Ahsoka Concept Art Reveals the Return of Star Wars' Most Mysterious Species
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From the day Lucasfilm unveiled its first Ahsoka trailer, speculation has swirled around the mysterious, sandy locale Rosario Dawson’s title character explores. Ahsoka Tano makes the trek to a sprawling temple on a yet-unnamed planet, and the ancient carvings and runes throughout have fans speculating about its significance.
Concept art from Matt Allsopp offers a closer look at the ruins, as well as the carvings etched into its columns. The figures bear an interesting resemblance to an ancient alien species, the Zeffonians, who played a role in Jedi: Fallen Order. If these carvings appear in the series, Allsopp’s concept art may hint at a larger connection with the near-extinct race.
Zeffonians (or Zeffo for short) were a species that colonized the planet Zeffo in the Outer Rim. While they weren’t Jedi, they were proficient in the Force, which they called Life Wind. The Zeffo consecrated temples and tombs for their most powerful Force wielders, known as sages, and they didn’t stop on their home planet. Zeffonian sites can be found on planets like Dathomir and Kashyyyk, among others.
One of the Zeffo’s most ruthless leaders, a sage named Kujet, is entombed on Dathomir. It was during his contentious reign that the ancient civilization eventually met its demise. Kujet ordered the destruction of the Zeffo’s most sacred relics to grow stronger in the Dark Side of the Force, and massacred anyone who stood against him. The Zeffo who survived his wrath later fled to the galaxy’s Unknown Regions, which may be why Ahsoka is seeking out a Zeffo temple in the upcoming series.
Ahsoka is hot on the trail of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), a loyal servant of the Empire. He was last seen in the Star Wars: Rebels finale, when a run-in with Ezra Bridger sent the pair into the Unknown Regions. Ahsoka could be seeking out Zeffonian technology to help locate Thrawn, and since the Zeffo put down roots all across the galaxy, she might be on a planet we’ve never seen before.
That said, Ahsoka may not be introducing the Zeffo into live-action at all. The carvings in Allsopp’s art aren’t visible in the trailers, so Ahsoka’s creative team might have changed their mind about featuring Zeffonian ruins. Either way, Ahsoka’s pilgrimage could still point her in Thrawn’s direction. She could be searching for a gateway to the World Between Worlds — a theory that’s prevailed since the series was first announced — or information about another alien species, like the hostile Rakatan Empire. We won’t have to wait much longer to find out.
