Ahsoka Tano is one of the most popular characters in the history of Star Wars and has been around for almost 20 years. Somehow, Ahsoka only made her live-action debut a few years back. In a moment brought with much anticipation, Rosario Dawson brought the character to life in season 2 episode of The Mandalorian, "The Jedi."
In the episode, Ahsoka teams with the show's main character to take down an impressive regime in a small town. She also bonds with Grogu and explains to Din that she cannot train him due to the bond between Din and Grogu. It sets up Ahsoka for other appearances in the franchise and led to get getting her own series. It also sets up how strong the connection between Din and Grogu is.
In her opening scene, Tano brought down members of the oppressive regime in a smoky wooded area only to come face to face with the leader and magistrate of the town. Then, the score broke into reveal Ahsoka's theme from her animated series. It was a moment that should be etched in Star Wars fans' brains moving forward, and one we can look back five years later with fond memories.
Dawson played the character to rave reviews and the fan base. Her subtle nods to Ahsoka as an animated character and the way she spoke echoed similarities to the voice actress, Ashley Eckstein.
The character of Ahsoka could arguably be the bridge that spans every generation within the Star Wars story. There was so much depth and character development before she debuted in live action that her first appearance was met with much anticipation. It was fitting that the episode was written and directed by Dave Filoni, who was the creator of the character. He arguably knows her better than anyone in Lucasfilm.
It was important to a loyal fan base that the actor who portrayed her in live action do so in a way that seemed fitting to what was established in previous works. This was done, in my opinion, to near perfection.
Her debut established what had brought the character such acclaim before, but built on it and set Dawson and the character up for their own series, which came a few years later.
Now Dawson is gearing up for the second season of the series, and it will be welcomed with open arms by the fan base yet again. A question will be whether she will appear in the upcoming Mandalorian and Grogu film set to be released next year.
None of this would have happened if, five years ago, her debut had fallen flat. Thankfully that did not happen because of Filoni's direction and the Dawson's portrayal of the character. Now, she can continue to be a part of the franchise and the future looks brighter than ever.
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