Ahsoka vs Luke: A Discussion of Power vs Experience

Ahsoka Tano

Last night while doing my typical insomnia scroll YouTube binge I came across a Stupendous Wave video discussing who would win in a fight: Ahsoka Tano or Luke Skywalker. While his analysis of in universe reasons is quite specific and well thought out I want to share my own perspective on why this debate is framed poorly in the wider scope of the internet. In doing a little more digging most of the discussion online seems to focus on the concept of power. 

To begin, power is only a single metric. According to dictionary.com is the "ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something". Just looking at the character's themselves this metric would be determining who has more abilities to do or is capable of accomplishing more. If we are only using the metric of power clearly Luke is more powerful. Throughout cannon, and what is now considered legends, Luke displays more force powers and feats of strength than Ahsoka. In terms of brute force he would win by a landslide. 

Luke Skywalker

The problem with calling the discussion here is that sheer power rarely is the determining factor in a fight. Some example of this is the American Revolutionary War. By pretty much any metric the British Army and Navy were far superior to the American's forces. By some rather miraculous events the Americans won their independence. This mostly had to do with Faith and Desperation. The Americans were desperate for freedom and had faith that the God of Abraham would deliver them. Because of this faith they were willing to take risks that the British weren't. The Delaware crossing comes to mind.

Another metric that I feel is more important than power is experience.  Experience leads to control and wisdom. In cannon Ahsoka spent the early years of her life leading battalions of soldiers, was framed for terrorism, escaped from and evaded the Jedi Order on Coruscant, cleared her name, survived order 66, helped found the rebellion and survived being pulled through the world between worlds. All of these experiences led her to have a phenomenal understanding of herself and the Force. They provided opportunities for learning control. As an example of this I learned about meek machines when I was younger. 

"There is a story about a man who visited a factory where a large machine acted like a guillotine, cutting and crushing metal beneath it. The visitors were awed by its power. The operator of the machine turned to one of the day’s guests and said, “Let me give you a demonstration. Lend me your watch.” The man was understandably a bit hesitant, but he complied. The operator laid the watch on the block. He adjusted the dials on his control panel, and the machine went into motion. The lever tripped, the hammer came crashing down and stopped just one-sixteenth of an inch before it struck the watch. “We call this a meek machine,” the operator explained. “It means that its power is under control.”

                Quoted from “Story Wisdom” by Albert L. Zobell, Jr., pages 98 and 99.

Ultimately who would win in a fight comes down to the authors and what would make the best story (we hope). Many authors tend to favor certain characters and that leads to biased fights. For example, if I were to write a fight scene between Ahsoka and Luke I would have Ahsoka make a complete fool of Luke with the numerous tricks she learned over her long life. Luke might have more power, but she has longer breath of experience and greater understanding of herself and the Force. (At least at the point of the Mandolorian.) But then, that's just my opinion. Share your thoughts with me in the comments!