Star Wars: Ahsoka – Season 1

“The EVIL GALACTIC EMPIRE has fallen, and a NEW REPUBLIC has risen to take its place…”

Directors

Dave Filoni, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jennifer Getzinger, Anders Engstrom

Lucasfilm, Disney

Ahsoka Tano

In 2023, Disney+ came out with a highly anticipated miniseries on one of Star Wars’ beloved characters, Ahsoka Tano. Fans of this franchise already know who Ahsoka is from the previous animated series: ‘Star Wars-Clone Wars’ and ‘Star Wars-Rebels.’ Voiced by Ashley Eckstein, and now brought to life by Rosario Dawson. This newer series transforms from an animated visual to a live action visual of this astonishing Jedi.

This series brings us to a time after the animated Star Wars-Rebels. You are introduced to Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) as she is on a mission to secure a map that should lead her to a location that will help prevent another war within the galaxy. But once in possession of the map, she is not suited to break the code in order to view the map. Causing her to turn to her previous young apprentice, Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo). Turns out that asking for help isn’t easy for either of them.

Sabine does not take long cracking the code for the map, but in the time, it takes her to do so a young Sith has tracked her down. A lightsaber fight takes place leaving Sabine injured and the map stolen. This causes Ahsoka to embark on yet another quest to obtain the map. There was already an emotional divide between Sabine and Ahsoka (previously Master and Apprentice).

Sabine is distraught and undergoes a transformation back to her Mandalorian armor. In doing so, she is now ready to pick up where she left off with Ahsoka and her Jedi training. This makes the tension between the two diminish, but Sabine is still beating herself up over losing the map. The map would not only stop a potential war but would also give the location of a long-lost friend.

I am going to fast forward through this series a bit. One, because I could keep writing and writing leaving nothing for you to be excited about when watching this series. Two, because there is so much in these eight episodes, and I want to give you the most important aspects of the series.

Episode five of this eight-episode series gives true Star Wars fans what they have wanted for a long time. This episode takes us to Ahsoka who has been beaten in a battle with Sith Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson). She is in some sort of “Force Coma” taking her to this “in-between” place where she is accompanied by a spirit. That spirit is none other than her late Master, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen).

This is when the events of this series take some monumental turns as you are taken on a journey through the memories of Ahsoka. Anakin is supposedly finishing Ahsoka’s training in the manner of life and death. There is lightsaber sparing between Master and Apprentice as well as a time jump into the past. You are taken back to the Clone Wars to the battle of Mandalore! Witnessing a young Ahsoka (Ariana Greenblatt) watching the battle raging around her. It is here that we see Anakin running into battle making subtle flash transformations in and out of Darth Vader.

Ahsoka completes her training by defeating Anakin’s spirit, causing him to tell her, “There’s still hope for you yet.” It is with this episode that all of your emotions get thrown around. From seeing Anakin back on the screen, turning into Darth Vader, seeing a live action young Ahsoka, to Anakin calling Ahsoka “Snips.” Their relationship comes full circle within this episode, and it is beautiful to watch.

The final three episodes of this amazing series take you on an adventure to locate a kidnapped Sabine, finding her long-lost friend, and an encounter with a familiar foe. Sabine makes a deal with her captors for her to venture out on her own and find the one person she has been concerned about finding this entire time, Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi).

While Sabine is looking for Ezra, a master plan is being created to bring back the Empire and put an end to the New Republic once and for all. This plan revolves around one person. One Star Wars character that we fans have for so long wanted to see in a live action setting… Grand Admiral Thrawn! Not only are we blessed with getting this adaptation of Thrawn, but he is also played by the original voice actor of Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen).

This series is one that Star Wars fans needed! We had gotten so much of Ahsoka during Clone Wars and Rebels, but we desperately NEEDED a live action adaptation. The casting for this series is so spot on! And the return of Hayden Christensen as Ani\akin made this so poetic! I have left somethings out of this article on purpose; YOU need to go watch this series. If you have already seen it, go watch it again! Especially in honor of Ahsoka Day!

My Thoughts

As a Star Wars fan, I was so excited for this series to release! Ahsoka plays her own pivotal role within the canon of Star Wars. And to see her brought to live action is monumental! Bringing together such iconic characters within this series provides a heavy upper cut to the emotions of fans. Sabine, Ezra, Anakin/Darth Vader and Thrawn! I have watched this series numerous times and am still caught on the edge of my seat during some of the episodes. If you haven’t watched this series in some time, or at all, I recommend that in honor of Ahsoka Day that you tune in and watch the magic that takes place in a galaxy far far away…

My Grade: 9/10

Previous Star Wars Review of Mine: Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #12: “Reign of Kylo Ren”

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