Star Wars fans have been waiting for Ahsoka to appear in live-action for ages. Finally, Rosario Dawson made the debut as Ahsoka in the second season of The Mandalorian. After multiple appearances, she is finally getting her own Disney+ show, Ahsoka, which will have a two-episode premiere on August 23, 2023.
Even if you have watched Ahsoka in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett before, there is a high chance that you don't fully understand the character if you have not watched her origins in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.
Star Wars Rebels, commonly known as Rebels among the Star Wars fandom, is a highly successful successor to The Clone Wars. It explored the formative years of the Rebel Alliance, with a special focus on the Jedi Kanan Jurrus and Ezra Bridger. The show revealed that Ahsoka played an integral role in the formation of the Rebellion to defeat the Empire. Rebels bridged the gap between The Clone Wars and the original trilogy to provide more details about key characters like Darth Vader, Maul, Rex, and of course, Ahsoka.
Ahsoka is also now being described as season five of Rebels. Such statements are bound to make a lot of people quite nervous because there is a whole audience that has only watched live-action movies and series of Star Wars projects. If you are also one of those individuals, you don't have to worry, as you can watch only the top 15 episodes of Rebels instead of its total of 75 episodes before watching Ahsoka.
Spark of Rebellion (Parts 1 & 2) (S01E01 & S01E02)
The very first two episodes of Star Wars Rebels set the stage for the entire series by introducing the main characters. This group of individuals is known as The Spectres, a part of the Ghost crew working to fight against the Empire and the spreading oppression in the galaxy far, far away. It is led by Hera Syndulla and astromech Chopper. The group has other members like the Mandalorian Sabina Wren, Zeb, and a Jedi survivor of Order 66, Kanan Jurrus.
These episodes also introduce Ezra Bridger, a Force-sensitive street thief from an Outer Rim world, who gets stuck with the Ghost crew. By the end of this two-part pilot, Kanan decides to mentor Ezra and train him in the ways of the Force.
The trailer of Ahsoka has shown that all the surviving members of Ghost will be appearing in the series in live-action for the first time. Therefore, "Spark of Rebellion" are very important two-part episodes to get familiar with the Ghost crew so that you are able to understand their characters in the show.
Fire Across the Galaxy (S01E15)
"Fire Across the Galaxy" is the season finale of Star Wars Rebels season one. It is the first time that Ahsoka appears in the series, and it is revealed that she is the Rebel operating under the alias "Fulcrum." This episode also confirms that Ahsoka has been working with Senator Bail Organa to form the Alliance.
The season ends with a bang as the Alliance goes against the Empire and specifically the Grand Inquisitor for the first time, and it is established that Ahsoka will play an integral role in the future seasons of the Rebels.
The Siege of Lothal (Parts 1 & 2) (S02E01 & S02E02)
"The Siege of Lothal" is the two-part premiere episode of the second season of Rebels. It continues the story of the Ghost crew as they try to adjust their missions as per the larger plans of the Rebellion. The episodes feature an impressive battle between Darth Vader and Kanan and Ezra, who is still learning how to be an excellent Jedi. The dogfight between the Rebels and Vader in his iconic TIE Advanced is another highlight of these episodes. Such great moments are the reasons why these two episodes premiered as a television movie built towards the rest of season two.
Most importantly, these episodes form the foundation of unique dynamics between Ahsoka and Vader, as these two characters get involved in a cat-and-mouse game throughout the Rebels. It happens when, during the dog fight, both Kanan and Ahsoka use the Force to find out the identity of the TIE's pilot. Ezra realizes that the same Sith Lord he and Kanan fought before is the pilot, while Ahsoka senses Anakin but refuses to believe that he could be behind TIE trying to kill them all. Meanwhile, Vader is also able to sense Ahsoka and discover that his, or at least Anakin Skywalker's, former apprentice, is still alive.
Shroud of Darkness (S02E18)
Ahsoka came extremely close to finding out the real identity of Darth Vader during The Siege of Lothal, and "Shroud of Darkness" continues this same trajectory. This episode shows Ezra, Ahsoka, and Kanan traveling to a secret Jedi Temple on Lothal. All these three individuals get three different visions with the help of the Force.
Ezra sees a vision of Master Yoda, Kanan is tested by the Temple Guard, and Ahsoka experiences a vision of Anakin/Vader in which she has to face the guilt that she was away during the fall of the Jedi, and she finally accepts the fact that her former master, Anakin Skywalker, has indeed succumbed to the dark side and become the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Ahsoka's vision also implies that she could have saved Anakin from turning into Vader had she not abandoned the Jedi Order during the Clone Wars.
This episode was a turning point in Rebels because it finally confirmed Ahsoka's suspicion and paved the way for the rest of the story to unfold, especially when it comes to the relationship between Anakin and Ahsoka.
Twilight of the Apprentice (Parts 1 & 2) (S02E21 & S02E22)
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The two-part season two finale of the Rebels, "Twilight of the Apprentice," is one of the best episodes of the Rebels series. These episodes are the first time after The Clone Wars when Ahsoka and Anakin, now Vader, appear on-screen together and get engaged in one of the most memorable lightsaber duels of the Star Wars universe.
