The Star Wars Disney+ shows have been a healthy mix of hits and misses since the platform debuted in 2019. Ahsoka, a live action series focused around the legendary padawan of Anakin Skywalker, is one of those hits. The eight episodes follow Ahsoka Tano, played by Rosario Dawson, who is investigating a threat emerging from the ashes of the empire. There is also the renewed search for Ezra Bridger, the protagonist of Star Wars Rebels who has been missing since the finale of that series in 2018.
The show is the brainchild of Dave Filoni, the creator of Clone Wars, Rebels, and of characters like Ahsoka. He’s at his best with character creation and loyalty to the source material, while also paving the way for new and exciting ideas. The flashbacks that Ahsoka has to the Clone Wars and to the loss of Anakin (Hayden Christensen) to the dark side really drive home how it traumatized and affected her. It shows the aftermath of Rebels and how characters like Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) are coping with the losses they also suffered in the war. The audience also finally gets to see a live action adaptation of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), one of the most ruthless of villains in the Star Wars canon.
It was incredible seeing not just Ahsoka given the live action center stage, but other heroes from Rebels like Sabine, Hera, Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) and Hyuang (David Tennant). For the villains there’s Thrawn, the Nightsister Morgan Elsbeth, and the dark Jedi mercenaries Baylan Skoll (played by the late Ray Stephenson) and Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno). Even with Tennant and Mikkelsen being the only ones reprising their roles from the cartoon, each actor really did wonderful at understanding the world they were in and taking over these characters for a new audience. The new characters shined too. Stephenson and Sakhno created such an aura of mystery around their characters that it will leave fans salivating for more.
The show’s only detraction is that fans who may not be as hip with the lore of Star Wars or shows like Ahsoka and Rebels may have a hard time finding it accessible. However, the show is still a refreshing and fun Star Wars show that will leave fans and newcomers satisfied and hopeful with the franchise’s direction.
