Ahsoka (TV)
To call my turnaround on Ahsoka Tano remarkable is an understatement. When the “Clone Wars” movie came out, she was an annoying character. By the time I began to take in the series years later, inspired by listening to the love the character- and its voice actor, Ashley Eckstein- was getting at a DragonCon panel in 2011, she was one of my favorite characters in all of “Star Wars,” and I was ready for more of her story. Dave Filoni would give us more in animation with “Rebels” and a final season of “Clone Wars.” When the character made the jump to live-action in “The Mandalorian,” and was now played by Rosario Dawson, I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. That wasn’t the reason it’s taken a year to finally take in “Ahsoka,” Filoni’s live-action series on his beloved character, though I do wish I had gotten to it sooner, however.
“Rebels” left a lot of characters, and their fates, in flux. One, Kanan, was definitely gone, but his padawan, Ezra Bridger, ended up missing in action, while pilot Hera continued with the Rebellion, and Sabine- the young Mandalorian firebrand- seemed prime to take the mantle, or be an outsider. Ahsoka was inextricably linked to these characters, and- though not part of the Rebellion- her alliances with the Force were clear. Her re-emergence during “The Mandalorian” leaves her in an interesting position as a possible master, which “Ahsoka”- created by Filoni- keeps up with as she fights the battle of good and evil on her own terms.
The main thrust of “Ahsoka” in Season One was to bring new Imperial threats to live-action- some new, others familiar to fans of “Rebels” and the Legends stories- as well as Ahsoka, Hera and Sabine tasked with looking for Ezra Bridger, whom disappeared at the end of “Rebels.” True to her code name in “Rebels,” Ahsoka is the fulcrum at the center of these threads of narrative. When she appeared in “The Mandalorian,” she was looking for Grand Master Thrawn, an enemy from “Rebels” (and one of the most beloved Legends characters), whom had disappeared before the Empire fell in “Return of the Jedi.” Now, along comes a Sith Inquisitor, Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson, who passed away after filming this), and his apprentice, Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno), whom might have found the clue to locating Thrawn, and possibly Ezra also.
I’m at the point in my “Star Wars” fandom where I’d love to see the movies and TV shows veer as far away from the timeline, and characters, from the Skywalker Saga as possible. There is a vast galaxy far, far away to explore. As much as I loved Ahsoka in the animated shows Filoni made, I’ve been ready for new adventures, and new characters. Why “Ahsoka” ended up winning me over is not only because Filoni clearly had a story he wanted to tell in Season One of this series, but he’s also seamlessly transitioned these characters into live-action without missing a beat. Dawson, Natasha Liu Bordizzo (as Sabine) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (as Hera) may not be the same actors who brought the animated versions of these characters to life, but they make us feel like we’re watching the next chapter of them by getting to each character’s traits and personalities, and more importantly, the same dynamics. And Filoni is showing himself more adept in live-action than he did in some of his work on “The Mandalorian.” This is an exciting, confident new chapter in his “Star Wars” universe.
One of the reasons Ahsoka is such a compelling character to follow is her arc is singular among the Jedi in the Skywalker Saga. During the Clone Wars, she was padawan to Anakin Skywalker, and a lot of her adventures were with him and Obi-Wan Kenobi. She would have her own adventures, as well, and throughout the first six seasons, we saw her grow into a formidable leader herself. Eventually, she became disillusioned from the Jedi Order, and left the Order. Even after the fall of the Jedi, she never gave up the good fight, eventually working with Jedi in her own way. As the Empire fell, though, she turned her sights on Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), and that is where our focus is in this story. The most impressive thing about “Ahsoka” is that, like Eckstein, Dawson embodies this character and all her faults and strengths. There was a time when I had my own ideas of bringing Ahsoka to life in live-action, but truthfully, no one but Filoni could do it this well.
Every episode of the show’s first season escalates the narrative and tension, and there are truly beautiful sites in this show. The Space Whales. The lightsaber battles. The witches that serve Thrawn. The visions Ahsoka has of her former master (played by Hayden Christensen). The dynamics with Sabine, Hera and the new characters around the New Republic are compelling and lay the framework for the politics of gut instinct vs. following orders. The performances are very good, and the score- by animated series composer Kevin Kiner- follows in his great work for Filoni in the past. As much as I’m looking forward to seeing more shows whose focus is beyond the Skywalker Saga, but “Ahsoka” reminded me why I love this character in the first place, and why Filoni was someone Lucas trusted to tell stories so close to his own saga. I’m excited about the possibilities for a Season Two.
