Star Wars has always been a positive force for strong female characters. The women in a galaxy far, far away are never damsels in distress, but rather powerful and iconic leaders. In the original Star Wars trilogy, Princess Leia takes charge of almost every scene. Although Luke Skywalker and Han Solo infiltrate the Empire’s prison cells to rescue the princess, it’s Leia who finds the escape route that leads them out of the Death Star. Since Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, many female characters have made an impression on fans, but it’s Ahsoka Tano who commands the most respect and loyal fanbase, starring in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, migrating to Star Wars: Rebels, and headlining her own canon novel titled Ahsoka.
From her first appearance, it’s easy to see how Ahsoka Tano became a scene-stealer. The Jedi Council assigned Ahsoka the enviable task of becoming Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan, a Jedi-in-training that is supposed to respect her master’s commands. It doesn’t take long for Ahsoka to prove her worth, even surpassing Anakin’s expectations; she also shares his penchant for challenging the established order. Padawan Tano quickly rises in the ranks of the Jedi, taking on mission after mission during the Clone Wars. She is one of the few members of the Jedi Order to survive this tumultuous period of Star Wars lore, fighting for the Rebellion during some of its darkest hours. With the recently announced new season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the story of Ahsoka Tano’s struggles continues to be told.
20 A PADAWAN OF MANY NAMES
When the sci-fi saga was still in its infancy, Star Wars creator George Lucas had a name for the light side of the Force: Ashla. When he conceived of the character Ahsoka Tano, he planned on naming her Ashla, perhaps to emphasize the character’s goodness. The Bendu, a Force-sensitive being, also used Ashla to mean the light side.
In the years following the Clone Wars, Ahsoka Tano took the name of Ashla while she hid from the Empire. The choice of Ashla was probably in homage to another Jedi youngling from Togruta -- Ahsoka’s home planet – named Ashla, who likely perished during the final years of the Jedi Order. Lastly Anakin affectionately referred to Ahsoka as Snips.
19 AN UNWANTED STUDENT
Moments before meeting Ahsoka, Obi-Wan suggested to Anakin Skywalker than it might be time for him to take on a Padawan; Obi-Wan believed that Anakin would make an excellent teacher. Anakin quickly shrugged off the idea, claiming that a “Padawan would just slow me down.” And from their initial meeting, Ahsoka quickly annoyed Anakin when she wasn’t afraid to express her opinions.
Ahsoka wasted little time proving her mettle. She impressed Anakin with her prowess and instinct for battle. Although he initially rejected her, Ahsoka became indispensable to Anakin throughout the Clone Wars, providing her master with invaluable assistance -- the pair eventually became inseparable allies.
18 COMMANDER TANO
After their first struggles against the Droid armies of Count Dooku, Obi-Wan and Anakin conclude that Ahsoka is reckless. Although it’s not necessarily the best impression to make, Anakin can no doubt relate to the impetuous Padawan -- after proving herself time and time again to the Jedi Order, Ahsoka becomes a commander in the clone army for the first time during the Battle of Ryloth.
It doesn’t take long for Ahsoka to earn her master’s trust, but some clone soldiers are reluctant to follow such a young leader. Eventually she forms a friendship with Commander Rex, a clone warrior. The pair undertake several missions, becoming an effective force in the armies of the Republic.
17 SAVED JABBA THE HUTT’S SON
During the early years of the Clone Wars, Ahsoka and Anakin take on a mission to the planet Teth. In a bid to destabilize the Republic’s trade routes, the Seperatists led by General Grievous and Count Dooku kidnap Jabba the Hutt’s son, Rotta. To ensure that their shipping routes are protected, the Republic, via the Jedi Order, ask Ahsoka to intervene and free Jabba’s son.
Using his dark side apprentice Asajj Ventress, Dooku convinces Jabba that the Jedi are behind the kidnapping. It’s then that Asajj becomes one of Ahsoka’s primary foes. Eventually Ahsoka, Anakin, and Senator Padmé Amidala reveal that it was the Separatists who were behind the kidnaping, and the Jedi return the infant Rotta to Jabba.
16 HER LOVE INTEREST
Ahsoka Tano might have been fated to distrust and dislike Lux Bonteri -- after all, Lux was the son of a Separatist Senator. Ahsoka wasn’t keen on being sent to Lux’s world on a mission. Similarly, Lux Bonteri didn’t want a Jedi in his home. But soon after their meeting, Lux was drawn to Ahsoka, who initially shrugged him off.
After spending more time with Lux, Ahsoka developed feelings for the young boy from Raxus; she was able to show Bonteri that Count Dooku couldn’t be trusted. Although the pair had a tumultuous history, Lux and Ahsoka continued their flirtation. If not for the war and Ahsoka’s position as a Jedi-in-training, they might have pursued a relationship.
15 MEETING CHEWBACCA
In the episode Wookie Hunt of Season 3 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Ahsoka and a group of Jedi younglings try to evade Trandoshan hunters, who are tracking them in a jungle. Ahsoka and her charges cleverly evade the hunters. They hope to take control of their enemies’ ship, but before it crashes, Ahsoka frees a captive Wookie named Chewbacca.
