Suzanne Tenner
The first time the wider Star Wars audience was introduced to Ahsoka Tano was in 2020. Rosario Dawson played the newly introduced character in The Mandalorian’s second season. The episode was titled “The Jedi,” but Ahsoka is no Jedi—which might be confusing for those just meeting her since she, you know, has two lightsabers. To viewers that had only seen her in her live-action form, she was a mysterious, powerful, and stoic Force-user who refused to train Baby Yoda/Grogu, because of his attachment to Mando (Pedro Pascal). But Ahsoka Tano is so much more than that; she has a very long history within the Star Wars canon and long-time fans of the franchise’s hearts.
As Dawson said in a featurette for the new Ahsoka series, which premieres Aug. 22 on Disney+, “Ahsoka is one of the most well-developed characters in Star Wars, period.” And she’s not exaggerating. Ahsoka has already appeared in a handful of series (The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and The Mandalorian); her death hasn’t been shown in any of them yet, which adds to her compelling story; and her voice (performed by Ashley Eckstein’s, who originated the character in her animated form) even appeared among the slew of prominent Jedi voices speaking to Rey in The Rise of Skywalker.
But for those that only just met Ahsoka, why should you care about her enough to watch a whole show about her? What’s her backstory, and how does it tie into what’s being told in the Ahsoka series? This spin-off for one of the most beloved Star Wars characters (who was actually widely disliked when first introduced) is years in the making, and you ought to catch up—because Ahsoka’s the moment for a reason.