Speculation: Who Is Fulcrum from Star Wars: Rebels?
Those of you who tuned into last week’s episode of Rebels might have noticed an offhand comment about an informant that used the codename “Fulcrum”, a character rumored to be instrumental to the overall story arc of the show. The character’s identity has sparked quite a bit of speculation already, but an abundance of recent evidence suggests that the mystery informant may actually be… POTENTIAL SPOILERS after the jump
….Ahsoka Tano, a fan-favorite character from The Clone Wars.
Before we get into Fulcrum, it would be prudent to discuss Ahsoka for those who are unfamiliar with her. Ahsoka was assigned to be Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan due to a shortage of available Jedi Masters during the Clone Wars. While Anakin was initially reluctant to teach an apprentice, both he and Ahoska proved to be a formidable force during the war, and she showed a great deal of promise with her growing abilities in using the Force. Both with her Master and on her own, she was able to succeed in resolving a number of conflicts (ranging from preventing the outbreak of a plague, freeing Togruta slaves, and even surviving duels against some of the most dangerous Separatists in the war), and this would ensure that the Republic would come out on top in the end.
Unfortunately, Ahsoka’s allegiance to the Jedi would be shaken when she was framed for the bombing of the Jedi Temple. When she became a suspect, the Jedi Council expelled her from their Order – including Plo Koon, whom she had idolized. When she was put on trial, she was nearly given the death sentence (from Wilhuff Tarkin, whose life she had saved previously), only saved by Anakin uncovering the fact that her friend Barriss Offee masterminded the terrorist act and blamed it on her. While she was proven innocent and invited back into the Jedi Temple in order to be Knighted, the experience of being betrayed by so many of her allies placed her in a state of shock, and she ultimately refused the Jedi Order’s call. For her, this would have proven itself to be a blessing in disguise, as she would (most likely) have not been a target of the Great Jedi Purge when Order 66 was issued. However, it would also lead Anakin to have a greater distrust for both the Jedi Order and Obi-Wan, whom he believed should have intervened in the Council’s decision, hastening his fall from grace.
Certain scenes in the show, such as Ahsoka seeing a vision of her older self on Mortis, and Yoda’s vision of her dying in the Jedi Temple during one of his trials, suggested that things could go either way for the character. Series creator David Filoni has been as vague about Ahsoka’s fate following the conclusion to The Clone Wars as possible, with new information relating to the character only being discussed rarely (such as the fact that, should The Clone Wars have continued, Ahsoka would have appeared again in a story arc involving her and Bo-Katan). However, not too long ago, Filoni opened up a little bit with an interview with IGN when discussing Rebels:
Dave Filoni: I had a really interesting conversation once with George [Lucas] about sensing the Force. It was in regards to… Well, it would have been in regards to Ahsoka. It was an old talk he and I had at one point about Ahsoka and Darth Vader and what she would think of that whole situation… but we’ll have to leave that for another time.
IGN: That’s a question many of us have!
Filoni: A little good tease there. Not that she’s around! …Who knows where she is? [Laughs]
Curious that he would wait until now, when Rebels is in full-swing, to break the silence about the character then, isn’t it? That such a conversation about Ahsoka and Darth Vader could even occur within the context of Canon media would seemingly ensure that yes, Ahsoka did manage to stick around (at least during the formation of the Galactic Empire).
Anyway, back to Fulcrum, the mystery informant of the crew of the Ghost. The episode “Out of Darkness” introduced us to the character as one of Hera’s informants as a voice heard over a comlink. While the voice itself sounded masculine, bear in mind that voice-alteration is a thing that exists within the Star Wars universe – not to mention that it sounded pretty distorted. When asked by Sabine about the identity of the client, Hera uses pronoun-neutral statements, as if to go out of her way to protect her source’s identity. (According to Viral Hide, certain international broadcasts of the episode actually refer to Fulcrum as a ‘she’, making the predicament even more interesting.) It’s also worth mentioning that the informant’s voice actor/actress was not credited at the end of the episode, which would likely imply that there’s something important about who is playing this character.
