History Recap / StarWarsRebelsS2E16ShroudOfDarkness

* DualWielding: Kanan grabs a second lightsaber during his duel with the Sentinel. He trumps that by calling in two additional temple guards from nowhere, putting Kanan back on the defensive.

** In his mental conversation with Ezra, Yoda is sitting on a mossy tree branch, indicating that he is speaking to Ezra from his hideout on [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack Dagobah]].

* MediumBlending: When Yoda shows the Clone Wars to Ezra, there's a live action shot of the clones from ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'', altered enough to not be jarring (especially since the original scene had a lot of CGI already) but still very noticeable.

* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: Kanan tries to throw his lightsaber at the Sentinel before he grabs another one for dual-wielding.

* TragicMistake: Looking back on it, Yoda realizes that going into the Clone Wars was a fatal mistake for the Jedi, leading them into the Dark even before Order 66 wiped them out. He even implies that the Jedi as a whole were [[HeelRealization corrupted by the Dark Side during that time]], not just the ones who defected to the Sith.

** Yoda makes his first major physical appearance in ''Star Wars'' media since the end of ''The Clone Wars'', almost two years prior to the episode's air date. He previously made a vocal appearance back in [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS1E08PathOfTheJedi "Path of the Jedi"]].

** Lothal's Jedi temple was last seen in [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS1E08PathOfTheJedi "Path of the Jedi"]], and Kanan had to pass a test, by surrendering to his opponent, much like Ezra had to in that episode. For bonus points, it's the same person: the Grand Inquisitor.

** Before dueling, Kanan and the Sentinel perform the Makashi salute as done before in [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS1E13FireAcrossTheGalaxy "Fire Across the Galaxy"]] between [[FiveSecondForeshadowing the former and the Grand Inquisitor.]]

** The words the Sentinel recites when he knights Kanan were also used more memorably in the non-canon ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsCloneWars'' knighting ceremony, albeit sans "I dub thee Jedi, Knight of the Republic."

** Kanan's snarky quip, "I don't go for crazy... anymore," is a likely nod to his womanizing habits in ''Literature/ANewDawn''.

* EasilyForgiven: Subverted, as while now Ahsoka speaks fondly of her time with Yoda, she nevertheless clearly didn't forgive him immediately given his part in her departure.

* HeroicBSOD: Ahsoka finally realizes she's known who Darth Vader is ever since they connected back in "The Siege of Lothal", and she doesn't take it well.

* InformedAbility: Kanan says that the Inquisitors are able to follow the Jedi through the Force, and that's how they keep tracking them down. However, it's been seven episodes since the Inquisitors were last seen, and their ability to follow Jedi comes across more as NewPowersAsThePlotDemands than anything else.[[note]]Although the Grand Inquisitor did show this ability halfway through Season One, he only used it once and supplemented it with a hyperspace tracking beacon.[[/note]] In fact, the only reason the Inquisitors found the Rebels the last time is that Ezra unknowingly leaked their location.
* JacobMarleyWarning: We see a vision of the Grand Inquisitor, ''before'' he turned to the Dark Side. It's heavily suggested that that's what happened to the Grand Inquisitor, and he cannot let the same fate befall Ezra due to his connection to the Dark Side.
* {{Knighting}}: The Sentinel knights Kanan, after he passes the SecretTestOfCharacter.

** Kanan's knighting uses the same dialogue as Anakin's knighthood ceremony from Creator/GenndyTartakovsky's ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsCloneWars''.
* NeverMyFault: In her vision, Anakin blames Ahsoka for his fall, claiming that she's abandoned and failed him because she was selfish.

* TheReveal: The Grand Inquisitor is revealed to once have been a Jedi knight; it's also implied, but not stated, that he used to be a Temple Guard.
* SecondHandStoryTelling: According to Ahsoka, the last time she and Anakin met was immediately before the events of ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', which was not actually shown.

