Anakin’s Padawan has come a long way since her introduction in the tepidly received 2008 animated theatrical feature Star Wars: The Clone Wars. That film led into an animated series that saw Ahsoka Tano become not just a formidable Force-user, but also a firm fan favourite.
Ahsoka’s story continued in Star Wars: Rebels, and the character finally made her way to live-action when she appeared in season 2 of The Mandalorian. Following appearances in The Book of Boba Fett, the seventh season of the revived Clone Wars series, and the animated anthology series Tales of the Jedi, the titular (former) Jedi is now set to reunite with her Rebels crewmates in the live-action Ahsoka series on Disney Plus.
If you’ve only ever seen the character in her live action appearances or if you’re jumping into Ahsoka without having seen any of the other Star Wars shows, here’s everything you need to know about the character before tuning in.
What is Ahsoka Tano’s Background?
Ahsoka was first introduced as Anakin Skywalker’s teenage Padawan in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated movie. As Anakin himself was still training under Obi-Wan Kenobi during the era of the Clone Wars, the trio would have many adventures together as chronicled throughout The Clone Wars series.
During this time, Ahsoka would also form notable relationships with fellow Jedi such as Plo Koon and Barriss Offee, as well as Padme Amidala, Bo-Katan Kryze, and the clone trooper Rex.
After being framed for bombing the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Ahsoka is expelled from the Jedi Order. When she gathers enough evidence to prove her innocence the Jedi overturn their decision and offer Tano the rank of Jedi Knight. Disillusioned with the Order and the way that it had been distorted by the events of the war, she walks away, choosing to forge a new path for herself.
In Star Wars: Rebels, she is a major contact within the Rebel Alliance, revealing herself at the end of season one as the illusive ‘Fulcrum’ from whom the core group of Rebels have been receiving orders. She joins the team on many of their missions throughout the rest of the series.
When we meet Ahsoka many years later in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett she is still operating on the fringes of both the New Republic, and the new Jedi Temple which Luke Skywalker is attempting to establish.
What are Ahsoka Tano’s Powers?
Ahsoka’s distinctive lightsaber style has her using a reverse grip. She initially wields a single green lightsaber, but soon comes to favor a dual lightsaber style. Following Order 66 she begins to use two white-bladed lightsabers which were created by purifying the Kyber crystals of an Inquisitor she had vanquished.
As a Padawn, she used her diminutive stature to her advantage, proving to be a nimble and stealthy fighter. She is able to perform all of the basic Force tricks such as high jumps, pushes, pulls, heightened senses, and even mind tricks. She is also able to sense the thoughts and feelings of other Force users – a power which comes in handy when she encounters Grogu in The Mandalorian.
During her life both in and out of the Jedi Order, Ahsoka has defeated or held her own against a great number of powerful adversaries including Asajj Ventress, General Grievous, Darth Maul, and bounty hunters such as Cad Bane and Aurra Sing. Undoubtedly her most difficult battle of all however was against her former master Darth Vader.
What To Know Before Watching Ahsoka
The key plot of Ahsoka finds the character reuniting with Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren from Star Wars: Rebels in order to seek out Ezra Bridger and Thrawn who both went missing at the end of the series. While Bridger represents a chance to reunite with a friend and a fellow Force-sensitive, Thrawn’s return could spell the end for the fledgling New Republic.
One question that you might be wondering is if Ahsoka was such an integral part of Anakin’s story and the overall fate of the galaxy, why was she never mentioned in any of the films? This is partially explained in season seven of The Clone Wars, which takes place simultaneously with the events of Revenge of the Sith.
It’s unknown exactly what Ahsoka was doing during the time of the original trilogy, although given her determination to find Thrawn and Ezra it’s probable that this was her main concern throughout those years.
It has also been revealed in the show’s trailers that she briefly took on her own apprentice in Sabine Wren, though when exactly this took place isn’t certain.
One final callback to Rebels could be a storyline concerning the mystical World Between Worlds. One of the strangest elements of Star Wars lore, the World Between Worlds was a location that seemingly allowed those who entered to pass forwards or backwards through time and space.
Not much is truly known about the World Between Worlds, but as its key visual motif is used in Ahsoka’s title art it seems a sure thing that this will likely play an important part in the series and perhaps future series leading up to the planned film that will cap off the ‘Heir the Empire’ narrative that began with The Mandalorian.
