Ahsoka, The Clone Wars and me: A fan’s perspective
Every Star Wars fan starts somewhere. This is my tale of how Ahsoka Tano and her story as Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice inspired me as a Star Wars fan.
I remember little of my childhood, but I recall the day I became a Star Wars fan. An 11-year-old me walked into the tiny living room of the awful rented house my family lived in. My Dad spent the weekends building our house. I’d only seen the original Star Wars movies on television and never paid attention to the story.
I found Dad sitting in the lounge room. I asked if Star Wars movies four, five and six were about Luke, what was the story of one, two and three? He looked at me and didn’t hesitate to explain. The prequel films told the story of Anakin Skywalker and how he became Darth Vader. From this moment on, I became a Star Wars tragic. I devoured every piece of information I found.
I begged my Mum to buy the DVDs, and she obliged. We ended up buying the box set of DVDs of the original trilogy. The box set contained a special features DVD with an exclusive look at Revenge of the Sith. We needed to hunt down Episode I and Episode II. We found them with luck.
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As the release of Revenge of the Sith drew closer, Lucasfilm promoted the film with collectibles. I collected character stickers from muesli-bar boxes but fell short. Kellogg’s cereal promoted the film with a collectible Saber-Spoon. I didn’t win one.
Introducing The Clone Wars and Ahsoka
Fast forward three years and it’s August 2008. For months, I became excited about the Clone Wars series. Rumors floated a new female character would appear in the upcoming animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie. My then 8-year-old sister asked Dad if we could go. The film’s Australian release just so happened to fall on August 19, my sister’s birthday. To our surprise, Dad said yes.
Before the movie, I researched the new character. Her name was Ahsoka Tano and Anakin gave her the nickname Snips. I wasn’t sure how to pronounce Snips. I kept pronouncing it as ‘Snipes’ like Wesley Snipes.
The second Windu and Yoda spoke of a messenger, my inner fangirl screamed. It started to get real for a moment. I savored it for a bit before I started to realize, my life was about to change.
As the movie progressed, I watched as Ahsoka and Anakin struggled to get along. Yoda and Obi-Wan’s plan to sever Anakin’s attachment issue didn’t seem so stupid. From the moment Anakin and Ahsoka bonded over Rotta, you realize Anakin’s attachment issue will not vanish the way the Jedi masters planned.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
During the series
Anakin’s attitude towards Ahsoka mellowed when he realized how similar they were. She was impulsive and did things on a whim rather than having a plan. I could see he realized his behavior toward Obi-Wan at that age. By the end of the film, Ahsoka and Anakin struck up the beginnings of a friendship. We see Anakin’s protective streak come out when he sent Ahsoka ahead to Jabba’s Palace with Rotta. Seeing him take on Dooku while Ahsoka gets Rotta home is thrilling.
Anakin taught Ahsoka unorthodox methods of getting people to talk. This scared Master Luminara and me as a viewer. Threatening person will never end well. Anakin didn’t remember that. Also, Ahsoka picked up on her master’s bad habits.
My views on the Jedi changed thanks to Ahsoka’s time as Anakin’s apprentice. The Jedi might have been tough, but a part of me considered the possibility they deserved it.
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
Views on Ahsoka’s friendship
What I found remarkable about Ahsoka was how she handled weeks on the battlefield with Anakin, Obi-Wan and their squadrons of Clones. She was the only female amongst the ranks of hundreds of men.
I loved Ahsoka’s friendship with Rex and how he understood her and would always back up when she needed him. He also understood her jokes and often laughed at her snippy attitude towards Anakin.
Mentorship
I viewed Ahsoka as a great mentor. She guided Anakin through tough situations. She also knew his temperament. Even Yoda admired her. He often entrusted her to guide the younglings.
This fan believes the bond between the former disciples would still be there if Sidious hadn’t played god and wanted to rule the galaxy forever. The pair had similarities they wouldn’t have acknowledged. They would deny any similarities between them.
As funny as that sounds, it’s another reason I deem their friendship a tragedy. The friendship shaped them into the individuals they became during the Imperial era. Seeing them face off during the Rebels Season 2 finale, gave me enough understanding they were no longer the Padawan and the Jedi Knight they once were.
Next. How Hera Syndulla saved Star Wars. dark
Final views
As of 2018, my views on how Ahsoka and The Clone Wars changed my life haven’t changed. They’ve inspired me to speak about it and how they’ve altered my views on how life is today. We don’t live in a peaceful society and we probably never will. In saying that, Ahsoka and the Clone Wars showed me there is another way to life than just following the flow of what others expect.