The brutality of Order 66 was absolute. Every Jedi inside the Temple—Masters, Knights, even younglings—was wiped out. No one was spared. Those who managed to survive were hunted down, forced to join the dark side, or executed as traitors to the Republic.
But there’s one question I’ve always genuinely wondered: If Ahsoka had been at the Jedi Temple during the Great Purge, would Anakin have killed his own Padawan?
Anakin Would Kill Anyone Who Stood in His Way, Even Ahsoka
The first factor we need to consider is that by the time the Great Purge began, Anakin wasn’t himself anymore. At that point, he had already embraced the identity of Darth Vader—someone willing to do anything to save Padmé. His mind was clouded by fear, anger, and desperation. The only thing he could see was Palpatine—the one person he believed could prevent Padmé’s death.
A perfect example of this mindset is when Anakin reveals to Mace Windu that Palpatine is the Sith Lord. When Windu and three other Jedi Masters go to confront Palpatine, he tells Anakin to stay behind. But Anakin is overwhelmed by the fear of losing his wife. Palpatine had already planted a seed of doubt in his mind, convincing him that only a Sith could teach him how to stop death. And Anakin believed it.
That’s why he rushed to the Chancellor’s office. When he arrived and saw Windu ready to strike Palpatine down, Anakin intervened—not because he wanted to save a Sith, but because he believed Palpatine was his only hope. The only excuse he could say out loud was that “he must stand trial,” but deep down, Anakin just needed Palpatine alive.
The moment when Anakin cut down Windu’s hand and Windu got blasted by Palpatine’s Force lightning, Anakin understands he just did something terrible and he can’t return and his first mission was to purge the Jedi Temple as Anakin killing everyone inside the Temple with the 501st Legion without a doubt, Anakin will cut everyone down even Ahsoka.
What drives the point home even more is what Anakin later says to Obi-Wan on Mustafar. Right before their duel, as the rage builds and the galaxy burns, Anakin makes his stance crystal clear. He’s no longer conflicted—he’s fully committed to the path he’s chosen.
“If you’re not with me, then you’re my enemy,” he says.
At that moment, Anakin had already decided that anyone who opposed him, no matter who they were, was a threat. And if we need more proof of how blindly lost he was, we only have to look at what he did moments before: he Force-choked Padmé, the very person he claimed to be doing all of this for.
If Ahsoka had been at the Jedi Temple and tried to stop him, it wouldn’t have made a difference. Anakin would’ve seen her as just another obstacle—just like Obi-Wan, just like the Jedi, just like anyone who dared stand in his way.
What Could’ve Happened If Ahsoka Was at the Temple
Now let’s explore a bit of theory—more like a fan-fic scenario. If you’ve watched The Clone Wars, you know where Ahsoka was during the Great Purge. She had just helped the 501st capture Maul during the Siege of Mandalore.
But what if she had returned to Coruscant just a little earlier, before Order 66 was executed? In that case, she likely would’ve gone back to the Jedi Temple… and there’s a real chance we might’ve seen a duel between Ahsoka and Anakin before his final confrontation with Obi-Wan on Mustafar.
Given how fresh she was from defeating Maul, Ahsoka would’ve stood a solid chance. And let’s not forget—Anakin was her Master. She knew his fighting style, his mindset, and his weaknesses better than almost anyone. The duel would’ve been intense, but she might’ve held her ground—not necessarily to win, but maybe long enough to buy time.
Maybe, just maybe, if she had stalled him long enough for Obi-Wan and Yoda to return to the Temple… together, they could’ve reached him before it was too late.
Another possible scenario is that Anakin wouldn’t try to kill Ahsoka right away—instead, he might try to bring her over to his side. Remember, Anakin never truly let go of Ahsoka after she left the Jedi Order. He cared about her deeply, and in his twisted mindset during Order 66, he might’ve seen her as someone who could “understand” him more than anyone else.
If Ahsoka had returned to the Temple during the purge, there’s a real chance Anakin would’ve reached out—not with a lightsaber, but with an offer. Just like he once begged Padmé to rule the galaxy with him, he could’ve asked Ahsoka to join him in building a “new order,” free from Jedi corruption.
And while Ahsoka might have hesitated—maybe even tried to reach the Anakin she once knew—she wouldn’t have followed him. She had already seen how flawed the Jedi were, but she also knew the dark side wasn’t the answer. The tragedy is that Anakin probably would’ve taken her refusal as betrayal… and that moment of rejection might’ve sealed her fate.