‘Ahsoka’ Character Spotlight: The Good, The Bad, and The Gray

8/22/2023

Written by Juanita ‘Obi-Juan’ Bonner

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Hello Star Wars nerds. Obi-Juan here… excited to discuss one of my favorite additions to the Star Wars Universe in recent years – Ahsoka Tano. With her self-titled series, Ahsoka, set to premiere tonight on Disney+, I thought I would take a moment to discuss five highly anticipated characters. Including the badass herself. But before we begin, let me remind you that I tend to stay away from excessive previews, behind the set news, break downs and anything else that dives too deep into a series I want to truly see with fresh eyes. So please don’t troll me if I fail to connect some dots that your eagle eyes and spies have already sussed out. Further… there’s no whining here! I don’t care if you dislike certain characters, writers, producers, directors, etc. Or, if you hate retconning or feel these recent stories are only here to sew together the disjointed sequel trilogy. I mean, seriously… so what?!? Live action Star Wars beyond the films is fracking awesome. Getting new Star Wars content on television every few months? Also… fracking awesome! Criticism is one thing, but pure hatred is just silly and a serious waste of energy. I’m here for the love of it all and you should be too!! *SO THERE… LOL!* If you’re not… to put it Stormtrooper style: “move along.” *HAHAHA!*

Whew! That was one heck of a soap box… lol!! Let’s forget all that shall we? For now, we enter the post Battle of Yavin or ABY (After the Battle of Yavin) era roughly 9 years in. The Galactic Empire has been defeated… by a band of Rebels and Ewoks. Sound familiar?? *WINK* Yet, in the wake of war, factions all across the galaxy are trying to seize control of various regions. As The New Republic takes hold with a goal to restore democracy in the core worlds, the outer rim begins to bubble with gangsters, pirates and would be dictators. In the far reaches of space, the early makings of the First Order are beginning to form and whispers of a new evil to lead the charge float on the wind. *QUEUE SINISTER MUSIC HERE!*

Now that we know where we sit in the timeline, let’s show some love for five characters that I fully expect to rock my world in the coming episodes. *WOOT!!* Beginning with the centerpiece herself… Ahsoka!!

Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson)
For anyone who hasn’t seen the animated series The Clone Wars or Rebels, you are truly missing out when it comes to visual Star Wars. Making the leap to live action was the next logical step. Bringing the backdrop, the Ahsoka Production Brief states: “Set after the fall of the Empire, Ahsoka follows the titular character as she investigates an emerging threat to the vulnerable galaxy.” Further explained by creator and series Showrunner Dave Filoni in interviews during production, Ahsoka is a: “wandering samurai-like Jedi doing good deeds where she can but always ever watchful of greater evils that may lurk, that may threaten all that’s good in the New Republic.” For our purposes, Grand Admiral Thrawn (discussed below) is such a threat and boy am I here for it!!

From her first live action debut in The Mandalorian – Chapter 13: The Jedi to her appearance in The Book of Boba Fett – Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger, fans knew a stand-alone series was coming. We also knew that Rosario Dawson would play Ahsoka in the aforementioned episodes as well as in the series. Just how badass she would be? Well… all I can say is we… literally… weren’t… ready!! Her fierce fighting skills. Wielding two Light Sabers. Her pressure to find Thrawn. Her wisdom to guide Din Jarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu. Her time with a young Luke Skywalker (Mark “De-aged” Hamill… LOL!). I mean… wow! Just… WOW!! So much backstory in just two episodes in shows that aren’t even hers. FINALLY… she is here. A full 8 episodes in her own space. And… she’s not alone!

Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo)
Before Din Jarin – the first TV series Mandalorian who DIDN’T tow the Mandalore line – we got Sabine Wren. A badass tactician with a colorful flare whose signature art – her starbird tag – “inspired what would become the symbol for the Rebel Alliance.” *HECK YEAH!!* I fell in love with this character instantly! You??

Of Noble birth from Clan Wren, Sabine was defiant from the start. Standing up for what she felt was right, she defected from the Empire’s Imperial Academy imposed on her as a child and joined a band of Rebels. It’s here that her true worth and skills began to flourish. Strung throughout Rebels, her arc is simply fantastic! *KAPOW!!*

In the series at hand, the Production Brief tells us that she becomes apprentice to Ahsoka. *OMG – NO WAY!!* Filoni explains further by saying one does not need know anything about Sabine. Just know that: “The struggle between master and apprentice is very central to the show.” *HOLY COW* Man, am I excited to see two women warriors – Master and Apprentice! *BRING IT!!* But let’s not forget about one of the best pilots in the whole galaxy… also a woman!

Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead)
Beyond the small backstory of Garsa Fwip (Jennifer Beals) in The Book of Boba Fett, Hera Syndulla is the first Twi’lek we see have some true depth! I mean… Hera is a far cry from dancing in Jabba’s Palace with no real purpose or story except Rancor fodder. *YIKES* Nope… not Hera. She was born to the daughter of a General and resistance leader on her home planet of Ryloth. In Rebels, Hera leaves Ryloth at an early age to join a bigger galactic resistance by forming a rebel cell known as the Spectres. Comprised of Jedi Kanan Jarrus (Voice: Freddie Prinze Jr.), Garazeb Orrelios – AKA: Zeb (Voice: Steve Blum), Sabine Wren (Voice: Tiya Sircar), Ezra Bridger (Voice: Taylor Gray) and Hera’s faithful droid Chopper. The group eventually become part of the Phoenix Cell with Hera becoming Phoenix Leader. *NICE*

By the time we catch up with her in Ahsoka, she’s mother to a son name Jacen Syndulla from her romance with Kanan Jarrus. *AWWW!* She also continues to remain a crucial part of the Alliance against evil and I can’t wait to see where she falls in this series. To see her fly The Ghost in live action is about all I could hope for, but knowing Filoni, I’m sure we’ll get much more than that! Including some representation from the Dark Side. Because if Hera represents all that is good in the light… and believe me… she does! Then our last two characters will bring the dark with haste! *OH HELLS YEAH!!*

Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson)
A former Jedi who survived the Great Purge turned mercenary! Seriously… I could literally stop there because that one sentence alone makes Skoll one hell of a compelling character. *DAMN STRAIGHT* Just to see a wayward Jedi – besides Anakin of course – well… there’s almost no words!! Almost.

Though a life-long Star Wars fan, I have never delved into the extensive media of novels, comics, Legends, etc. This means I’m seriously lacking in the alternative beyond the movies and television shows. But Skoll… he’s new and he’s ALL TV!! Not to mention, I’m a huge fan of Ray Stevenson who stole my heart in various roles. Including my favorites: Titus Pullo in Rome (HBO; 2005-2007), Volstagg in the Thor films (MCU; 2011-2017) and Blackbeard in Black Sails (Starz; 2016-2017). We also mustn’t forget his voice work as Gar Saxon in both The Clone Wars and Rebels. *FANTASTIC* A true thespian to his craft and a kind and gentle man in real life. Stevenson left us at only 58 years of age with Ahsoka being one of the last things he worked on. I look forward to his performance though bittersweet it will be! To see him ally with our final character will be an honor to say the least.

Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen)
In some ways, Thrawn – played by the insanely talented Lars Mikkelsen – is even more anticipated by fans than the titular Ahsoka. An expert tactician and historian, Thrawn has a unique approach when sizing up and defeating his enemies. By using their own cultural traditions, Thrawn reads his foe in a way no other Star Wars villain has thus far. Dedicating himself to understanding the philosophy, art and culture of his opponents, we see this first-hand in Rebels as Thrawn is determined to: “pull the rebels apart piece by piece.” *YIKES*

Not to mention, his personal motivation to protect his own peoples – The Chiss – make him somewhat relatable. All be it, in a dark and scary way. We also shouldn’t forget that Chiss, though near-human-like, have better eyesight, sharper hearing and faster reflexes. *KAPOW* Therefore, Thrawn’s combined ambitions and talents saw him quickly climb the ranks in the Galactic Empire to reach Grand Admiral in the Imperial Navy. A title that serves him quite well, I might add!! For in Rebels, also voiced by Mikkelsen (*AWESOME!*), Thrawn’s calm yet cold nature is terrifying! And beyond animation, there is PLENTY of material to pull from as his character exists across Canon and Legends including both comics and novels. To fathom Thrawn moving into live action is absolutely EPIC!! Fans are frothing at the mouth to follow this well beloved and most intriguing character who, dare I say, rivals that of Darth Vader himself, when it comes to villains. *WHOA!!*

Presumed to be defeated by Ezra Bridger (Voice: Taylor Gray) at the series conclusion of Rebels. With the help of the whale-like species Purrgil, both vanished via hyperspace with their whereabouts still unknow. As evidenced in her introduction in The Mandalorian, Thrawn is the absolute center of Ahsoka’s search. Not only to defeat him once and for all, but with hope of finding Ezra in the process. I have no doubt that we will see plenty of Thrawn in this series and I for one, cannot wait!!

Well kids, that’s it! I hope you’re as excited as I am to see Ahsoka. Below are a few characters I hope to see appear in the show to add to the fun. Enjoy.

Will They Appear?

Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen)
Seeing Anakin in the Obi-Wan series was insanely awesome!! While there’s no official word that he is in the series, he’s listed in one episode of Ahsoka on IMDB. A flashback perhaps?? No matter the form, to see him potentially interact with his former apprentice – from animation to live action no less – would be a dream come true!

Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) and Chopper the Droid
Not the most loved characters in Rebels, I myself grew to really like Ezra and Chopper and hope to see them strut into live action before series end. Considering we have Hera and likely The Ghost, Chopper is sure to be in there somewhere, right? Besides, his tie to Thrawn’s disappearance seems too great to have him completely omitted, right?

Until next time… May the Force Be With You… Always!

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‘Ahsoka’ Character Spotlight: The Good, The Bad, and The Gray

Written by Juanita ‘Obi-Juan’ Bonner

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