Ahsoka Tano means so much to the fanbase, and now actress Rosario Dawson is sharing how she feels about the character.
One of the most special parts of the Star Wars universe is the characters that make up this epic collection of storytelling. And while the movies play a huge part in this, the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars has also become a beloved hit, especially as it introduced us all to Ahsoka Tano, the (former) Jedi and absolute legend.
In animated form, the character was voiced by Ashley Eckstein. But as Ahsoka made the transition to the live-action world, it was revealed that Rosario Dawson would be taking on the character in The Mandalorian. As many know it now, Dawson appeared in “Chapter 13: The Jedi,” which was episode 5 of season 2 of The Mandalorian. And since the episode aired this past Friday, Dawson has been able to speak publically about it now that the cat’s officially out of the bag.
Speaking to StarWars.com, Dawson shared that, much like the fans, Ahsoka holds a very special place in her heart. Previously, in an interview with Vanity Fair, Dawson mentioned that she had watched some of The Clone Wars prior to being cast. In fact, many fans about three years ago rallied for her to be cast as a live-action version of the character. And that social media campaign actually led her to being cast in the series as we know it. Once she was officially cast, she noted, she made sure she watched everything. And that gave her a better understanding of the complex character that Ahsoka Tano is.
Here’s what she told StarWars.com what Ahsoka Tano means to her:
"So many of the wonderful, awesome Jedi that we love and have gotten their stories told, are male, and you saw them older. When you got to see Anakin grow up it made such a huge difference. I think as people grew with her and aged with her and the story, they grew themselves, and evolved. I think it gives complexity to good and bad and right and wrong in a way that we don’t always get to have story-wise. It’s just fantasy. And I think she represents something stronger than that, about will and determination and audacity and tenacity. She really has pushed herself and evolved in a way that I think her heroine story is one that is not easy to find in other spaces. It’s really cool to see her still out there on quests and having things teased about that world still being very much alive."
With many fans excited to see Ahsoka Tano’s journey play out on screen in a live-action capacity, the ball now remains in Star Wars’ court as to whether they will bring her back again. There’s been no indication as to whether or not she will return in The Mandalorian. We’ve already seen five episodes out of a total eight this season, which means there isn’t much more time left for her to come back. And it already seems quite clear that Ahsoka has done all she can for Baby Yoda (er, Grogu) and the Mandalorian.
Now, though, there are some other questionable storylines that relate to Ahsoka that have yet to be addressed. Mainly, the disappearance of Ezra Bridger and how the search for him plays out. Chapter 13 writer/director and Clone Wars developer Dave Filoni has hinted at the timeline for Ahsoka and Sabine Wren’s search in relation to her appearance in The Mandalorian, so there may be hope that Filoni has more stories to tell.
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