MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
Star Wars fans have waited a long time for one of the most popular characters to return and Ahsoka was worth that wait. After briefly appearing in The Mandalorian Season 2 with her live-action debut, the story picks up right where it left off for the Jedi. This series has some of the best visuals, fight sequences, lore & more displayed throughout Star Wars & is something fans of the galaxy far, far away won’t want to miss.
THE REBELS
Ahsoka Tano is played by Rosario Dawson who was originally cast by the digital artist Boss Logic, even being credited by Dawson. Her performance captures the essence of the fan-favorite character with her mannerisms and ability to bring the Jedi to life. Throughout the series, we get to see the full range of Dawson’s talent. Her performance alone is a reason to watch this series!
Natasha Liu Bordizzo plays Sabine Wren from Star Wars Rebels in her live-action debut. As the co-lead of the show, much of her performance relied on Dawson & the story, however in moments where she was the focus she owned the spot. The lore surrounding her character and her ties to Mandalore make for interesting context. The similarities in her performance to that of her animated counterpart are worth mentioning.
Huyang, the light saber building droid professor from The Clone Wars animated series makes his live-action debut. Returning as the voice David Tenant brings a sense of familiarity and nostalgia when speaking if one has seen the previously mentioned series. His wise words throughout the show leave an everlasting impression.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Hera Syndulla in her live-action debut. Embodying the caring and nurturing characteristics of the mother of the group and the strength of a general of the New Republic. Hera along with Chopper the fan-favorite droid voiced by Dave Filoni writer of Ahsoka, plays as great supporting characters that have plenty of humorous banter and help move the plot forward. Her performance brings the emotional ties to the heart of the series.
The long-awaited return of Star Wars Rebels fan favorite Ezra Bridger is played by Eman Esfandi in his live-action debut. Eman captures the joyous and charismatic boy who has become a man. His lightheartedness and free-spiritedness are felt from on screen and his appearance is astonishingly similar to that of his animated predecessor. Eman fully embodies Ezra Bridger in his role as the Jedi.
LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE
New characters Baylan Skoll & Shin Hati are introduced in this series played by the late Ray Stevenson and Ivanna Sakhno. Ray’s performance was one of the best in this series and one of the best overall in Star Wars, making him one of the best antagonists the franchise has ever seen. He captures and steals every scene that he’s in while projecting his on-screen presence. Both his character along with Ivanna’s, are left with open-ended mysteries that leave viewers with questions and wanting more.
Morgan Elsbeth played by Diana Lee Inosanto returns after her appearance in The Mandalorian Season 2. Her performance while impactful is overshadowed by the lore of the Nightsisters of Dathomir her character helps to build upon. When paired with The Great Mothers viewers see more live-action magic than ever before from Star Wars expanding on canon and making connections throughout other areas of the franchise like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
From animated series to novels, Grand Admiral Thrawn of the Galactic Empire makes his live-action debut played by Lars Mikkelsen. Originally the voice of Thrawn in Star Wars Rebels this marks the return of the actor portraying the fan-favorite villain. His menacing demeanor translates not just from his voice but his on-screen presence and it’s clear that he’s set up to be the next main antagonist in the Star Wars franchise.
THE WORLD BETWEEN WORLDS
Much is left for interpretation when exploring The World Between Worlds which has opened a forum of discussions amongst the Star Wars community. The lore behind the realm has yet to be discovered though some details have been displayed throughout different parts of the franchise. The highlight of its use in this series is the characters that were showcased to fans.
Hayden Christensen makes a climactic return as Anakin Skywalker. During his performance, he displays a range of talent as he portrays different eras of the Jedi from his live-action debut of The Clone Wars animated series to his fall to the dark side of the force as Darth Vader. Ariana Greenblatt also makes an appearance as the young Ahsoka Tano from The Clone Wars animated series and portrays the adolescent Padawan to perfection. The dynamic between the two and Hayden’s performance not only makes for an emotional tone but the detail to the lore will be gratification to fans of Star Wars.
A GALAXY FAR, FARY AWAY
A galaxy far, far away has always been used as a slogan and in the intro credits for Star Wars, however for this series “Far, Far Away” is the title of an episode. Exploring more of the universe the franchise takes a trip to a whole new galaxy bigger than the previous. While little is known about this galaxy other than a planet named Peridea, the franchise will be diving deeper into it as it continues to grow.
CAMEOS & EASTER EGGS
Jacen Syndulla makes his live-action debut played by Evan Whitten. Jacen is the son of the late Jedi Caleb Dume aka Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla. He is shown to be force-sensitive and helps in a pivotal plot point in the series. Little is known about the future of the character but many fans theorize he will become a full-fledged Jedi potentially being trained by Ezra Bridger, apprentice of Kanan.
Although clones have appeared throughout the live-action of Star Wars before, none are more popular than the fan-favorite Captain Rex. Originally from The Clone Wars animated series, Rex makes his live-action debut as a cameo in Ahsoka. While appearing only in a flashback in The World Between Worlds, it’s a great treat to fans and viewers who are familiar with the character.
One of the biggest surprise cameos in this series is of one of the original droids in Star Wars history C3PO. Voiced by original voice actor Anthony Daniels, he appears as a representative of Leia Organa giving viewers a connection to the original trilogy. During this scene, viewers also get cameos from Carson Teva from The Mandalorian played by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, and Mon Mothma from Andor played by Genevieve O’Rielly tying the franchise timeline together while the New Republic deals with uncertainty.
Toward the end of the finale some of the mysteries start to piece together however, unravel more questions than answers. As the series comes to an end Ahsoka sees Morai the bird that is tied to the Daughter of Mortis. This raises questions that are related to the lore of the force as well as Baylan Skoll and his motives. The force is a pivotal piece to the Star Wars franchise and overall lore and will continue to be explored further.
SEASON 2?
Already reported to be in early development Ahsoka has massive potential for a Season 2. Many of these characters are fan favorites and this marks their debut in live-action as well as the first appearance of other characters. With many mysteries left unsolved and character arcs left open it’s clear there’s a further story to tell in which one can only speculate.
The series ends with a nice close-out to all of the established plot points and emotional character development all while giving viewers plenty of spectacular action scenes. While setting up viewers craving for more, the series leaves a sense of fulfillment with how much was displayed and showcased. Whether a fan of the Prequels, The Clone Wars, or Rebels, Ahsoka is some of the best Star Wars!
Author