* TragicMistake: Looking back on it, Yoda realizes that going into the Clone Wars was a fatal mistake for the Jedi, leading them into the Dark even before Order 66 wiped them out. He even implies that the Jedi as a whole were [[HeelRealization corrupted by the Dark Side during that time,]] not just the ones who defected to the Sith.

** The Grand Inquisitor makes his first posthumous appearance since his death in "Fire Across the Galaxy".

** Not only a wham episode for ''Rebels'', but the ''Star Wars'' saga as a whole: Yoda directly describes the prequels-era Jedi as giving in to fear, anger and hate during the Clone Wars and thus being consumed by the Dark Side.

** Yoda makes his first major physical appearance in ''Star Wars'' media since the end of ''The Clone Wars'', almost two years prior to the episode's air date. He previously made a vocal appearance back in "Path of the Jedi".

** Before dueling, Kanan and the Sentinel perform the Makashi salute as done before in [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS1E13FireAcrossTheGalaxy "Fire Across The Galaxy"]] between [[FiveSecondForeshadowing the former and the Grand Inquisitor.]]
** The Sentinel also raises his lightsaber behind his back when he is about to deliver a fakeout final strike on Kanan, like the Grand Inquisitor did in Ezra's hallucination in "[[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS1E08PathOFTheJedi Path of the Jedi]]".

* MediumBlending: When Yoda shows the Clone Wars to Ezra, there's a live action shot of the clones from Episode II, altered enough to not be jarring (especially since the original scene had a lot of CGI already) but still very noticeable.

** Ahsoka finally accepts that Vader is Anakin, Kanan becomes a Jedi Knight, the Grand Inquisitor is highly implied to have been a Jedi Temple Guard, Ezra learns that he has to go to [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords Malachor]], and Darth Vader and the Inquisitors learn of the Lothal Jedi Temple.
** Not only a wham episode to ''Rebels'', but to the ''Star Wars'' saga as a whole: Yoda directly describes the prequels-era Jedi as giving in to fear, anger and hate during the Clone Wars and thus being consumed by the Dark Side.

** The Seventh Sister and Fifth Brother are back for the first time since "Legacy".

** And finally, Darth Vader returns since his last appearance in "The Siege of Lothal."

** Lothal's Jedi temple was last seen in "[[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS1E08PathOfTheJedi Path of the Jedi]]", and Kanan had to pass a test, by surrendering to his opponent, much like Ezra had to in that episode. For bonus points, it's the same person: the Grand Inquisitor.

** Before dueling, Kanan and the Sentinel perform the Makashi salute as done before in "[[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS1E13FireAcrossTheGalaxy Fire Across The Galaxy]]" between [[FiveSecondForeshadowing the former and the Grand Inquisitor.]]

** Ahsoka recalls Yoda's increasingly sullen mood as ''The Clone Wars'' progressed, which came to a head in the series finale when Yoda learned his Jedi Order was doomed to fall (albeit after Ahsoka's departure from the Jedi).

** Kanan's snarky quip, "I don't go for crazy... anymore," is a likely nod to his womanizing habits in ''A New Dawn.''

* DisconnectedSideArea: The Lothal Jedi Temple is raised further up, revealing another, deeper entrance, rather than using the one from "[[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS1E08PathOfTheJedi Path of the Jedi]]".

* FastballSpecial: In the intro, Ezra and Kanan repeat their Force Throw trick from "[[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS2E14Homecoming Homecoming]]", this time throwing each other at the Inquisitors.

* HeroicBSOD: Ahsoka finally realizes she's known who Darth Vader is ever since they connected back in Siege of Lothal, and she doesn't take it well.

** Not only a wham episode to Rebels, but to the Star Wars saga as a whole: Yoda directly describes the prequels-era Jedi as giving in to fear, anger and hate during the Clone Wars and thus being consumed by the Dark Side.

