Ahsoka Tano will take center stage in the new Ahsoka series, fifteen years after she was first introduced in The Clone Wars animated film. She went on to be the central character of The Clone Wars series, a major character in Rebels, and a number of other stories including a live-action appearance in The Mandalorian and a voice cameo in The Rise of Skywalker. For newer viewers, or those unfamiliar with the animated shows, here’s a brief overview of what you need to know about Ahsoka’s story before watching this new series.
1. She was the apprentice to Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars
Ahsoka was a Togruta born on Shili, and as a young Force sensitive child she was discovered by Jedi Master Plo Koon and brought to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant for training. When the time came for the teenage Ahsoka to be assigned to a Master, the Clone Wars had just begun in the galaxy. Jedi Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker fought in an early Republic victory in the Battle of Christophsis, and in the aftermath Ahsoka arrived to greet them. Anakin was under the impression that Ahsoka would be Obi-Wan’s new apprentice, but Kenobi and Yoda had agreed it would be helpful for Anakin to have a padawan. He initially refused but quickly took a liking to Ahsoka. “You’re reckless, little one. You never would have made it as Obi-Wan’s Padawan,” he told her, “but you might make it as mine.”
As the War went on the two formed an exceptionally close bond, with master and apprentice coming to trust each other implicitly. Ahsoka learned much from the unconventional but empowering teaching of Anakin, and she also worked very closely on many occasions with Obi-Wan, learning much from him too, as well as from Rex, the clone captain over the 501st legion under Skywalker’s command. Ahsoka could be stubborn and impulsive at times, just like her master, but grew into an exceptionally gifted Jedi Padawan. Given the fact that Kenobi and Skywalker were the Order’s most trusted Knights on the battlefront, Ahsoka saw experience in dozens of pivotal battles in the Clone Wars, bringing her into conflict with foes like General Grievous and Asajj Ventress, among others.
2. She left the Jedi Order after being let down by them
Late in the War, there was a deadly bombing that happened in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and Skywalker and Tano were recalled from the front to investigate. The evidence soon began to implicate Ahsoka as the culprit, as unbeknownst to anyone at the time fellow Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee was framing her for the murder. She was arrested by the Republic, but escaped and tried to prove her innocence. She was captured again, however, and despite Kenobi’s protest, the Jedi Council expelled her from the Order and turned her over to be prosecuted by the Republic. Admiral Tarkin presided over the Republic’s prosecution, while Senator Padmé Amidala represented Ahsoka. In the meantime, an enraged Anakin desperately sought out the truth, and he uncovered Offee’s plot just in time. He brought her before the tribunal, clearing Ahsoka’s name.
In the aftermath the Council offered Ahsoka full reinstatement in the Order and promotion to the rank of Knight, seeing this as her great trial. Ahsoka refused, leaving the Jedi Order. Anakin pleaded with with her to reconsider, but she told him she wasn’t coming back and needed to figure out her future without the Jedi – and without him. “I understand,” Anakin then admitted to his apprentice. “More than you realize, I understand wanting to walk away from the Order.” To this, Ahsoka gently responded, “I know”, before walking away from the Temple, and from her former Master.
3. She led the Siege of Mandalore before going into hiding after Order 66
But the two would meet again. Ahsoka survived on her own in the Coruscant underworld for a time, but an adventure with the Martez sisters caused her to stumble upon an important revelation: the former Sith Lord Maul was still active. The Mandalorian Bo-Katan Kryze then approached Ahsoka looking for help, and eventually they were able to learn that Maul was on Mandalore. Armed with this information, she decided to reach out to her former Master, sending a transmission to Kenobi and Skywalker in the final days of the Clone Wars. Tano and Kryze met with Kenobi and Skywalker about their plan, and Ahsoka shared a touching reunion with Anakin. But plans for an assault on Mandalore were cut short when Coruscant was attacked by General Grievous, and Kenobi and Skywalker rushed to save the Chancellor (as seen at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith). But with Kenobi’s blessing, Anakin left a division of the 501st under Rex’s command with Ahsoka for an attack on Mandalore.
