Why Ahsoka Can Still Be Considered A Jedi, But Grogu Is Not

While Ahsoka, which recently completed it's first season on Disney Plus, has received mostly positive reviews, some fans of Dave Filoni's earlier animated Star Wars works were left slightly puzzled by one particular story element. Ahsoka Tano walks away from the Jedi Order in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and makes this memorable quote prior to her duel with Darth Vader in Star Wars: Rebels:

"I am no Jedi!"

However, in the character's live action appearances in The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, she both seems to see herself as a Jedi, and is referred to as such by other characters. So, some fans are asking the question of whether Grogu, the Force-sensitive Foundling officially adopted by Din Djarin in The Mandalorian's season three finale, can still be considered a Jedi, despite walking away from his training with Luke Skywalker.

The Answer? Not really. The reason Ahsoka Tano can still be considered a Jedi while Grogu cannot all comes down to the level of training each character reached.

Ahsoka had effectively completed her training when she chose to leave the Jedi Order

Like most Force-sensitive children of the time, Ahsoka Tano was taken from her people, the Togruta, at a young age, to be raised in the Jedi Temple and trained in the ways of the Force. At around age 14, Ahsoka was assigned to Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker as his Padawan Learner. Being trained during the Clone Wars, her Padawan status granted her the Military rank of Commander, but she would regularly take advice from her more battle-experienced subordinates, especially Clone Captain Rex.

Throughout her Padawan years, Ahsoka remained loyal to the Jedi Order and it's teachings. However, things take an unfortunate turn when, towards the end of the war, Ahsoka is framed for a bombing on the Jedi Temple. She goes on the run for a time, but is eventually captured, officially ousted from the Jedi Order and put on Trial, with Grand Moff Tarkin pushing for a guilty verdict and a death sentence.

The trial is interrupted whenAnakin arrives with the real bomber, Barriss Offee. Barriss admits to the bombing, as well as attempting to frame Ahsoka for it, thus Ahsoka's name is cleared.

In light of Ahsoka's exoneration, the Jedi Council invite her to rejoin the Order. They then go as far as to consider her ordeal as her Great Trial, offering her elevation to the rank of Jedi Knight. However, the events leading up to her trial had shaken her faith in the Jedi, and Ahsoka rejects her new rank, opting to leave the Jedi Order.

However, Ahsoka's decision to reject the rank of Jedi Knight doesn't change that she did in fact achieve it. Yoda is shown to express the belief that Ahsoka would one day return to the Order, and would have been welcomed back at the same rank she had rightfully earned. In some expanded universe content, it is revealed that Ahsoka herself didn't necessarily see her departure from the Order as permanent. She still fulfilled the role of a Jedi in the battles in which she participated, and continued to live her life mostly in the Jedi way.

Unfortunately, any future plans Ahsoka may have had were scuppered by the advent of Order 66.

Order 66 and the subsequent rise of the Empire made it unsafe to be a Jedi, even a former one. The danger posed by being a Jedi in the age of the Empire, coupled with her enduring complicated feelings on the Jedi Order, probably contributed to her declaration that she was not a Jedi during this period.

Even so, she had not stepped away completely, as she is seen taking a keen interest in fellow Order 66 survivor Kanan Jarrus's training of his new Padawan, Ezra Bridger, even occasionally imparting lessons to Ezra herself.

Following the fall of the Galactic Empire, surviving Jedi no longer had to hide, and so it was safe for Ahsoka to reclaim her rightfully earned Jedi Knight status, as she had always believed she someday would.

Grogu stepped away at a much earlier point in training

Like Ahsoka, Grogu spent a portion of his childhood being raised in the Jedi Temple. However, unlike Ahsoka, Grogu, thanks to the slow aging of his species, is still a child/youngling at the time of Order 66 and the fall of the Jedi Order. He would have only received very basic training in the Force at this stage, and had not undergone the pilgrimage to planet Ilum, a rite-of-passage during which future Jedi obtain the Kyber Crystals used to build their first lightsaber.

Grogu briefly resumes training when he is taken into the care of Luke Skywalker. However, when Luke forces Grogu to choose between training as a Jedi (meaning he would never see Din again)or returning to Din Djarin, Grogu chooses Din. Luke subsequently sends R2-D2 to return Grogu to Din.

At the time he leaves Luke, Grogu has still received relatively low-level training in basic Force abilities. He had not reached the higher level of training given to an official Padawan. So, unlike Ahsoka, who had completed training to the level of Jedi Knight at the time of her departure from the Order, Grogu had not, and so cannot be considered a Jedi.

Some fans, who equate Force-usage only with Jedi, still consider Grogu to be one due to his continued use of Force abilities. However, this is not an accurate description. Other characters, such as The Bendu in Star Wars: Rebels, and Maz Kanata in the sequel trilogy, are known to have connections to and use the Force in various ways, but neither are Jedi.

Grogu is currently in a similar position. While that's not to say he will never become a Jedi- Some fans believe a character such as Ezra Bridger, who is not so strict on the Jedi attachment rule, could take Grogu under his wing without separating him from Din- currently, he is simply a Mandalorian Apprentice who happens to have Force powers.

Whatever they each may be, or choose to become, Ahsoka Tano and Din Grogu both seem set for interesting futures in the Star Wars universe.