Without humility, courage is a dangerous game.
During an assault on a Separatist outpost on Felucia, Ahsoka is ambushed and kidnapped by Trandoshan sport-hunters, who transport her and other captives to Wasskah, the moon of their home planet. There they will be released as prey for the hunt.
Tropes:
- Accidental Murder: Ahsoka knocks Dar off a branch during their fight, and he just so happens to fall onto a giant thorn that fatally impales him.
- Contrived Coincidence: The Trandoshan fortress just so happens to fly over the younglings' location just as they're discussing where it could possibly be.
- Dirty Coward: The Trandoshans, despite claiming that they're mighty hunters, kidnap and hunt children because Jedi Knights are too tough for them. Unfortunately for them, they accidentally kidnapped a Padawan, lampshaded by Kalifa.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Seriously, a group of hunters (predators) kidnapping Jedi younglings (children), because Knights (adults) are too strong for them?!
- Downer Ending: Kalifa is dead, Ahsoka is still trapped on Wasskah, and she is being hunted by Garnac for killing his son, Dar (in self-defence). The final shot of the episode is Anakin alone and upset at the Jedi Temple, still unsuccessful in locating Ahsoka, possibly to the point of giving up and abandoning her, despite his protestations to Plo Koon.
- Dramatic Irony: Early on, the audience is treated to a Lock-and-Load Montage of the Trandoshans preparing for the hunt on-board their flying base. Later, we see Ahsoka and the younglings discussing the fact that they don't know where the Trandoshans' base is, and making locating it their first priority.
- Egomaniac Hunter: The Trandoshans' reason for kidnapping and slaughtering sentients? So they can mount them on their walls and brag about killing them.
- Family-Unfriendly Violence: The brutality of the Trandoshan hunters, the number of murders, Kalifa nearly strangling a Trandoshan to death, Dar and Kalifa's deaths, the trophy room with mounted Gungan heads and Wookiee pelts... this is one of the most violent episodes of the series.
- Foreshadowing: Ahsoka's vision of the Trandoshans preparing Dar for the hunt ends with a shot of three Wookiee heads mounted as trophies. This comes into play in the following episode.
- The Guards Must Be Crazy: Okay, if the Republic and the Separatists are at it on Felucia, shouldn't the planet be surrounded by both of their fleets, or at least the space be monitored for ships entering and exiting orbit? Then how do the Trandoshans get past them unnoticed?
- Hope Bringer: Ahsoka, for the younglings, who had nearly given up any hope of rescue or the will to do anything besides run and hide.
- Hunting the Most Dangerous Game: Subverted. While Garnac and his gang do kidnap sentient beings, Jinx points out that they are savvy enough to not bring actual Jedi Knights into their game.
- If You Kill Him, You Will Be Just Like Him!: Ahsoka stops Kalifa from murdering one of the Trandoshans out of hatred, because it's not the Jedi way.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Garnac's son Dar is impaled by a giant thorn when Ahsoka dodges his dive tackle and he falls off the branch they are fighting on.
- It's Personal: Dar's death makes the hunt for Ahsoka personal for Garnac.
- It's Probably Nothing: While approaching the back of the Separatist outpost, Ahsoka senses something, but decides it was probably just an animal. Only after all of the clone troopers have scaled the wall does she learn she was wrong when she's ambushed by Lo-Taren with a net gun.
- I Will Only Slow You Down: A dying Kalifa implores Ahsoka to leave her behind and get to safety. Ahsoka reluctantly complies, but only after Kalifa has succumbed to her wounds.
- Jetpack: Plo Koon's clone troopers use them to get past the Separatist outpost's wall.
- Last Request: A dying Kalifa asks Ahsoka to take care of the others.
- Lizard Folk: The Trandoshans.
- Mistaken Age: Implied; the Trandoshans typically capture Younglings, because Jedi Knights are too powerful for them. This apparently includes Padawans, as they took Ahsoka. Lampshaded by Kalifa, who notes that their capture of Ahsoka was a mistake.
- Moral Myopia: Garnac's gang kidnaps and murders sentient beings, including Jedi younglings, for sport, but he is outraged and swears revenge when Ahsoka kills his son in self-defense.
- Ominous Floating Castle: The Trandoshans' base.
- Reptiles Are Abhorrent: The Trandoshan hunters.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: The convoree, the small bird-like creatures who live in front of the younglings' hideout.
- Rubber-Forehead Aliens: Jinx is a Twi'lek and O-Mer is a Cerean.
- Sacrificial Lion: Kalifa is killed at the end of the episode, establishing that even children are not safe.
- Shout-Out:
- The premise is an homage to Predator.
- The Trandoshan relief call is the same as the Velociraptor's relief call in Jurassic Park.
- Skewed Priorities: After witnessing the Trandoshans killing two prisoners who were brought to the island with her, Ahsoka decides to take a more active role instead of running and hiding. Her reason? She thinks Anakin won't forgive her if she did that!
- Tempting Fate:
- Before the battle, Anakin warns Ahsoka that scaling the back wall won't be easy, to which she responds that he has taught her well and she can handle anything. A few minutes later, she's captured and kidnapped before being deprived of her lightsabers and communicator.
- As Ahsoka helps an injured Kalifa away from the Trandoshans, Kalifa tells her, "It's okay, I can make it"... and is immediately fatally shot by Garnac.
- Token Human: Kalifa, for the younglings.
- Trophy Room: The main hall of the Trandoshan gang's base is full of trophies, including several Wookiee hides, and the stuffed heads of a rancor, a ronto, and a variety of sentient beings.
- Troubling Unchildlike Behaviour: Kalifa Force-choking one of the hunters with an expression of intense hatred on her face. Justified, as she'd been hunted by them for so long, anyone would likely do the same.
- Underestimating Badassery: The other young Jedi the Trandoshans kidnapped were just younglings. Ahsoka, on the other hand, is a talented Padawan with over a year of battlefield experience. Kalifa specifically points out this mistake by the Trandoshans, and it's what gives her and the other younglings the belief to begin their escape attempt.
- Villainous Breakdown: Garnac goes a bit crazy after Ahsoka kills Dar in self-defence, shooting wildly at Ahsoka and Kalifa and repeatedly swearing revenge.
- Younger Than They Look: Ahsoka, apparently, who was mistaken for a Youngling.