* WhamEpisode: Ahsoka finally accepts that Vader is Anakin, Kanan becomes a Jedi Knight, the Grand Inquisitor is highly implied to have been a Jedi Temple Guard, Ezra learns that he has to go to [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords Malachor]], and Darth Vader and the Inquisitors learn of the Lothal Jedi Temple.

* SecondHandStoryTelling: According to Ahsoka, the last time she and Anakin met, was immediately before the events of ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', which was not actually shown.

* InformedAbility: Kanan says that the Inquisitors are able to follow the Jedi through the Force, and that's how they keep tracking them down. However, it's been seven episodes since the Inquisitors were last seen, and their ability to follow Jedi comes across more as NewPowersAsThePlotDemands than anything else.[[note]]Although the Grand Inquisitor did show this ability halfway through Season One, he only used it once and supplemented it with a hyperspace tracking beacon.[[/note]]

** Ahsoka says the last time she saw Anakin, he was rushing off to save Chancellor Palpatine, the kidnapping of which was explained in the opening crawl of ''[[Film/RevengeOfTheSith Revenge Of The Sith]]'' and shown in the then-canonical ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsCloneWars'' 2D series.

* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: Kanan throws his lightsaber at the Sentinel before he grabs another one for dual-wielding.

* DualWielding: Kanan grabs a second lightsaber during his duel with the temple guardians.

* InformedAbility: Kanan says that the Inquisitors are able to follow the Jedi through the Force, and that's how they keep tracking them down. However, it's been seven episodes since the Inquisitors were last seen, and their ability to follow Jedi comes across more as NewPowersAsThePlotDemands than anything else.[[note]]Although the Grand Inquisitor did show this ability halfway through Season One, he only used it once.[[/note]]

* AllThereInTheManual: In the interview after broadcast, the creator revealed that everything Ahsoka, Ezra and Kanan experience was in fact visions sent by Yoda to answer each of their questions and doubt/fear.

** Ahsoka says the last time she saw Anakin, he was rushing off to save Chancellor Palpatine, the kidnapping of which told in the opening crawl of ''[[Film/RevengeOfTheSith Revenge Of The Sith]]'' and shown in the then-canonical ''Clone Wars'' 2D series. However she isn't present when this happens in any previous canon or now non-canon material implying that she kept up to date with his public exploits from afar after leaving The Order.

** Ahsoka says the last time she saw Anakin, he was rushing off to save Chancellor Palpatine, the kidnapping of which occurs in the ActionPrologue of ''[[Film/RevengeOfTheSith Revenge Of The Sith]]''.

* HeelRealization: Looking back on it, Yoda realizes that going into the Clone Wars was a fatal mistake for the Jedi, leading them into the Dark even before Order 66 wiped them out.

* WhamEpisode: Ahsoka finally realizes that Vader is Anakin, Kanan becomes a Jedi Knight, the Grand Inquisitor is highly implied to have been a Jedi Temple Guard, Ezra learns that he has to go to [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords Malachor]], and Darth Vader and the Inquisitors learn of the Lothal Jedi Temple.

** The Sentinel also raises his lightsaber behind his back when he is about to deliver a fakeout final strike on Kanan, like the Grand Inquisitor in Ezra's hallucination in "[[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS1E08PathOFTheJedi Path of the Jedi]]" as well.

** The words the Sentinel recites when he knights Kanan were also used more memorably in the non-canon ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsCloneWars'' knighting ceremony, albeit sans 'I dub thee Jedi, Knight of the Republic'.

* KnightTemplar: The Temple Guard in Kanan's vision sees that Ezra has a connection to the Dark Side of the Force, so believes he will inevitably embrace it and must be killed before he can fall, but this was a SecretTestOfCharacter.

* SheatheYourSword: Kanan is unable to beat the Temple Guard in his vision, no matter how hard he tries. Only when he stops fighting and accepts his role as Ezra's mentor does he succeed.

* TookALevelInBadass: Kanan and Ezra are faring much better against the Inquisitors, particularly Ezra. Kanan as well, becoming knighted towards the end of the episode.