Chewbacca joined forces with Ahsoka and the younglings. With the necessary parts, Chewbacca could contact his home world of Kashyyyk to request help. Although it appeared that his attempt failed, Chewbacca’s transmitter reached his allies. In the nick of time, more Wookies arrived to help Ahsoka and her young allies fight off the hunters.
14 SAVED ON THE HOMEWORLD OF MORTIS
While her missions were never easy, Ahsoka arguably experienced her most challenging assignment when she, Anakin, Obi-Wan and the clone Captain Rex investigated an ancient distress call in the Chrelythiumn system. They arrived on the world of Mortis, believed by some to be the birthplace of the Force.
The Jedi allies met three beings of immense power, the Son, who represents chaos and destruction, the Daughter, who is her brother’s opposite and most like the light side of the Force, and the Father, who stands between them. Ahsoka was infected with the dark side by the Son and faded from the light. Recognizing that this wasn’t her time to pass on, the Daughter revived Ahsoka.
13 AN UNEASY ALLIANCE
At first glance Ahsoka Tano and Asajj Ventress have a lot in common. Both have masters who are powerful Force wielders; Asajj’s master is Count Dooku while Ahsoka is Anakin’s apprentice. They’re also equally skilled fighters who are eager to demonstrate their prowess. But that’s where the comparison ends, since Asajj fully embraces the dark side of the Force.
When a bounty was placed on Ahsoka, Ventress, at the time free of her master’s chains, decided to bring in her former rival. After capturing her, Asajj sympathized with Ahsoka. Both were on the run, let down by their allies -- one more thing they had in common. Eventually the former foes formed an alliance, and Asajj took one step closer towards redemption.
12 HER "ATTACK" ON THE JEDI TEMPLE
In the latter days of the Clone Wars, the Jedi Council was under siege from within their ranks. After an explosion at the Jedi temple, some evidence pointed to Ahsoka, and the Jedi Council decided that she was responsible. Although she had allies who never lost faith in her, like Padmé Amidala and her master Anakin, the accusation shook her faith in the Jedi.
After some help, Ahsoka was able to prove her innocence. The Jedi, represented by Master Plo Koon, apologized for the Jedi Council’s error in accusing Ahsoka. Plo Koon claimed that the Force worked in a mysterious way, and perhaps this trial was part of her journey.
11 NEVER COMPLETED HER TRAINING
After her disappointment with the Jedi Order, Ahsoka proclaims she will “find her own way.” Although she undoubtedly has as much experience as many seasoned Jedi Knights, Ahsoka departs her master’s side before her training can be completed. When she leaves the Jedi temple, Ahsoka is lightsaber-less and disillusioned with the principles of the Jedi.
The novel Ahsoka explores her time in exile, when the Emperor has tightened his grip on the galaxy. While helping the inhabitants of a planet under the Empire’s control, she uses her Force abilities, revealing her past. Despite helping the people with her powers, she never considers herself a Jedi knight.
10 HELPED CAPTAIN REX ESCAPE
Ahsoka Tano’s final mission for the Jedi was to free Mandalore; she traveled to the embattled planet with her friend Captain Rex and the Republic battalion of clone troopers, known as the 501st Legion. The clone troopers, mere pawns in Palpatine’s political ambitions, turned on Ahsoka.
Captain Rex was the only trooper on Mandalore to remain loyal to the Jedi. Ahsoka made a false grave for Rex so that their enemies assumed he had perished. It’s in Star Wars: Rebels that Rex confirmed that he, Wolf, and Gregor (also clone troopers) had removed the chips in their necks to retain control of their actions.
9 SURVIVED ORDER 66
After years of fighting alongside the Jedi, the clone troopers of the Republic’s army turned against the Knights, ruthlessly eliminating their former leaders. Order 66 was Chancellor Palpatine’s ultimate gambit; it used chips planted in the necks of the clone troopers by their creators, the Kaminoan scientists. Once the order was triggered, it allowed the Sith to control the clones.
When Ahsoka was on Mandalore with her legion of troopers, Order 66 was enacted. Once again Ahsoka proved her superior skills. With the help of Rex, she escaped annihilation and fled to the outer reaches of the galaxy to wait out the darkest period of the Jedi.
8 CONFRONTED AND TRAPPED DARTH MAUL
Darth Maul was a thorn in the side of the Jedi and Palpatine throughout the Clone Wars. The former Sith’s grip on Mandalore, an ally of the Republic, was especially troublesome, and Ahsoka and Rex were tasked with taking him down. Too powerful to handle alone, Rex and Ahsoka planned a trap.
Ahsoka and Maul fought for the first time, crossing lightsabers. Ahsoka lured Maul into a plaza where Rex and the clone troopers ensnared the enraged warrior -- unfortunately, Ahsoka had to flee soon after Order 66. In Star Wars: Rebels, Maul refers to the battle of Mandalore when he and Ahsoka confront each other a second time. He tries taunting her: “Running away again, Lady Tano?”
