With Rent star Rosario Dawson reportedly set to play Ahsoka Tano in the second season of Disney+'s The Mandalorian, the beloved Clone Wars hero is about to finally make her live-action debut.
Ahsoka's potential inclusion in her third television series could have a serious impact on the show and its characters. Although nothing is set in stone, The Mandalorian's first finale and a selection of comments made by various figures behind the scenes provide a wealth of clues as to how the show will bring the fan-favorite character into the fold and what kind of impact she will have on the second season.
Although it's vital to keep in mind that Dawson's casting has yet to be officially confirmed, it lines up well with a variety of previous reports. After the first season chose not to feature any existing characters and use only an original cast, Season 2 will instead feature several familiar Star Wars characters. Ahsoka Tano definitely fits the bill, and the idea that other familiar characters might join her helps clarify this season's potential direction even further.
Despite appearing right now in Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7, Ahsoka's most recent appearance chronologically was set after Return of the Jedi's Battle of Endor during the epilogue of Star Wars: Rebels' series finale. In the scene, Mandalorian Sabine Wren explains what happened to each member of the Ghost's Crew, ending with herself and Ahsoka Tano announcing they will begin searching the Galaxy for fellow force-user Ezra Bridger, who disappeared into hyperspace years earlier.
This fits rather neatly with what little is known about the narrative of The Mandalorian's second season. Season 1's finale saw Mando set out with the Child (known to most fans as "Baby Yoda") from Navarro to fulfill his Armorer's last command: Search the galaxy for the Child's home and reunite it with its people. It's not hard to imagine this mission would lead Mando to Ahsoka's doorstep, and if Sabine is another of the "familiar returning characters," she might still be traveling with her as they continue their search for Ezra, which opens up a number of story possibilities within the series.
As a practiced force user, it seems obvious Ahsoka might teach the Child more about it, but what some viewers might not realize is she is one of the only living people in the galaxy at this time who knew another member of the Child's species: Jedi Master Yoda. Although unprecedented, it would not be impossible for her to know something about his species or their homeworld.
In addition to these possible interactions, Giancarlo Esposito, who played Season 1's main villain Moff Gideon, told fans at FAN EXPO Vancouver there would be some "major, major, epic, epic lightsaber action happening on this show" in Season 2, and that his opponent would not be the Child. Esposito didn't say who his opponent was, but since (as he himself even pointed out) he was the only character in the first season to possess a lightsaber, it seems quite likely this mystery opponent is none other than Ahsoka Tano.
The fight would be an epic moment and a perfect time to reestablish Beskar armor's ability to fend off a direct blow from a lightsaber. More importantly, however, its presence could suddenly mean a lot more to the narrative due to Ahsoka's involvement. Not only does she know all about the Darksaber, but she has also fought against its wielders many times throughout her life.
With the Darksaber, Ahsoka, and potentially Sabine all present, the show would be perfectly poised to incorporate another popular Mandalorian: one-time Mandalore and previous owner of the Darksaber, Bo-Katan, who could easily be brought to life by her voice actor, fan-favorite actress Katee Sackhoff of Battlestar Galactica fame. Introducing Sabine and Bo-Katan alongside Ahsoka would be an organic way to integrate existing Mandalorians into the show's narrative, and including them specifically could allow its creators to bridge the gap and explain the differences between Mando and the Mandalorians that viewers have seen throughout Rebels and The Clone Wars.
However it plays out, Ahsoka and Mando are perfectly poised to further each other's individual narratives and potentially even spin the former Jedi off into her own live-action series. As a character, Ahsoka is uniquely suited to join the cast of the show. In a galaxy where Jedi are little more than myths and where Mandalorians are so rare they can be impersonated without consequence, Ahsoka is the only character in the Star Wars canon at this point in the timeline who has extensive knowledge, history, and experience with both groups. In a season that seems to promise a Mandalorian's search for Jedi, there is simply no one else who could unite these two worlds better.
Voiced by Ashley Eckstein, Ahsoka Tano can currently be seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7, streaming now on Disney + and starring Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker, Dee Bradley Baker as Captain Rex and the other clone troopers, James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan and Sam Witwer as Maul. A new episode arrives each Friday.
Created by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito and Emily Swallow. Season 1 is streaming now on Disney+. Season 2 is slated to arrive this October.