Star Wars Has Failed Ahsoka Tano

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Even though Ahsoka Tano is considered one of the strongest characters in the entire Star Wars saga, the recent portrayals haven’t done her justice. She’s been a highlight of some of the best Star Wars television, and she originally won over fans despite initial criticism. Ultimately, Ahsoka remains arguably the best character introduced through Star Wars TV series.

Despite the importance of the new Star Wars timeline, which began with The Mandalorian in 2019, Ahsoka Tano’s recent storyline hasn’t lived up to expectations. While some parts have been good, overall, the recent Star Wars content has been a letdown for her character.

Ahsoka’s Post-Rebels Story Has Been Disappointing

Recently, Ahsoka has been featured in live-action Star Wars shows like The Mandalorian season 2, The Book of Boba Fett, and her own series, Ahsoka. Season 2 of Ahsoka is planned for release in 2026 and will continue her story set in the New Republic era. She also made a short appearance in the animated series Tales of the Jedi.

Most of these stories haven’t lived up to expectations. While Tales of the Jedi was enjoyable and offered helpful background on Ahsoka’s life, the episodes felt too short and didn’t really matter much in the grand scheme of things. Season 2 of The Mandalorian was exciting because it brought Ahsoka into live-action, but even that appearance was quick and mainly served to tease the Ahsoka series.

Ahsoka’s introduction in The Book of Boba Fett felt particularly odd because she already had a connection with Luke Skywalker. The show skipped over what fans really wanted to see: the initial, important conversations they would have had about how they knew each other.

While Ahsoka season 1 was generally well-received, the portrayal of Ahsoka Tano herself felt like the weakest aspect. Her story hasn’t been as strong since she appeared in Star Wars Rebels, and it doesn’t quite live up to the quality of her arcs in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

It Feels Weird To Have Ahsoka Around After Return of The Jedi

Ahsoka Tano appearing in stories set after Return of the Jedi confirms she survived beyond the original Star Wars trilogy. This is surprising because it raises the question of why she didn’t continue fighting alongside the Rebel Alliance during those events.

Ahsoka played a key role in the early days of the Rebellion as a spy known as Fulcrum. After a dangerous confrontation with Darth Vader in the season 2 finale of Star Wars Rebels, she vanished and wasn’t seen again until a brief appearance at the end of that series. This reappearance takes place after the events of The Mandalorian season 2 and The Book of Boba Fett, and sets the stage for the Ahsoka series.

Beyond her origins, Ahsoka Tano is strongly linked to the prequel era of Star Wars. So, seeing her appear after Return of the Jedi and interacting with characters from that time – particularly Luke Skywalker in The Book of Boba Fett – feels odd without a clear explanation.

To make Ahsoka’s story after the end of Rebels fit better, Star Wars should have explained why she stopped fighting the Empire. This would help audiences understand why she’s present during the time of the New Republic and make her involvement feel more natural.

Should Ahsoka Have Made The Jump To Live-Action?

Custom Image by David Miller

One argument against how Star Wars handled Ahsoka is bringing her character into live-action. Adapting characters from animation to live-action is always challenging, and many feel Star Wars hasn’t done it well. Aside from perhaps Ezra Bridger, as played by Eman Esfandi, and characters like Bo-Katan Kryze who have been played by the same actor in both animation and live-action, the show hasn’t really pulled it off.

Even though Rosario Dawson, who fans had hoped would play Ahsoka Tano for years, finally brought the character to live-action, the portrayal felt different than expected. The animated version of Ahsoka had a lighter, more playful feel, while the live-action version was noticeably more serious and subdued.

Rosario Dawson performs well in her role, but the animated series’ signature, dynamic action sequences are missing. The change in voice actors, moving away from Ashley Eckstein who voiced Ahsoka for over a decade, is also noticeable. So far, the live-action version of Ahsoka hasn’t reached the same quality as the animated show, making one wonder if adapting the character to live-action was the right decision.

The recent Ahsoka series brought the character to live-action, but many fans believe it would have worked better as an animated show. That’s because Ahsoka largely continues the story of Star Wars Rebels, using the same characters, villains, settings, and complex Star Wars history established in Rebels and The Clone Wars.

Honestly, I get why people think Ahsoka would have worked better as an animated series. I really think they could have had the best of both worlds – Rosario Dawson could still make appearances in shows like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, and Ashley Eckstein could have continued voicing Ahsoka in a story truly focused on her. It feels like a missed opportunity, to be honest.

Ahsoka’s personality and story would have stayed consistent if her live-action debut had been handled differently. This approach could have smoothed out many of the issues with bringing characters from animation to live-action Star Wars, potentially resulting in a stronger Ahsoka series.

Ahsoka Season 2 Can Fix The Character’s Problems

Look, I’m a big Star Wars fan, and honestly, I think the recent Ahsoka series has had some issues. But I don’t think it’s beyond saving! I really believe a second season of Ahsoka is the perfect opportunity to address those problems and get things back on track. From what I’ve heard, Season 2 was shaping up to be a much stronger story for Ahsoka herself, and I’m hoping they can deliver on that promise.

The first season of Ahsoka put the character through a lot of difficult experiences, and fans are hoping to see more of her original, cheerful personality in season 2. While it was great seeing her as a wise mentor like Gandalf, season 1 didn’t give us much of the Ahsoka we know and love.

Ahsoka felt a bit underdeveloped in her own series, but the second season looks promising. It begins with Ahsoka stranded in a different galaxy, pursuing the intriguing Baylan Skoll, and could reveal deeper secrets about the powerful Mortis Gods from the Star Wars universe.

Expanding Ahsoka’s backstory will give her story a stronger purpose beyond just taking place during the New Republic and interacting with familiar faces. It will also create more opportunities for her to be actively involved in the plot.

While it won’t completely resolve the discussion about animation versus live-action, developing Ahsoka’s character and improving her show’s storyline could lessen that debate. If season 2 of Ahsoka consistently delivers on the promise shown in moments of season 1, Star Wars will prove that bringing her back during the New Republic era was the right decision.

A second season of Ahsoka has the potential to address the problems with the show so far. Rosario Dawson has hinted that Ahsoka will rediscover her happiness, which could significantly improve how the character is portrayed. Combined with a more compelling story and a more meaningful role, Star Wars can start to do Ahsoka Tano justice.

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2025-11-10 22:00