It's hard for many fans to believe that despite her popularity as a Star Wars character since her 2008 debut, Ahsoka Tano has only recently begun making appearances in the live-action series coming out of the franchise. Originally introduced in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated prequel film that set up the series of the same name, Ahsoka was just 14 years old when Master Yoda assigned the Togruta to her fellow padawan, Anakin Skywalker, in the hopes that having an apprentice would teach him some much-needed responsibility. Knowing Anakin, as fans do, he wasn't exactly pleased to have an apprentice of his own, and sensing his contention, he and Ahsoka got off to a rocky start.
Anakin nicknamed her "Snips," on account of her snippy attitude and comebacks, and though Ahsoka often referred to him as Master, she did sometimes call him Skyguy in an effort to poke fun at his surname. She got into all sorts of trouble under Anakin's supervision, giving him a taste of the same medicine he fed Obi-Wan for years. Appearing in six of the seven seasons of The Clone Wars, Ahsoka and Anakin became very close, even after she left the Jedi Order feeling disillusioned and uncertain about her place. Her antics and relationship with Anakin set the tone for a lot of her witty comebacks, but there was also wisdom in her that went well beyond her years.
Reuniting with Anakin in the final season, Darth Maul warned her about Darth Sidious' plans to turn Anakin to the Dark Side, offering to team up with her to derail the plot, but she didn't believe him. Assigned as a commander to the 501st Legion of Clone Troopers, which included Rex, they turned on her during Order 66. She later fled with Rex after removing his control chip and freeing Darth Maul. After the Star Destroyer they were on crashed, Darth Vader searched for her on the moon, but only found her discarded lightsaber. She appeared again 14 years later in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, where she operated as a Rebel agent going under the name Fulcrum.
In 2020, Ahsoka, portrayed by Rosario Dawson, made her first live-action appearance in Season 2, Episode 13 of The Mandalorian, where she met up with Din Djarin and "The Child" while searching for Grand Admiral Thrawn. Though she wasn't able to take him on as her apprentice, Ahsoka did communicate with him and learn that his name was Grogu. She directed them to the Jedi Temple on Tython to contact another Jedi to train Grogu.
She reappeared in The Book of Boba Fett, consulting with both Din Djarin and Luke Skywalker about Grogu's seeming lack of dedication to the Jedi path. Many wondered if that was the last time they'd see her, but in 2020, Disney announced that Ahsoka would be getting her own live-action series, which would coincide with the interconnected stories of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Investigating a new threat to the galaxy, Star Wars: Ahsoka, will premiere August 23, 2023, on Disney+.
10 "You'll find I have many qualities to dislike."
During the Clone Wars, Darth Maul was an enemy that gave the Jedi plenty of trouble, and on occasion, Ahsoka even went head-to-head with the Zabrak Sith. During the "Siege of Mandalore" arc, Maul couldn't help but draw attention to her arrogance, a trait he was certain she learned from Obi-Wan. Instead of being insulted, she demonstrated her pride in the things she learned from Master Obi-Wan, ensuring him she had a lot of dislikable qualities.
9 "You don't have to carry a sword to be powerful. Some leaders' strength is inspiring others."
The Star Wars franchise has seen its share of inexperienced leaders, and many of them turn to violence in hopes of holding onto their power. In The Clone Wars Season 4, Ahsoka protected a young Mon Calamari leader named Lee-Char. Lee-Char confided in her that he was unsure of himself as both a leader and a warrior, fearing that he didn't have the strength to lead his people. Ahsoka's reminder to Lee-Char that strength wasn't just found in swords empowered him to find his courage and free his people.
8 "You don't have to look tough to be tough."
Coming face-to-face with Ahsoka and knowing nothing of her background would probably encourage some people to underestimate her, but she proved time and again that looks could be deceiving. Despite her lithe and feminine appearance, she was an accomplished Jedi, skilled in both the Force and combat.
When she encountered a Ssori bounty hunter named Seripas in Season 2, Episode 17, she learned that he was small in stature, but made himself appear more intimidating by wearing human-sized mechanical armor. Despite his size, he accomplished a lot, but he needed a reminder that underneath his suit, he was still pretty tough to the things he was capable of.