If this is sounding like crazy-talk coming from fans that have too much time on their hands, get ready for the really big clues: one auditory, and the other visual. We’ll go with the auditory one first because it happens earlier on in the episode, and because it’s the more telling of the two clues. The following soundcloud comes from Rebels Report, which takes the informant’s dialogue from the episode and repeats it with two raised pitches.
It’s also worth mentioning that Ashley Eckstein, Ahsoka’s voice actress, also voiced the masculine-sounding droid general K2-B4 – so altering a voice to sound less feminine would not be a first for Eckstein. Compare that sample of dialogue with the way she speaks in the television finale of The Clone Wars:
At the very least, the speech patterns that Fulcrum has seem to match up with Ahsoka’s, even without changing the pitch – but with the pitch altered, it sounds a lot like this mystery informant is Ahsoka fifteen years after her last canonical appearance. While she doesn’t stick around to make her identity known (as she mentions in her conversation with Hera), she does leave some supplies marked with a symbol. This, of course, is where the visual evidence kicks in. A writer over at TheWookieeGunner posted an article about a few theories about “Out of Darkness” and “Empire Day”, and mentioned the symbol on the supplies left by Fulcrum:
Also, in “Out of Darkness”, we see Hera move towards a green colored crate with a lone marking on them. Though Ahsoka’s forehead markings differ slightly, there is a resemblance between the two. Is this and the voice concrete proof that Ahsoka is Fulcrum? Absolutely not. This is mere speculation, and further connecting dots between Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars that the writers have previously done themselves. To see Ahsoka again, especially in the position of helping rebels, would be a wonderful way to come full circle with her character. However, I could see her story continuing elsewhere in another medium, leaving the Fulcrum identity open for more speculation.
While the shape of the forehead markings on Ahsoka’s head are a little different than the shape of this symbol (the lines on her face are a little more curved before the ‘diamond’, while the symbol’s lines are pretty straight before and after that point), the similarity can’t be denied. So with this symbol and the altered voice in mind, we could be looking at a character from The Clone Wars returning in the future – and given Dave Filoni’s love for the young Jedi, it’s quite possible that we’ll be seeing her as a recurring character. Not bad for a little furball.
What are your thoughts on the situation? Be sure to sound off on The Cantina!
Grant has been a fan of Star Wars for as long as he can remember, having seen every movie on the big screen. When he’s not hard at work with his college studies, he keeps himself busy by reporting on all kinds of Star Wars news for SWNN and general movie news on the sister site, Movie News Net. He served as a frequent commentator on SWNN’s The Resistance Broadcast.
“the point on which a lever rests or is supported and on which it pivots.”
I posted a reply in The Cantina Review of “Out of Darkness” regarding this speculation.
http://thecantina.starwarsnewsnet.com/index.php?threads/rebels-review-s01-e05-out-of-darkness.597/
“I’m thinking the intel source is spelled F-U-L-C-R-U-M. I think this makes sense as a fulcrum is the point on which a lever rests. I think the creation of the Rebel Alliance hinges on this mystery character, hence the name “Fulcrum”. There are many possibilities as to who this character may be. I think the obvious choice is Bail Organa, but I don’t think it’s him. It could also be Lux Bonteri or Saw Gerrera from Onderon, famous for their rebellion against the Seperatists in the Clone Wars. It could even some totally new character. But at this point it’s hard to tell with the obviously altered voice that we heard in this episode with no visual clues to go by. For all we know Fulcrum could even be a woman. Ahsoka Tano anyone?”
I really think that Fulcrum is Ahsoka. I think the supporting evidence in this article is great as well. I also had thought that the vocalization, although masculine in tone (due to modulation), definitely had a female inflection about it. Hopefully the mystery will unravel soon!
but… .how would she have imperial intel?
People who use the expression “just sayin'” should immediately get a punch.
