Practice Makes Perfect (episode)

For other uses, see Practice Makes Perfect.

"As your master, I'm responsible for you. The best way I can protect you is to teach you how to protect yourself."

"Practice Makes Perfect" is the fifth episode of the anthology animated television series Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. The episode was directed by Saul Ruiz, written by Dave Filoni, and aired on October 26, 2022.

Official description[]

A Jedi Padawan is given a seemingly impossible exercise.

Plot summary[]

At the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Anakin Skywalker is late. He runs through the halls to a dojo, where his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, practices against training remotes under the supervision of Jedi Master Tera Sinube. Other Jedi, including Obi-Wan Kenobi, are also present, and Obi-Wan sarcastically tells Anakin that he's right on time, meaning late. After Anakin has arrived, Sinube activates a ray shield around the center of the room, encasing Ahsoka as a set of new remotes designed to emulate battle droids surround her. Ahsoka is tested against the remotes, which she destroys quickly and easily.

Afterwards, in the hallway, Ahsoka is not pleased that Anakin doesn't seem to be impressed by her results, on top of being late. Anakin admits that she's right, he isn't impressed, because in his mind, the test is far too easy. He tells Ahsoka that he doesn't think she will reach her full potential if she's only up against inferior remotes, and promises to arrange her a proper test.

Later, Ahsoka arrives at the military operations center aboard a gunship, only to be told by Anakin that she's late. He shows her into a large room where Clone Captain Rex is waiting with several clone troopers from the 501st Legion. Anakin explains to Ahsoka that he wants her to be good enough to hold out against Rex and the boys, because if she can do that, she can take anything the droids can throw at her. He adds that training against living opponents will be more difficult because they are less predictable than droids, so a key part of the training will be sensing who will fire first. The clones form a circle around Ahsoka, and she ignites her lightsaber. Ahsoka blocks the first stun shots, but is eventually taken out.

She wakes up on the floor as Anakin reassures Rex that Ahsoka will be fine. Anakin tells her she's been unconscious for an hour, and that Jesse wanted to apologize for how hard he stunned her, which he does from across the room. The respite does not last long, however, as Anakin has another round start. The training session goes on for some time, as Ahsoka is stunned again and again and Anakin insists that she continue. At one point, Rex says he's not sure how much more Ahsoka can take and wonders if they should stop. By then, Ahsoka is waking up faster, and the session continues for a while.

The training sessions continue on other days and in other places. Some time later, after having built herself a shoto lightsaber, Ahsoka trains against the 501st, who now wear Phase II armor, in the hangar bay of a Jedi Cruiser, yet again as Anakin watches. Ahsoka held out against them for more than five minutes the last time, and employs acrobatic leaps and twists as she blocks more stun shots. The round ends with Rex stunning her.

On board another Republic cruiser, Ahsoka and Rex walk down a hallway choked with smoke and sparks, signs of heavy damage. They stop outside a door. Rex puts his helmet on and says he hopes all of that training Ahsoka did will pay off. He raises one of his blaster pistols to her back, as if holding her prisoner, and she puts her hands up to her head, agreeing with him. The door opens and the two of them walk into the hangar beyond, where Jesse and troops of the 332nd Division wait.

Continuity[]

The first part of the episode contains several contradictory timeline indications. Tano's test is overseen by Tera Sinube, whom she first met in "Lightsaber Lost,"^[4] which is dated to 21 BBY.^[5] However, Jesse is wearing unpainted Phase I clone trooper armor, despite having painted armor in his first appearance, "The Deserter,"^[6] set before "Lightsaber Lost" in the official chronological episode order,^[7] as well as the comic "501 Plus One,"^[8] which is set in 22 BBY.^[9] Caleb Dume is shown with a Padawan braid while following Depa Billaba around, despite not becoming her Padawan^[10] until around 19 BBY.^[11]

Tano also wears a brand-new outfit during the episode's first part, different from her first^[12] or second Padawan outfits,^[13] the latter of which is shown in the second part of the episode during the training session in a Star Destroyer hangar. The size of Tano's montrals and lekku in the episode's first part more closely match the character design introduced in "Heroes on Both Sides," which included her second outfit.^[13] Obi-Wan Kenobi is depicted with long hair identical to his Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones hairstyle,^[14] despite having short hair throughout Star Wars: The Clone Wars.^[12]^[15] The novel Brotherhood depicts Kenobi having cut his hair after receiving the Jedi Commander armor he wears in the episode.^[16] Anakin Skywalker's hair is also shorter than it was ever depicted on The Clone Wars.^[12] Therefore, Kenobi and Skywalker must have changed their hair styles several times over the course of the war.

When asked about these inconsistencies, Lucasfilm Story Group member Matt Martin suggested that Billaba and Dume were not master and apprentice yet, and just happened to be spending time together,^[17] also pointing out that Kanan 7 established that Dume knew Billaba prior to being her Padawan.^[18] Pablo Hidalgo also mentioned that having a Padawan braid did not necessarily indicate an apprenticeship, and that Kanan 7 also featured Dume with a braid prior to being Billaba's Padawan.^[19] However "Jedi Master's Quiz," a department in Star Wars Insider 220, stated that Dume was a padawan during "Practice Makes Perfect."^[20]