CW: abuse

To me, the Sith have always been about power, about manipulation, about abuse. They offer false hope as a lure to ensnare people when they are at their most vulnerable. They offer you what you think you need while gutting your support system, isolating you from those who could pull you back above water. Before you know it, the decisions you say you are making are no longer your own. And so, the visually brightest scene of the episode becomes its darkest moment thematically.

I am amazed that Star Wars continues to tell meaningful, complex stories about survivors, those who are able to liberate themselves from the confines of interpersonal and systemic abuse, as well as those who are unable to break free... yet. 

This is why hope is so fundamentally important, not just in Star Wars or in storytelling, but in the real lives we lead. There is always, ALWAYS hope. 

Aau is probably the most adorable character in Star Wars

Well I wanna do that now TEEHEE SO: Aau’s Nonverbal Behaviors and Why I Think Her Autism Gives Her Her Power

I’m going to preface this saying I know this is most likely not the intended message of the episode. If you’re here to be upset about me relating my autism and verbal shutdowns to a fictional character, this is not the post for you. Please scroll. I’m not here claiming this as fact, I’m simply giving my own interpretation of Aau’s Song.

Throughout the episode itself Aau’s father is fearful of the power her voice holds, specifically around kyber crystals. If you’ve watched the episode you know her planet has many of them, all corrupted by The Sith. Kyber crystals themselves hold much power, and are used in creating light sabers, to give background to anyone that needs it.

(I’m p sure like 99% of my followers don’t watch Star Wars so, sorry fans in the tags I am not babying you I pinky swear)

The beginning of the short shows that when Aau barely uses her voice near a kyber crystal, it starts to spark and burns her father’s glove.

Many would assume this power is why Aau speaks so little, but I feel like it’s the other way around. I believe Aau’s voice is so strong because she doesn’t talk much. Even when she’s nowhere near any crystals, we barely hear her make a peep.

One could assume this is her being afraid to speak up knowing her voice can hold power, but I would disagree on that. The opening shot of the episode establishes she mountain climbs by herself without much protection.

Which is something she does again later on in the episode

Aau is not a girl that’s held back by fear, including using her voice. Not only did she make noise at the beginning of the episode, but even when she’s in a cave while afraid she starts to sing.

Yes she feels fear, plenty of times throughout the episode, but fear does not hold her back. If it does not stop her while in a cave full of sith kyber crystals, why would it stop her when she knows it’s safe to speak?

It simply doesn’t. She just does not talk much, which is what makes her voice hold such power. So much power that when she finally had the chance to truly let her power show, she purified countless kyber crystals around them.

Finally the biggest point to me comes after Aau’s heroic moment. She knows her voice does good, that her power is good

And she still barely talks

Only saying two very brief sentences to her dad before leaving home

Something he doesn’t seem to mind, so I don’t think he expected any change.

The time skip between the offer to leave and actually going was two weeks, and still, Aau barely says a word. If she did let fear hold he back before, her certainly shouldn’t now right?

Because of all this I fully believe it’s Aau’s lack of using her voice that gives it so much strength, and that she’s not silent because of power. She has power because she’s silent. A silence she does not need to change because she holds so much strength the way she is, even without her power.

Aau is a big hearted, brave, clumsy, kind, adventurous soul who is never told she has to change. Only that she must be careful and chose her own path of how to be so.

Again, was any of this subtext done on purpose?

Probably not