Created by George Lucas and Dave Filoni, Ahsoka Tano started off as the confident and plucky Padawan of Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated film, earning the nickname Snips for her ability to speak up for herself. Ahsoka also had a prominent role in Star Wars: Rebels, which began five years before A New Hope, and later appeared in The Mandalorian, which takes place five years after Return of the Jedi.
And now, the recent casting announcement of Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, the Mandalorian freedom fighter from Rebels, suggests that the series' cliffhanger may finally find some resolution in Ahsoka's show coming to Disney+ next year. So, with that being the case, here is a quick look at where Ahsoka has been and, given this news, the implications for where she may be going next as a fan favorite coming into her own in the upcoming limited series.
Ahsoka During The Clone Wars
Ahsoka proved to be a more than capable student during her time as a Jedi under the tutelage of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. She proved herself time and time again against infamous bounty hunters, separatist droids and Sith acolytes like Asajj Ventress and encountered the Force triumvirate of the Father, the Daughter and the Son before being imbued with a spiritual connection and potent Light Side energies upon the Daughter's death.
But Ahsoka was also found guilty of a bombing that took place at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and became a fugitive as she sought to clear her name. After succeeding in doing so, the Jedi Order apologized for their mistake and offered her a place among them once again, but after all that she uncovered during her investigation and experiencing firsthand how misguided the council could be, she renounced the Order and set out on her own uncertain path.
In the moments leading up to the attack on Coruscant, Ahsoka returned to Anakin and Obi-Wan with a plan to capture the renegade Sith Lord Darth Maul. To aid in her pursuit Anakin gifted her half of the 501st led by the newly promoted Commander Rex and a pair of lightsabers and Maul was indeed brought into custody. During the return mission, Order 66 was executed, and Ahsoka was hunted by the Clones that had sworn loyalty to her, resulting in her hiding on her ship but also removing the inhibitor chip from Rex that had turned him and the others into a thrall. In the ensuing melee, Maul escaped once again and Ahsoka and Rex faked their deaths before going into hiding.
Ahsoka During Star Wars Rebels
Star Wars: Rebels follows the crew of the Ghost, a ship piloted by Hera Syndulla, and a team of resistance fighters known as the Spectres led by her lover Kanan Jarrus, a Jedi who narrowly escaped Order 66 and assassination at the hands of Experimental Unit Clone Force 99. Garazeb Orrelios served as their strong man, Chopper was their surly astromech droid Sabine Wren was their demolitions expert and Ezra Bridger, a native of the planet Lothal where they incited insurrection, became an eventual Padawan to Kanan.
They eventually encounter Fulcrum, a spy who furnishes the nascent rebellion with information and tasks resistance cells with covert missions. Ahsoka is the original Fulcrum and designed the role's operational framework, paving the way for other espionage commandos to adopt the mantle like Alexsandr Kallus, a former Imperial officer and Captain Cassian Andor, the spy and assassin featured in Rogue One.
Ahsoka confronts Vader at one point during the series when once again set against Maul, those this time during his efforts to subvert Ezra Bridger as his apprentice. And it is during this battle that her subconscious suspicions are confirmed and she realizes with certainty that Vader and Anakin are one and the same. During the series finale, the Spectres fought Admiral Thrawn during his attempt to supplant the funding for the Death Star with his experimental Tie Fighter program. Sabine led the strike teams during this pivotal mission wherein Ezra summoned a pod of purgill, whale-like creatures native to deep space and capable of travel through hyperspace lanes, to help destroy Imperial ships but also transport him, Admiral Thrawn and his star destroyer into unknown space. Sabine and Ahsoka pledge to find Ezra in the episode's waning moments.
Ahsoka During The Mandalorian
Din Djarin is a Mandalorian bounty hunter who came into possession of a Force-sensitive infant and sought someone that could take care of the mysterious and powerful being. His travels led him to Ahsoka, a person rumored to be a Jedi who may be able to offer training and security to the child. After meeting one another, Ahsoka tells the Mandalorian that the child's name is Grogu, that he is strong in the Force and that she cannot train him. Ahsoka is no longer a Jedi, and though she does not elaborate, there are many reasons one might understand as to why she would be reluctant to take on an apprentice.
During the episode, Ahsoka's motivations are centered on one goal, the discovery of Admiral Thrawn's whereabouts. At this point in the continuity, he and Ezra would have been missing for about a decade, and Ahsoka's determination to find Thrawn and her friend seems to be as powerful as ever.
What Comes Next For Ahsoka?
According to an article in Deadline, Natasha Liu Bordizzo has been cast as a lead opposite to Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka, indicating that her role is not only a recurring one but also a partnership. Given that level of prominence in addition to the motivations displayed in Ahsoka's live-action appearance, it seems that the search for Ezra is ongoing and will serve as the defining feature of the upcoming limited series. Hayden Christensen has also been confirmed as a member of the cast reprising his role as Anakin, which would most likely take place in tantalizing flashbacks.
Ezra himself is a source of great wonder among fans of Rebels because of his affinity to the living Force and the interest he piqued in those who encountered him, including Darth Maul and the missing Admiral Thrawn. Though young, every indication is that he was gifted in the Force, so much so that Kanan struggled with his own ability to serve as a mentor to the boy. Ahsoka has already made it clear that becoming a Master to a Padawan lies outside of her perceived abilities, but at this point, Ezra may not need one. He would be an adult now, and his own relationship with Thrawn remains a mystery. As opposed to a mentor, Ahsoka may be called upon to deal with Ezra as a threat, as he has been tainted by Thrawn over all these years, colliding with very painful aspects of her past. But while this casting news implies a focus for the long-awaited show, answers to these and many other questions will still have to wait.
Ahsoka Tano returns to the Star Wars universe in Ahsoka, coming soon to Disney+.