Just sayin’
Be interesting to see, if it is indeed Ahsoka, how she looks when treated to the Rebels CGI design aesthetic.
Who cares? For me the show will really go places when they introduce THRAWN.
I have a strong feeling, that this is inevitable.
If it does happen, it will probably happen in the second or third season though.
Dude move along, move along…
Zahn is good and that doesn’t change even if it isn’t canon. I never assumed EU was canon back then anyway. Did you enjoy the books? Great! Why let some suit at Disney change that by it not being canon?
I want to see new ideas personally not something similar to something already released even last year, let alone back in the 90’s.
Thankfully fans like you are not the majority and therefore no pressure is being put on Disney from too many EU THUMPERS.
Quite so. Thrawn’s story has been extensively told, and he’s part of a complex and wide-ranging chain of events that have been shunted to the Legends sidelines. Even if he did make some form of cameo, it re-opens the Continuity Can of Worms. Surely Thrawn’s had his time in the spotlight and we can lay him to rest in glory in the novels and other spin-off media? Now is the time for a fantastic opportunity, to birth lots of new sagas with all-new casts and for all audiences to enjoy being surprised by fresh revelations.
“Fans like me,” LOL!!! For one there are no fans like me. I don’t care about the old EU. Some of it was fun, but lots of it was crap. As it is with most long form continuites. Still, Thrawn is a great character, that can be brought back. This isn’t going BACKWARDS. You can do new things with the character. New stories. It’s called using your imagination. Lots of people on the internet don’t have this so there excuse for most things is ,”NO.Do not want.” Thrawn would make a great villain in later seasons of the show. And I expect to see him sooner or later. So might as well get used to the idea of the Grand Admirals return.
Oh okay Sean, I wrongfully assumed you wanted all of Zahn’s characters back and to be canon, blah, blah. Thrawn is a great character but I’m ready to move on personally.
I do admit I want to see Ahsoka again, but only because her arc doesn’t feel complete just yet. That symbol on the crate seals her return in my mind, even if she isn’t Fulcrum but working with him/her.
Small spoiler alert
Thrawn is mentioned in the new Tarkin book (which is canon)
I’m reading Tarkin now, I don’t think it’s very good to be honest, I’ve read about 15 or so Star Wars novels, but, it was cool that Ahsoka was mentioned.
Where is Thrawn mentioned in the Tarkin book?
Many have made comments about the EU being dead and the PT being ignored in favor of focusing on the OT material. If Rebels and the recently released canonical books have told us anything, its this: The PT will not be ignored moving forward, The Clone Wars lore will be seamlessly intertwined with other Star Wars media (novels, comics, etc) and moreover, the EU lives on. Yes, I agree that everything in the EU is not concrete, nor should it be. In fact, I hope the ST is hugely different from previous EU material from the time period. However, some if not most of the EU will live on. I have just recently finished the book A New Dawn and am currently reading Tarkin. Tarkin for example, is rich in references to the PT, the Clone Wars, and yes, even the EU. I’m only on pg. 30 of the book and already we have seen a CIS battle cruiser, vulture droids, and mention of the Trade Federation and the Geonosians. A reference to episode 216 (the first episode in the chronology) of Clone Wars, where Anakin destroys the ship of Admiral Trench with a stealth ship in the battle of Christophsis has also been made. But the book hasn’t stopped there. Two types of starfighters have been mentioned, both originating from EU material: the Tikiar Starfighter (first mentioned in Barbara Hambly’s Children of the Jedi) and the Z-95 headhunter (first appearance in the novel Han Solo at Star’s End). The headhunter is also heavily used in other works and is the type of ship used by Mara Jade. The most notable reference to me has been the Bilbringi Ship Yards. This was the location of a decisive battle between Admiral Thrawn and the New Republic in Zahn’s novel The Last Command. I said all this to say this: It is not out of the question to think that even great EU character’s such as Admiral Thrawn would make their way into the new continuity. I could really see this happening in Rebels in the future. And I personally would welcome the notion. 🙂
How do you know they haven’t already?
