‘Ahsoka’ Depicts a Scary New Frontier for Jedi of the New Republic

Disney’s live-action foray into the world of Star Wars has been successful to say the least, with The Mandalorian and Andor allowing fans to explore the world of Star Wars in between the mainline films.

Adding to this ever-expanding canon is Ahsoka, a new Star Wars series staring Rosario Dawson, who reprises her role as the former Jedi Knight and Padawan to one of the greatest Jedi of all time, Anakin Skywalker.

Set after the fall of the Galactic Empire, the series sees Ahsoka investigating an emerging threat to the New Republic. Several beloved characters from the Star Wars Rebels animated series are also returning, with Natasha Liu Bordizzo playing Sabine Wren and Mary Elizabeth Winstead portraying Hera Syndulla.

So how does this live-action follow-up to one of Star Wars’ most celebrated animated entries hold up? Let’s take a closer look.

Spoilers for Star Wars Rebels and Ahsoka ahead.

Rise of the Old Masters

The cool thing about the beginning sequence of Ahsoka, and her appearance in The Mandalorian, take place just slightly before the end of Rebels. The two first episodes tell the story of the events that lead to Ahsoka and Sabine on their mission to save Ezra Bridger.

Ahsoka is now a Jedi Master herself, and was training Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian who once had the Darksaber in her possession during Rebels. While the two split up for a while, these episodes show how they patch things up and resume their training together.

This master-and-apprentice theme is prevalent in the show, and this is evident with Master Baylan Skoll’s relationship (Ray Steven) with his apprentice Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno). Their first scene together is reminiscent Qui Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan’s first appearance in The Phantom Menace, albeit with a darker twist.

So, on the one hand, you have Ahsoka and Sabine’s rocky relationship, which mirrors Ahsoka’s own relationship Anakin Skywalker, and on the other hand, you have Baylan and Shin’s more traditional and functional dynamic. Seeing how these relationships unfold in the coming episodes is very exciting.

Path of the Jedi

Just like in The Mandalorian, we get a good view of the nascent New Republic that was formed after Return of the Jedi. However, it is still not the galaxy Leia Organa and the Rebel Alliance envisioned, especially since remnants of the Empire are hiding in plain sight.

But the main villain pulling the strings this time around is none other than Morgan Elsbeth, who fans may recognise from Ahsoka Tano’s first appearance in The Mandalorian. With the ultimate goal of locating Grand Admiral Thrawn, this Nightsister of Dathomir has many ties to the strange and mystical aspects of Star Wars lore.

The clear parallels between the heroes and villains of Ahsoka are laid bare in these first two episodes; one team seeks to find an old friend while the other seeks to bring back an evil force. This was something that Star Wars Rebels excelled at, and it is great to see it again here in live-action.

Speaking of which, watching Hera Syndulla and Chopper in the flesh is equally amazing, with Winstead expertly portrayingan older Hera. Chopper’s erratic and animated cadence from the original cartoon, meanwhile, is beautifully translated here.

Vision of Hope

What Ahsoka truly showcases is director Dave Filoni’s flair for fantastic action, beautiful settings, and tight character writing. All this is evident in his animated works, but watching it in full display through the show’s first two episodes proves that Filoni is the driving force behind modern Star Wars.

As someone who created these characters, it is only fitting that he gets to direct this series and hopefully stick the landing. The fact that we see the ending of Rebels recreated faithfully by the end of Ahsoka’s second episode speaks volumes.

The big question is, where does the series go from here? Will it explain why none of these characters are in the sequal trilogy? Will other Rebels alumni show up? Will we see flashbacks with Anakin or Kanan?

Catering to pure fan service could be a problem with the show’s upcoming episodes, but with Filoni’s track record, we’re confident that he can stick the landing and bring back the excitement of Star Wars once more.