Ever since her character’s introduction in The Clone Wars, Ahsoka Tano has been a fan-favorite Star Wars character. That’s why so many people were excited when they learned that Ahsoka was making her live-action debut in Season 2 of The Mandalorian. Since then, Ahsoka briefly appeared in The Book of Boba Fett and talked to Luke Skywalker about Grogu. She also featured in the animated series Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, which showed how she survived Order 66 and how she killed an Imperial inquisitor.
However, all of that was just leading into Ahsoka's own series. It was announced at Disney Investors Day in 2020, and fans have been impatiently waiting ever since. The past few years have offered some passing updates, 2023's Star Wars Celebration just gave fans an official first look at the series. So, here are the latest developments on Ahsoka, including its story, cast, release date and trailer.
What Is the Story Going Into Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 1?
There have been plenty of rumors and leaks about Ahsoka's plot, but for the longest time, it was difficult to nail anything down. Without a doubt fans know that it will be a spinoff of The Mandalorian, so it will be set in the years following Return of the Jedi. Fans also know that it will function as a sequel to Star Wars Rebels. So, here's a quick recap of what happened in the popular finale.
The series finale for Rebels featured the Battle of Lothal. During the battle, Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger made a plan to summon a pod of purrgil to help save his homeworld. When the space creatures arrived, they destroyed Grand Admiral Thrawn’s fleet, except for the flagship that he and Ezra were on. Then, at Ezra’s Force-command, the purrgil latched onto Thrawn’s ship and took it -- with the two of them still inside -- off into the unknowns of hyperspace. Then, after a time jump past the Battle of Endor, it showed Ahsoka and Sabine Wren embarking on a search to find the still-missing Ezra.
Ahsoka and Sabine will be searching or Ezra, but they will also be searching for Grand Admiral Thrawn, in a twist on Heir to the Empire. Ahsoka has felt a disturbance in the Force, and she heard whispers that the conniving Chiss is responsible. While searching, they will encounter former Jedi and current dark side-users, Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati in a new local called the New Beyond. It will be interesting to see if Baylan and Shin are serving Thrawn or if they will be limited villains. Either way, fans are excited by all the rumors. There could be time travel, a new kind of lightsaber, Nightsister magick and even revelations about the Force.
Who Is In Star Wars: Ahsoka's Cast?
It was Ashley Eckstein who developed Ahsoka’s character alongside Dave Filoni. It was also Eckstein who voiced the character in The Clone Wars and Rebels. However, The Mandalorian introduced Rosario Dawson in the live-action role of Ahsoka. Rosario Dawson will also portray the popular character in the Ahsoka series. Dawson will be joined by Natasha Liu Bordizzo, who will play Sabine Wren and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who will play Hera Syndulla.
News about Ezra and Thrawn's actors has been a bit of an adventure. Fans expected that Mena Massoud would play Ezra (like he did in Rebels), but after a lot of speculation, Ahsoka announced that Eman Esfandi would take on the Ezra role instead. Meanwhile, fans expected that Lars Mikkelson would reprise his Rebels role as Thrawn, but he adamantly denied any involvement, until he was confirmed for the role at Star Wars Celebration. Adding to the list of villains, Ray Stevenson will play Baylan Skoll, and Ivanna Sakhno will play his assassins and apprentice, Shin Hati. It's also been confirmed that Hayden Christensen will also show up at some point. He returned for the Kenobi series, and The Hollywood Reporter announced that he would also appear in Ahsoka -- probably in flashback sequences. Finally, David Tennant will reprise his The Clone Wars role as the droid Huyang.
When Does Star Wars: Ahsoka Come Out?
Disney has ramped up its Star Wars content over the last few years, and fans have loved the extra content from the galaxy far, far away. So far in 2023, fans have gotten The Bad Batch and The Mandalorian, which were both outstanding. A second season of Star Wars: Visions is yet to come in May, but at this point, fans are really looking forward to Ahsoka. Luckily, they won't have to wait too much longer because the release date is set for August.
Does Star Wars: Ahsoka Have A Trailer?
Those who attended 2022's Star Wars Celebration saw an early look at the Ahsoka series, but it was never officially released to the public. However, 2023's Star Wars Celebration gave fans what they wanted: a full teaser trailer. It showed footage of Ahsoka, Sabine and Hera. It also debuted Baylan and Shin. The trailer's vibe was mysterious, and it perfectly set the tone for the spiritual-esque series.
This article will be updated as new information becomes available.