Lead Actress Rosario Dawson breaks ground in the “Star Wars” universe as Ahsoka Tano, a fiery rebel and Jedi who was originally featured in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” The show also focuses on characters Sabine Wren and Hera Syndulla, who originate from “Star Wars Rebels.”
In the “Star Wars” timeline, “Ahsoka” takes place in concurrence with “The Mandalorian” during season three.
The show’s creator, Dave Filoni, has been heavily involved in Ahsoka’s character development over the past 11 years. From “The Clone Wars” and the “Rebels” series, to directing her appearances in shows such as “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett,” a cult-following continues to surround his work.
Although fans of Filoni’s work praise his latest addition to the universe, those who primarily follow the films may be confused by the show’s content.
The show begins with Tano’s decision to continue her hunt for Grand Admiral Thrawn, who disappeared to the Unknown Regions with “Rebels” character Ezra Bridger. Re-connecting with Wren and Syndulla, the female power trio set off on a journey to prevent another war.
As part of the remaining few Jedi, Tano believes that they need to neglect certain Jedi traditions to survive. This sentiment does not sit well with “Rebels” returning character, Huyang, a droid with similar charisma to the beloved C-3PO.
Other returning characters include Captain Carson Teva and Chopper (C1-10P), Syndulla’s beloved droid.
Characters often reference important events from previous shows. Many of these do not hold the same significance for all fans. Although the show charms with lovable loth-cats and epic lightsaber battles, the average fan will have difficulty following the plot line and backstories of these lesser-known characters.
The niche nature of Filoni’s creation is reflected in recent reviews on the critical media evaluation site, Rotten Tomatoes. “Ahsoka” has received a 73% average audience score. This is lower in comparison to “The Mandalorian,” which received 78%, and “Andor,” which received 86%.
Although all three of these shows feature side characters, the content in “The Mandalorian” and “Andor” is easy to follow for those who have not done their research.
However, viewers of “Ahsoka” are immediately thrown into the storyline without many details on characters or backstories. In order to understand the significance of certain events, fans are left to fill in the blanks on their own.
At the end of the most recent episode, Ahsoka ends up in The World Between Worlds, a plane within the force that exists outside of time and space. There, she sees her former master, Anakin Skywalker. This cliffhanger leaves fans wondering if Skywalker’s ghost is real, or if he is merely a figment of Tano’s imagination.
Four of the eight episodes are currently streaming on Disney+, with the remaining episodes to be released weekly on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. PT.