When it was only one pitch up in the vocal edit, it sounded like asajj ventress with her mask on in the Ashoka arc at the end of season 5
Asajj is another interesting idea. Hmm 🙂
Fulcrum is Wedge. The words are synonyms. Wedge is a pilot like Hera.
It the time period in which Rebels takes place, Wedge would be a kid.
not actually true as we see him in Episode III
I wasn’t interested in CW at all, one time I came across an episode with an obvious Seven Samurai plot and I was like “really, they’re doing that again?”
But seeing this clip it just occurred to me that I missed something. Gonna’ check this show out.
Oh you did buddy! You missed out BIG time by not watching The Clone Wars, it really good! And those people that don’t watch it will be missing out in the end.
I recommend watching the show in chronological order. Look it up online, the episode order is different from the time sequence for when things happen.
Mark my words, Disney will defiantly do something to link all the canon together. And people that chose to disregard the PT or TCW will loose out on the whole story.
Please do, you won’t regret it.. My kids and I just finished TPM and AOTC. and are now watching all of the Clone wars series again. We are actually watching in order this time.. Check this link out, so far it works much better.. http://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-the-clone-wars-chronological-episodeorder
The movie isn’t that great, but don’t let that you stop, it’s well worth it..
Enjoy
In that episode with Luminara (forgot the name of the episode), that Inquisitor dude says some shit (to Ezra and Kannan) like, “She died (long ago or during the Clone Wars) but her bones still serve the Empire” or “her bones are still useful to the Empire”—something like that, I forgot the exact quote, anyway…
does anyone think this line will mean anything in the upcoming movies or is it just some throw away line and is completely meaningless???
It seems like it would benefit Disney if they tied some elements of Rebels to the new movies even if it is just minor bullshit
I don’t want to see a 40 year old Ahsoka.
And I didn’t want to se a 60 years old Leia. AND HERE WE ARE….
I don’t want to see ahsoka at any age. She a sh*tty character like all of the cw characters
Ashoka is obviously annoying, but you can’t say that about every clone wars character. They told some good stories. I mean Cad Bane for one was a great addition to Star Wars.
She’d be about 30 years old not 40
What’s wrong with 40 or 60 in a multi generational tale. I think it would be cool.
She is the way Qui Gon could have been.
A lone Jedi Master with strong self will to do justice in the galaxy.
Qui Gon didn’t always Hone with the direction of the council’s views.
The creator of this show is 40
Is the timeline of Rebels definitive yet?
It’s Bale Organa, obviously!
Nope… its obviously not Bail, because Fulcrum has been communicating with the rebels seemingly since before Ezra joined the team.
And Bail only became away of their existence after the second (third) episode of the series.
“According to Viral Hide, certain international broadcasts of the episode actually refer to Fulcrum as a ‘she’, making the predicament even more interesting.”
Do not read too much into that. Certain languages (Romance languages like French and Spanish among others) attach a gender to all nouns, which attaches certain prefixes and suffixes as well as dictating grammatical composition in many cases. This does not literally mean that the person being referred to is actually that gender. Just the word itself is.
Fulcrum is another skywalker.
Ful-crum- refers to Crumb, as in Salacious.
LOL Why then no maniacal laugh?
It is Mon Mothma .Go to be.
This is intriguing and its got us all talking like star wars should do. The ashoka looking symbol could be a clue or it could be Ventress, Mon Mothma or General Madine for all we know!
Ahsoka would be just two years older than Kanan in Rebels. Perhaps we will see a love triangle form in the show? I mean he obviously has a thing for near humans (not as apparent in the show, but A New Dawn really plays up his physical attraction to Hera). I know they won’t get too much into a romantic story for a show whose target audience is 5-12 yr olds (even though I’m sure there is a huge audience of 40,30, and 20 somethings like myself :). But a playful take on that type of tension would be fun. They already hint at romance between Kanan and Hera and even a wishful romance between Ezra and Sabine (on Ezra’s part). After all, romantic tension worked in the OT, so why not? Just saying. 🙂
HOLY $#!T Guys!!! Read this!!!
