If you’re one of my fellow few REBELS fans, you’ll recognize AHSOKA is a direct live-action sequel that essentially picks up where the 2014 Disney XD animated series left off. Other than the Zeb Orrelios cameo in THE MANDALORIAN S3E5 and Hera’s voice in STAR WARS RISE OF THE SKYWALKER 😊, few of our band of Rebels have made it to the “mainstream” Star Wars canon. In that regard, AHSOKA delivers; Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger, and, of course, the sassiest (I know this is a big trophy to give out) droid in the Star Wars galaxy…Chopper have now burst out of their two-dimensional portrayals.
That being said, as cute as the Loth cats are and as cool as it is to see Lothal and its highway, it’s unclear what our fearless heroes are fighting for. Grand Admiral Thrawn is often viewed as one of the most frightening characters in Star Wars…but given this show’s timeline, set in the early days of the New Republic, I’m worried that if he returns, he’ll be underutilized.
AHSOKA either needs to prove that it is more than a REBELS sequel and lean into its incredibly powerful, complex main character or needs to deliver on the mystical, world-breaking extensions of the Force. Minor spoiler for REBELS, but the time travel, extra-dimensional journeys, and the religious aspects of the Force were my favorite parts of that show. And as much as I love Sabine Wren, I find it hard to understand her place in this story.
On the bright (er, light?) side, Ahsoka Tano is one of my favorite characters in Star Wars, and Rosario Dawson delivers such a great performance, showing the audience her complex relationship with the Jedi order combined with some of the best lightsaber fighting we’ve seen in a while.
The newest STAR WARS installment has a lot of potential, and after a middling start, I’m hoping we reach it. AHSOKA is now streaming on Disney+.
