TheStar Warsuniverse continues to expand inAhsoka, an eight-episode series on Disney+. Set following the end of the Original Trilogy, the show assembles a cast of heroes and villains from across theStar Warsuniverse, marking the live-action debuts of many characters who have previously appeared only in animated form.
Although this premise has pleased many viewers, others have complained thatAhsokarelies on knowledge not held by more casual fans. For those who can’t distinguish their Togruta from their Thrawns, many questions are bound to arise. Just what is the Ghost, andwho are its crew? Who is Thrawn, and what threat does he pose? And where does hero Ahsoka Tano fit in the widerStar Warscanon?
8What Other Shows Does Ahsoka Link To?
Even before the recent boom in televisedStar Wars, the franchise was not afraid to dabble inthe TV medium. Some shows, likeDroids(1985–1986), are practically forgotten, while others, likeThe Clone Wars(2008–2020) have grown from throwaway spin-offs into integral parts of theStar Warstapestry.
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The character of Ahsoka Tano first appeared in 2008’s animated movieThe Clone Wars,and starred in the series that followed. However, Ahsoka would not appear in a live-action project (a voice cameo inThe Rise of Skywalkernotwithstanding) until a 2020 episode ofThe Mandalorian. Other key players inAhsoka, such as Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren, first appeared inStar Wars: Rebels, an animated series that ran from 2014 to 2018.
7Who Is Ahsoka Tano?
The Togruta Jedi and star ofAhsokawas not always a beloved character. She was introduced inStar Warscanon as Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan, and initial fan reaction was mixed. However, despite a rocky start, Ahsoka would demonstrate intriguing development throughoutThe Clone Warsseries — including a shocking departure fromthe Jedi Order.
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Following the devastation of Order 66, Ahsoka went into hiding, althoughStar Wars: Rebelsdepicts the character assisting with the Rebellion. Her dealings with the heroes ofRebelsform the background of theAhsokaseries, including her tortured relationship with her former apprentice, Sabine Wren.
6Sabine Wren’s Role In Star Wars
Sabine Wren hailed from Mandalore, the same planet as Jango Fett. Like Fett, the headstrong Sabine was an accomplished warrior, although her impact on the galaxy was as much due to her inspirational art as it was to her combat skills. However, it was Sabine’s acquisition of the Darksaber,a powerful Mandalorian artifact, that allowed her to break the Empire’s hold over her home planet.
Sabine continued to serve in the Rebellion following the liberation of Mandalore, and was associated with Hera Syndulla and the crew of theGhost.She was particularly close to Ezra Bridger, a Jedi trained in secret during the Galactic Civil War. Nor was Sabine ignorant of the Jedi ways. For a time, she was tutored by Ahsoka Tano, but the two women grew apart.
5Who Is Ezra Bridger?
Ahsoka’s first episode is full of mentions of Ezra Bridger, and the character even makes an appearance in holographic form. While it is apparent that the missing Ezra was important to both Sabine and Ahsoka, fans who haven’t experiencedRebelsmay be left scratching their heads at the many Ezra references.
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TheStar Wars: Rebelshero was trained to use the Force by Kanan Jarrus, a Jedi Knight who survived Order 66. Together, the pair worked with the crew of theGhostto overthrow the Empire. During this struggle, Ezra encounteredboth Obi Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul, and also fought Grand Admiral Thrawn. His final encounter with Thrawn apparently resulted in both of their deaths; however, the discovery of a map by the Jedi Ahsoka and Huyang, her droid, suggested these deaths were far from certain.
4Huyang’s Background
Although Huyang’s voice actor (David Tennant) is known by many sci-fi fans for his role inDoctor Who, the droid he plays is more obscure. Constructed many thousands of years before the events ofAhsoka, Huyang worked with young Jedi before the fall of the Galactic Republic. Hespecialized in lightsaber production— a skill that allowed him to identify Baylen Skoll’s weapon inAhsoka’s first episode.
Following the purge of the Jedi Order, Huyang joined up with Ahsoka Tano and participated in her brief training of Sabine Wren. Despite being a lesser knownStar Warscharacter, the droid was an important part of the canon, having assisted Yoda and many others in creating suitable lightsabers.
3Hera Syndulla & The Ghost Crew
General Hera Syndulla was a Twi’lek pilot who played a key role in the victory of the Rebel Alliance. She was best known for her work with the Spectre Cell, a group of rebels who traveled aboard her VCX-100 freighter, theGhost. Syndulla’s exploits earned the attention of Bail Organa, an important figure in the Alliance to Restore the Republic, and the two joined forces against the Empire.
TheGhostmakes a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo inRogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Syndulla also took part in several important battles during the Galactic Civil War. Following its conclusion, the Twi’lek continued to ensure the Republic’s survival with the help ofher astromech droid, Chopper — particularly in the face of the numerous Imperial Remnants.
2What Are The Imperial Remnants?
Following the apparent death of Emperor Palpatine at the Battle of Endor, the Galactic Empire entered a death spiral. The loss of its leader and his henchman, the fearsome Darth Vader, not to mention the destruction of the second Death Star, stretched the state to breaking point, and it fractured into many smaller holdouts. One of these,led by Moff Gideon, featured heavily inThe Mandalorian. These holdouts were known as the Imperial Remnants.
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The emergence of the New Republic seemingly ended the threat posed by the Imperial Remnants. However, even the New Republic was forced to admit that, given a suitable leader, the fragments of the Empire could still prove a formidable opponent. As such, it was keen to locate and eliminate high-ranking Imperial officers.
1The Threat Of Grand Admiral Thrawn
Grand Admiral Thrawn’s road to live-action has been full of twists and turns. The character initially appeared in severalStar Warsspin-off novelsset afterReturn of the Jedi. Disney’s purchase of the franchise replaced this continuity with their own, but Thrawn could not be vanquished, as the character became the principal antagonist in the animatedStar Wars: Rebels.
Thrawn, a member of the Chiss Ascendency, was a talented tactician and loyal officer within the Empire. He believed that working with Palpatine would benefit his own people, and, as such, sought to repress the Rebellion. Thrawn was a deadly foe: his project to design a new starfighter, the TIE Defender, represented a significant threat to the Rebel Alliance. Although apparently killed at Lothal, rumors of Thrawn’s survival continued to swirl — with potentially devastating consequences for the New Republic.