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ashoka-partners-with-fulcrum-to-raise-funds-and-promote-publication-of-new-book-about-innovation-and-social-change-150413515.html
Fuck yeah! The Episode 7 storyline finally!!!
Okay maybe it’s not that big but you got to admit it’s strange to read the headline,
“Ashoka Partners With Fulcrum”
Raises funds and promotes…social change”
Is it a planned Easter Egg by Filoni who could have stumbled on the article and is now using it as a clue?
Stop TROLLING us. This link you posted is about a business.
How bout this article from 2011 calling Ahsoka a fulcrum.
“In a way, Ahsoka becomes a new fulcrum for the series to stand upon…when needed.”
http://roqoodepot.com/2011/03/13/ahsoka-and-anakin-lasting-impact/
How is Yolo trolling?
It just goes to show that all kinds of things are planted by big brother organizations.
Look at the cover of time it shows a republican in red and blue painting at the bottom of the painting it says change.
Blurred lines just like the ” new” plot of Star Wars blurred alliance/ empire.
Also convenience of the timing of Ep7 and US Election year campaigns winding up.
Strong feminist story emerging.
Just saying.
I remember the Lucas arts logo as well an eye over pyramid, not a stick figure holding a bent light saber.
If you read the article 3000 entrepreneurs involved in Social change, that would be some thing Lucas would be envolved in.
Look at how he gave half his fortune to the Gates foundation.
Wake up!
What the hell…. holy sith, everything makes sense now.
Wasn’t there a Clone Wars episode where Ahsoka meets a young Hera. In which case they have history as well.
I don’t think Hera was actually in the Clone Wars show. But her uncle is the freedom fighter Cham Syndulla from Ryloth, who was featured in a few episodes of the show.
She wasn’t in that show (unless she was retconned into being a refugee in the background of a shot).
Nops, there wasn’t. But in the Ryloth arc on TCW, appears a Twi’lek green girl, but her name is Numa.
Man, that whole end part in the season 5 cliffhanger with Ahsoka saying goodbye makes me almost cry…every time!
Is there any reason people don’t think it could be Obi-Wan? Not saying it is, but it’d be the easy choice and we’ve already seen toy evidence that he’s going to be in this show.
It’s Leia.
Thrawn is mentioned in 2nd or 3rd chapters in tarkin
If you look at the dress ahsoka was wearing in that clip in TCW when she was a child, the markings are the exact same as the ones that were on the box.
I have got to say that Ahsoka Tank should be in Star Wars Rebels. Since she just left the Jedi order!?! Well what are we viewers gonna think “what happens to her now?” I definitely thought a lot about it. All she does is leave and we don’t know what happens after she left.
Did she got to the dark side, a different planet, her home, became a rebel??
We viewers may have thought of this constantly yet we still have no clue what happened to Ahsoka Tank after she left the Jedi order.
From this article and if she is really Fulcrum in disguise shouldn’t u show that instead of leaving mysteries. Yes, it’s ok to leave mysteries but something we viewers will really question is what happens to that character.
Ahsoka Tano just disappeared and that is the last time we saw here but we viewers really want her in Star Wars Rebels. If she is really Fulcrum why don’t u just show it. Her skills that she was taught in the Jedi Order she should still have?
From this article it really does seem like Fulcrum is Ahsoka but we viewers need to know!!!
Am I right viewers should Ahsoka Tano be in Star Wars Rebels.if she is Fulcrum they need to show it or we will never know.
I have got to say that everyone is now curious about Ahsoka Tano’s disappearance and if she is in Rebels in a disguise. I really want to see her in Rebels and that other characters know that she is really Ahsoka Tano.