Minor spoilers for Ahsoka episode three found within.
If there’s one thing that gets a Star Wars fan’s goat, it’s the franchise challenging Jedi lore. So naturally folks are up in arms over Ahsoka‘s latest episode establishing that Ahsoka Tano believes Sabine Wren could master the Force if she really puts her mind to it, despite her factually being the worst Jedi padawan in centuries (sassy droid Huyang says it’s so). Don’t be too harsh on Ahsoka and Sabine, though, as it’s possible there’s a hidden, dark reason why Tano must take on the Mandalorian as her apprentice.
For starters, it may seem odd that Ahsoka is determined to train Sabine in the ways of the Force when Jacen Syndulla is sitting right there. As the son of the late Jedi Master Kanan Jarrus, Jacen could well be something of a Force prodigy, and he even eagerly tells his mother, General Hera, how much he wants to become a Jedi himself. Sure, he’s just a kid, but Luke Skywalker was keen to educate baby Grogu in The Mandalorian and, of course, Jedi Younglings were trained from a young age.
So why is Ahsoka training Sabine, someone with little-to-no Force ability, instead of Jacen? Perhaps the Sequel Trilogy holds the answer. You see, Jacen Syndulla is so named in honor of Jacen Solo, Han and Leia’s son from the Legends timeline who broke bad and became the Sith Lord Darth Caedus. Jacen was previously used as an inspiration for Kylo Ren, aka Ben Solo, in Episodes VII-IX. And the deep connection between the two characters could be exactly why Jacen is being left out in the cold.
Ben’s dark destiny was strong enough that both his uncle/Master Luke and mother Leia had Force visions about it years before, which unfortunately led them to make decisions that only pushed him towards the Dark Side. So what if Ahsoka has received a similar vision about Jacen’s future? That would explain her decision not to train him as a Jedi. If so, Hera is likely aware of this herself, hence her sad and loaded reaction to Jacen’s excitement at one day becoming a Jedi like his father in episode three.
Going by how Kylo Ren’s story played out, however, ignoring his Force abilities may only lead to trouble. We’ll have to watch Ahsoka closely for more hints at Jacen’s destiny as it continues Tuesdays on Disney Plus.