PROFILE: Ahsoka Tano
This is a somewhat new feature to the blog. Originally entitled the "Why It's Awesome" series, this feature will take a closer look at various characters, stories, shows, movies and more.
With news last week that Rosario Dawson being cast as Ahsoka Tano in the second season of The Mandalorian on Disney+, I thought we'd give a profile on this fan favorite character.
Ahsoka Tano made her first appearance in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie where she becomes Padawan to Anakin Skywalker. She is as young and brash as her master. She is a Togruta female from the planet Shili and discovered by Jedi Master Plo Kloon who brought her for training. In her first adventure with Anakin, they rescue the son of Jabba The Hutt, forging an alliance with the Hutts and the Galactic Republic.
She eventually rose from the headstrong young Padawan to a leader in her own right. Working with her master and the clone trooper Captain Rex, she led several battles including the Battle of Ryloth, the Second Battle of Genosis and the Battle of Mon Cala.
Despite her service to the Jedi, she was eventually accused of bombing a Jedi Temple hangar. And so she was removed from service and nearly found guilty of treason if it weren't for the help of Anakin Skywalker who found the true culprit to be Ahsoka's friend and fellow Padawan Barriss Offee. But, while she was cleared of crime, Ahsoka became disillusioned with the Jedi and decided to leave.
After she left the Jedi and during the rise of the Empire, she went into hiding where she eventually went to work for Bail Organa in the Rebel Alliance. She became known as Fulcrum and worked behind the scenes at first feeding information to various Rebel cells. This is how she came into acquaintance with the crew of the Ghost who she worked with throughout the course of Star Wars: Rebels.
It is while working with the group that she came face to face with the Sith Lord Darth Vader who, unbeknownst to her, was her old master Anakin. Her battle with Vader left her buried under rubble and left for dead.
Later, a future version of Ezra Bridger goes back in time and rescues her from her uncertain death. However, as Darth Sidious begins his fascination with the dimension that links time and space, Ahsoka returns to her timeline and pledges to eventually find Ezra. And, she makes good with her word as we see her in the season finale of Star Wars: Rebels working with Sabine to find him.
Given that The Mandalorian takes place well beyond the end of this series, it will be interesting to see where our hero's journey has taken her. We are very excited to see her being adapted for live action and given the respect she deserves.