone on the Star Wars Speculation subreddit did wonder whether or not Zorri Bliss was human, and this is a valid question we should all be asking.

Why has her character been shrouded in such mystery? Why is her helmet shaped like that? If she’s not Ahsoka or any other Togruta, can she be another alien species?

All signs point to a new trailer for The Rise of Skywalker on Monday, October 21 during Monday Night Football. So here’s to hoping we see enough of Zorri Bliss in the new footage to know for sure what species she is. One thing’s for sure: Whether or not she appears in The Rise of Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano’s story can’t be done just yet.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be released in theaters December 20, 2019.