7 DEFEATED THE SIXTH BROTHER INQUISITOR
The Inquisitors were Force-wielding enforcers who worked for the Empire and Darth Vader; their mission was to hunt down any former Jedi agents or Force-sensitive children who might be used against the Empire. One of the Inquisitors, named the Sixth Brother, became aware that a Force-sensitive user was in the Outer Rim, and he set out to find and eliminate this threat.
This Force-wielder was Ahsoka Tano, who had been hiding from Palpatine. Ahsoka was on the moon of Raada, where she had begun training a group of locals to resist the Empire. The Sixth Brother drew out Tano and the warriors battled until Ahsoka took him out using the Inquisitor’s own weapon.
6 CLEANSED SITH LIGHTSABERS
After her battle with the Sixth Brother, Ahsoka Tano, who didn’t have lightsabers, used the Inquisitor’s Kyber crystals. These precious stones are rare and found on scattered planets throughout the galaxy. The Sith and Jedi use them to construct lightsabers.
In the lightsabers of the Sith, the Kyber crystals are said to bleed, hence their deep red color. When Ahsoka took down the Sixth Brother in the novel Ahsoka, she used the dual crystals in his weapons, purifying them from the dark side. She then built new, dual lightsabers that shone a white light, using these new weapons to battle the Rebellion’s foes for years to come.
5 FREED MANY PLANETS
Ahsoka Tano has one of the most impressive careers in Star Wars’ history. Her battles against the dark side of the Force span the Clone Wars, leading up to the events in Star Wars: A New Hope. Having survived confrontations with some of the galaxy’s deadliest foes, including Darth Maul, Darth Tyranus, and Darth Vader, her story is still unfinished.
Surely her most significant achievements have been to unshackle planetary systems from tyranny. During the Clone Wars she helped liberate Ryloth and other systems from the Separatists. On Mandalore she led a force of troopers to depose a puppet government under the control of the shadowy Darth Maul. And on Raada she freed a group of farmers enslaved by the Empire.
4 REJECTED THE JEDI ORDER
Adepts of the Jedi Order must follow certain rules; for a Jedi Knight, the utmost devotion must be to the Order. The Jedi must not develop personal relationships. Any strong feelings towards one individual is discouraged because it might conflict with the Jedi’s objectives.
Several members of the Jedi have turned their backs on their institution. Anakin Skywalker and Count Dooku are two of the most spectacular examples, since they embraced the dark side of the Force. After Ahsoka is accused of a heinous crime, she too turned her back on the Jedi, even after her master asked her to stay. Unlike Dooku and Anakin, she fought the Empire without rejecting the basic principles of peace and virtue taught by the Jedi.
3 BECAME THE MYSTERIOUS REBEL AGENT FULCRUM
During the first days of the Rebellion, secret rebel Bail Organa heard of Ahsoka Tano’s resistance against the Empire. After her impressive work on Raada, Organa asked Tano to join the budding Rebel Alliance. Eventually Ahsoka agreed, convincing Bail Organa that her skills were best suited to run an intelligence wing of the Rebellion.
Taking the codename Fulcrum, Ahsoka began operating behind the scenes, providing invaluable assistance to the Rebellion. In Star Wars: Rebels, as Fulcrum, she assisted rebel cells like the crew of the Ghost, first communicating only with the ship’s pilot, Hera Syndulla. Eventually Ahsoka revealed herself to the rest of the crew, and they undertook several missions together.
2 DISCOVERED DARTH VADER’S IDENTITY
Inside the Jedi temple on Lothal, Ahsoka experienced a vision of her former master, Anakin Skywalker. It was soon after leaving his side that the Jedi were purged, and Anakin fell to the dark side. During her vision, Anakin comes to her as Darth Vader, asking her why she abandoned him.
On a mission with Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus, Ahsoka encounters Maul. Together they fight several Inquisitors, signaling that their master Darth Vader isn’t far behind. After aiding Ezra and Kanan escape, Ahsoka confronts Vader and her worst fears are confirmed; Darth Vader is her former master, Anakin Skywalker. Ahsoka fights Vader, appearing to perish at the Sith Lord’s hands.
1 TIME TRAVELED WITH EZRA BRIDGER
On a mission to Lothal, Ezra Bridger and his allies discover that the Empire is mining for an ancient mural. Emperor Palpatine wants to access a portal in the mural that would allow him to travel to a mystical dimension. But Ezra first enters the dimension, confronting Palpatine.
While inside the dimension, Ezra witnesses past events. He sees Ahsoka moments after he’d left her to confront Darth Vader. While Vader and Ahsoka are dueling with their lightsabers, Ezra opens a portal in time, allowing Ahsoka to escape before Vader can strike her down. Thanks to Ezra, Ahsoka Tano lives on to continue opposing Palpatine and his evil Empire.