The clones teamed up with Kryze’s Mandalorian forces, and Ahsoka led them in an assault on the Mandalorian capital city of Sundari in search of Maul. The former Sith confessed that he wanted Skywalker, having seen that Anakin was the key to Darth Sidious’s plans, but Ahsoka refused to believe him. The two engaged in a lengthy lightsaber duel, with Ahsoka gaining the upper hand and the Republic forces capturing Maul. But while en route to Coruscant with the prisoner, Ahsoka sensed something terrible happening with Anakin – and the clones then turned on her, executing Order 66. She survived (thanks to Anakin’s years of training) and began to investigate the mysterious betrayal. She won Rex back to her side, and together the two fought the clones as they tried to escape.
4. She came out of hiding to work for the Rebellion
In the aftermath of the battle, Ahsoka faked her death and went into hiding. She attended the funeral of Padmé on Naboo, in secret, but otherwise lay low – until one day she was tracked down by an Imperial Inquisitor. She defeated the foe and kept his crystal, purifying it for her new white lightsaber blades, and she then contacted Senator Bail Organa, telling him she was ready to return to the fight.
Ahsoka took over command of rebel intelligence, a division that had not yet been established but was a significant need. She used the codename “Fulcrum” in this task, adopting a codename that was used by Anakin at times during the Clone Wars. As she built a rebel intelligence network, others came to use the same codename (including Cassian Andor). Working during a time where there was not yet a formally organized Rebellion, Ahsoka worked very much behind the scenes but nonetheless was an important early contributor in the rebellion against the Empire. Years later, she assisted the Spectres by providing them secret information under the Fulcrum name, but she eventually revealed her identity to them and developed a bond with the crew, taking an interest in them because of their two Jedi, Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger.
5. She faced Darth Vader – and returned with renewed purpose in the galaxy
It was not just Ahsoka who took an interest in the two Jedi, however, and Darth Vader soon got involved in pursuing them. As Vader chased the rebels through space, Ahsoka tried to discern the Sith’s identity – and, upon doing so, was horrified and fainted. “The apprentice lives,” Vader concluded. With this encounter, Ahsoka began investigating more about this mysterious Sith, all while being an ally to Kanan and Ezra and providing additional training to the younger Jedi. She fought Inquisitors and journeyed to a Jedi Temple with them, but it all led to Malachor, an ancient Sith world. There, Ahsoka confronted her destiny, meeting Darth Vader. “I was beginning to believe I knew who you were behind that mask,” she angrily told Vader, “but it’s impossible. My master could never be as vile as you.” “Anakin Skywalker was weak,” Vader responded. “I destroyed him.” To this, Ahsoka said she would avenge his death, and when Vader retorted that revenge isn’t the Jedi way, Ahsoka replied, “I am no Jedi.”
Master and apprentice engaged in a furious lightsaber duel, and Ahsoka managed to slice half of Vader’s mask off – revealing Anakin’s face. Hearing her master’s voice, Ahsoka promised she wouldn’t leave him this time, and Vader said she would die as a result. Ezra and Kanan left the planet assuming she was dead… but a few years later Ezra found himself in a World Between Worlds, a realm connecting time and space through the Force. He saw the duel, and reached through a portal – and through time – and pulled Ahsoka out of it, saving her life. In the aftermath of that event she went her separate way, needing to process what her future was – having returned from certain death just like Gandalf did in The Lord of the Rings, who has long served as the inspiration for Ahsoka’s character.
She would resurface after the Galactic Civil War was over, in search of Ezra Brider and Grand Admiral Thrawn, who had disappeared into the unkown regions. This led her to Corvus, where she fought against one of Thrawn’s allies, Morgan Elsbeth, and allied with Din Djarin and Grogu. Later, as we’ll see in this show, she returned to Lothal to find Sabine Wren to continue their mission.
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For more on what you need to know leading up to Ahsoka, check out these other articles in the series:
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