What is the significance of Ahsoka in Star Wars? Ahsoka is the next Star Wars show to release on Disney+, and it will tell the next chapter in the post-Imperial era. The show and Ahsoka are both highly important to Star Wars. setting up the franchise’s future while looking to its past.
The upcoming Ahsoka series is the next Disney+ Star Wars show, and from what audiences have seen from both trailers so far it looks like it will be an amazing time. It looks like there will be several lightsaber battles, fleet action, and more to learn about the Force. Audiences got their first live-action look at Grand Admiral Thrawn, and even learnt Sabine used to train under Ahsoka.
With all this going on, it’s easy to forget the significance of not only the show, but also the importance of Ahsoka herself, and when in the timeline the show takes place. It’s a huge moment for the franchise, paving the way for the future while also respecting the past.
Why is Ahsoka so important?
Ahsoka is an extremely important character in Star Wars. She was first introduced in the 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, directed by the now-famous Dave Filoni. She was a character he created with George Lucas, and served as Anakin’s Padawan.
As The Clone Wars transitioned into a TV show, Ahsoka became one of the main characters and grew tremendously, both personally and with fans. The most important development that happened was that she left the Jedi Order and rejected their views.
In Star Wars: Rebels, also created by Filoni, Ahsoka appeared throughout the second season, helping Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger with their training. All three went to the planet Malachor, the place where an ancient and legendary battle between Jedi and Sith happened.
In the show, another mythic battle occurred, this time between Ahsoka and Darth Vader, whom Ahsoka had learned was Anakin Skywalker. Vader defeated his former Padawan, but thanks to the time travel of the World Between Worlds Ezra found in season four, he was able to save her.
Filoni loves the character that he created, eventually bringing her to live-action in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, much to the delight of fans. She’s seen by many as what the ideal Jedi should be, kind and compassionate. Ahsoka respects life above all, even refusing to kill the clones when they betrayed her during Order 66, very different from how others like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda handled the situation.
Where does Ahsoka fit in the timeline?
The exact year that Ahsoka takes place is tricky to pin down, but it’s likely that it will take place in or around 12 ABY, which is seven years after Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. It’s unclear whether Ahsoka takes place at the same time as the events of The Mandalorian season three, but that seems likely. If it does, audiences might see connections between the two shows.
What is the significance of Ahsoka in Star Wars?
The show Ahsoka holds a strong degree of significance, both to Star Wars’ past, its present, and where the franchise will go in its future. Ahsoka will bring several characters to live-action, such as Grand Admiral Thrawn, Chopper, Sabine, and Hera Syndulla, honoring the legacy these characters have.
Ahsoka will resolve the story that Rebels left unfinished in 2018, and finally answer the question of where Ezra and Thrawn are.
In the franchise’s present, Ahsoka forms another part of the so-called ‘Mandoverse’ Disney+ shows, which started with The Mandalorian and continued with The Book of Boba Fett. Another show set to be a part of this universe is Skeleton Crew (along with folding in story elements from the canceled Rangers of the New Republic).
These interconnected series are part of a larger effort to showcase what happened in the period between Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, a period now called The New Republic era.
Fans got a brief look at the New Republic in The Mandalorian season three but Ahsoka will dive even deeper, showcasing the faction and its control over the galaxy. In the Ahsoka trailer, there is a huge New Republic fleet and even members of their government. Holograms of New Republic leadership like Mon Mothma can be seen, and it’s likely they will explain the state of the government.
All ties in nicely with where the franchise is headed. Filoni will be directing his very own Star Wars film in the future, which will tie all the Disney+ shows together and see a resurgent Imperial Remnant take on the New Republic.
The Imperials don’t yet have a figurehead for this effort, but it’s very likely to be Thrawn. Not only did he do this in Star Wars Legends (which Filoni is taking inspiration from), but Filoni has described him as the big bad for the New Republic era.
Ahsoka will introduce the character to a wider audience and will set the stage going forward. The show will likely end with Thrawn returning to the known galaxy, and possibly taking control of the Shadow Council introduced in The Mandalorian season three, but this has yet to be confirmed. One thing is for sure, Thrawn will be a much bigger part of the Star Wars galaxy for years to come.
You can watch Ahsoka with a subscription to Disney+ on August 23.
