There is little doubt that Ahsoka Tano has been on an amazing journey since we first met her as a Padawan in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Now it all comes down to her live-action series that will serve as a sequel to the animated show Star Wars Rebels. But how exactly did it all begin? Dave Filoni revealed that it came from an unexpected recommendation from the legendary George Lucas.
Ahsoka Tano was first introduced in the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars as Anakin Skywalker's surprise apprentice. Their relationship would be told across seven seasons of the animated show before Ahsoka made her live-action debut in The Mandalorian where she was played by Rosario Dawson. Now, with her own standalone series, Ahsoka's story is set for an explosive climax.
But first, how did Ahsoka's journey begin? In a new Ahsoka featurette, series creator Dave Filoni reflected on how The Clone Wars came to be and he admitted that George Lucas nudged them in the right direction.
"Originally, we didn't know what The Clone Wars would be," Filoni said. "There was a Jedi, and there was a Padawan. We thought, 'We'll put them on adventures', but George had other ideas. He says, 'Well, let's give Anakin Skywalker a Padawan.' I was like, 'Anakin doesn't have a Padawan.' And he just looked at me and said, 'Anakin has a Padawan.' That was basically it, that's how Ahsoka came about."
It's a cool story and proof that George Lucas knew what direction he wanted to take with The Clone Wars. From early on, it was clear that Lucas wanted to introduce a new character who would be similar to Anakin Skywalker but unique in her own way. Luckily for Lucas, Filoni took control of Ahsoka's story and she has grown to be one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars Universe. With that in mind, we can't wait to see what will happen to the character later this month.
Ahsoka will star Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano, Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger, and Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn. Hayden Christensen will reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. The series is set for a two-episode premiere on August 23, 2023.
