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During the emotional moment when Ahsoka Tano leaves the Jedi order at the end of season 5 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a variety of musical themes play, one of which is her theme, and it plays on an instrument I can't identify. It's at about 1:50 of this video. There are strings in the background and some kind of rattle thing, but the instrument playing the main theme that sounds like a cross between a cello and an oboe is what I'm asking about. Does anyone know what instrument this is?

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I'd argue it's a bass shakuhachi (a Japanese flute).

Kiner says that the theme for Ahsoka was written for a shakuhachi:

That was the first theme I wrote. And I remember writing for that theme and I used Japanese flute called a shakuhachi just trying to feel her femininity but her strength, there's this light and there's a Darkness to her and there's both of that in her theme you know?

https://www.cineconcerts.com/features/2021/kevin-kiner-the-star-wars-legend

This video demonstrating a bass version of the instrument sounds very similar to the piece in OP's question:

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    I'm accepting this answer because it includes an actual primary source that helps identify the instrument
    – cat40
    Sep 10, 2021 at 22:40
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It appears to be a Mojave Flute. You can see it in the scoring here with the (expressive) 'Mojave Flute Solo' kicking in at about the right 1:50 mark.

enter image description here

There's a very nice example below of a similar instrument playing a similar score.

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  • I'm still not convinced this is the correct instrument, but it's the closest anyone has been able to get so I will accept the answer unless a better one comes along
    – cat40
    Jun 16, 2021 at 0:53
  • @cat40 - given that it's the one in the licenced musical score, it's hard to see what else it could be.
    – Valorum
    Jun 16, 2021 at 6:44
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    I'm pretty sure that score you linked to was done unlicensed by a fan. MuseScore allows anyone to upload and isn't very strict about enforcing intellectual property restrictions.
    – cat40
    Jun 16, 2021 at 22:30
  • agree w/ @cat40 - musescore.com/user/35224199 - user does not appear to be affiliated in any way w/ the original production
    – NKCampbell
    Sep 8, 2021 at 14:24

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