7 "Let's see what knowledge is lurking inside that little mind."
Ahsoka had a lot of inspiring things to say when she first met Grogu, but reminding him that he had knowledge in the subtle way she did was an important step toward helping him heal. Considering the things that happened to him during Order 66, he'd taken refuge inside himself and only seemed to come out of his shell in Din Djarin's company.
Offering him a means to remember himself and share that information with Mando was an important step toward his growth. In fact, one could almost say that helping him begin to work through the horrors of his past allowed Grogu to move forward and make the decision to abandon Jedi training to live as a Mandalorian foundling when it was offered.
6 "It's forbidden for a Jedi to form attachments, yet we're supposed to be compassionate."
Ahsoka began this quote by confessing that she gets so confused, sometimes, and with good reason. When Anakin is injured in Season 1, Episode 13, "Jedi Crash," Ahsoka's worry and fear about her master make it difficult for her to understand when Jedi Knight Aayla Secura shuts down all systems aboard the ship, including life-support, to reboot the navigational computer.
There's a fine line between feeling compassion and fear, especially for a Jedi. It's an important lesson, to learn how to feel compassion without attachments.
5 "Hungry? Careful not to choke on your stupidity."
The relationship between Ahsoka and Senator Lux Bonteri had a lot of fans hopeful that they would one day find their way into an actual romantic entanglement. Sadly, her status as a Jedi at the time, and his political affiliations, ensured they only remained friends. The banter between them was often hilarious, demonstrating a close and casual connection that allowed them to say things like the above quote to each other without long-term hurt feelings. That being said, it's quotes like this that reaffirm Anakin's nickname for her.
4 "The Politics of War are not as black and white as I once thought they were."
Politics and Star Wars go hand in hand, and all too often, characters who have no desire to participate find themselves drawn into the tangled threads. For a young padawan like Ahsoka, her focus on Jedi training would give her the barest glimpse at politics.
Her relationship with Padmé Amidala, however, put her in the thick of political upheaval and intrigue on a regular basis, lending her a more colorful understanding than she once had. It's all too easy to view issues and topics through a black-and-white lens, but when facing reality, one is all too often forced to change their view to full color, especially if they want to make a difference.
3 "I am no Jedi."
Ahsoka was proud to be a Jedi and Anakin's padawan, even though she gave him a lot of flack. When she was framed and imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit, however, her view of both the Jedi Order and her place within it grew distorted. She no longer felt the same trust and security she once did, so she left the Order, much to Anakin's dismay.
Whether she would have ever returned in full and completed her training is difficult to know, as the Order fell with the rise of the Empire, and the Jedi who did manage to survive the slaughter went into hiding. She did work as a Rebel operative, using the things she once learned to her advantage, but it would be a long time before she confessed to being a Jedi to anyone.
2 "How am I supposed to learn if you won't let me share the risk?"
Protecting one's student from darkness is a burden all teachers must bear, but there comes a time when the master must trust the student to learn how to take care of herself and survive. Anakin, being headstrong and convinced he could fix every problem himself, often threw himself into danger to protect Ahsoka, but even she understood that in order to learn and grow, he would one day need to throw herself into danger beside him.
It's a hard lesson for a master to learn, especially when it means potentially watching the student fail, or even fall. On the other hand, it is the mark of a good teacher when, even after failing, she picks herself up, dusts herself off, and goes back into the fray without hesitation.
1 "My Master could never be as vile as you."
After Anakin embraced the Dark Side, Ahsoka clung to the idea of who he once was, even when facing Darth Vader. As she came to understand just how truly awful Vader was, she confronted him with it, confessing, "I was beginning to believe I knew who you were behind that mask, but it's impossible." Vader told her that Anakin was weak and needed to die, at which point she promised to avenge his death.
Having the story progress in this way decades after the original trilogy was set in stone, it's hard to imagine how different things might have been if Ahsoka had actually been by Luke's side as he confronted his father and Emperor Palpatine. There is hope, however, with Ahsoka's live-action series, fans will perhaps get to see a little more of what happened between student and master when last they came face to face.