There are a lot of emotions attached before this duel because the last time Ahsoka and Anakin interacted was in The Clone Wars when Ahsoka decided to leave the Jedi Order and hurt Anakin. The entire two seasons of Rebels build towards this clash between master and apprentice. During the fight, Vader's helmet gets damaged, and there is a small moment in which it seems that Vader will turn back to Anakin.
Alas, Ahsoka fails to redeem her former master, but she decides to stay within the crumbling temple and stall Vader so that Ezra and the rest of the Ghost crew can escape the planet. The finale of season two also marks the conclusion of the story between Ezra and Maul, and the story of Ahsoka Tano also ends with her surprising resurrection in season four.
Steps into Shadow (Parts 1 & 2) (S03E01 & S03E02)
It is important to remember that while the title of the upcoming live-action series is simply Ahsoka, the series will actually be focusing on several other characters, especially the Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ghost crew members. This is the reason why fans should watch even those important episodes of the Rebels in which Ahsoka is not featured,
Season three of the Rebels does not feature Ahsoka at all, but it features a considerable story of Grand Admiral Thrawn, voiced by Lars Mikkelsen, who will also be playing him in live-action. Thrawn has been confirmed as the primary antagonist of Ahsoka and in Dave Filoni's MandoVerse movie. The two-part premiere episodes of season three shed light on the character of Thrawn and how it will continue to reunite the Empire long after its fall. Thrawn establishes himself as a formidable enemy in these episodes by launching an entire fleet to hunt down the Spectres and Phoenix Squadron.
Hera's Heroes (S03E05)
One of the most prominent strengths of Thrawn is that he is able to deduce the strengths and weaknesses of his enemies by studying the art of their cultures. This ability is demonstrated in "Hera's Heroes" when Thrawn is able to stop Hera Syndulla from recovering her family heirloom. It happens when Hera and the Ghost crew infiltrate an Imperial Base to recover the heirloom, but Thrawn uses his knowledge about Hera's culture to know in advance that she will be coming for the heirloom.
As a result, he is able to capture Hera and Ezra, and he decides to keep the heirloom for himself. However, Hera is able to outsmart Thrawn by creating a distraction and destroying her own home, along with the Imperial Base. Thrawn gets impressed by the cleverness of the rebels and lets them escape. Since both Hera and Thrawn will appear in Ahoska, it will be interesting to see if they come face-to-face in a live-action format for the first time.
Through Imperial Eyes (S03E17)
If you are interested in knowing more about Thrawn's character and his great intellectual power, you should definitely watch "Through Imperial Eyes." In this episode, Thrawn is able to identify a Rebel spy within the Empire's rank, even though Colonel Wullf Yularen of the ISB fails to discover the right spy. He displays even more intellect when he lets the spy, Agent Kallus, keep operating within the Empire so that he can learn more about the Rebellions' plans and eventual evolution into Alliance.
While episodes like these can be considered stand-alone events that play a minor role in the overall plot, such episodes are important to watch to know the extent of the powers and abilities that Thrawn has and why he has the potential to be one of the best Star Wars villains in the MandoVerse movie.
Heroes of Mandalore (Parts 1 & 2) (S04E01 & S04E02)
Keeping up with the tradition of starting a new season with two-part episodes, the fourth and final season of the Rebels starts with "Heroes of Mandalore," in which the Spectres offer help to Bo-Katan Kryze and the Mangalore she is leading to resist the Imperial control. While these episodes are unlikely to directly influence the events of Ahsoka, they are important to watch to understand the setup of the Night of a Thousand Tears and why Mandalorians are divided in The Mandalorian series.
The premiere episodes also provide a comprehensive backstory of Sabine Wren, who will also be appearing in the Ahsoka series. The audience also gets to know how Sabine Wren gave the Darksaber to Bo-Katan to make her the true leader of the Mandalore. It will definitely be interesting to see Sabine Wren coming to live-action for the first time and wielding a lightsaber.
A World Between Worlds (S04E13)
After a season-long absence, it is finally revealed in the Rebels' penultimate episode, "A World Between Worlds," that Ahsoka survived her lightsaber duel against Vader at the end of season two. It shows that Ezra is struck in a mystical Force plane that exists outside the constraints of space and time. As a result, Ezra is able to see the past and pull Ahsoka into the World Between Worlds. Ahsoka is able to go back to her time in the past.
This is an important episode to watch because Dave Filoni has explained the importance of "World Between Worlds" in his past interviews, and the trailer of Ahsoka also suggests that we will be seeing this mystical plane.
Family Reunion and Farewell (Parts 1 & 2) (S04E15 & S04E16)
As the name suggests, "Family Reunion and Farewell" are the final two episodes of the Star Wars Rebels series. The series ends with Ezra and his friends attacking Thrawn and his forces directly. All the main characters of the series join forces to defeat the Admiral and his forces.
The episodes have some highly emotional moments when Ahsoka and Sabine Wren reunite and go on a journey together to find Thrawn and Ezra after they are taken into deep space. It also answers the burning question of many fans about why both Thrawn and Ezra are missing during the original trilogy. Ahsoka's quest is also the primary plot of Ahsoka, as per the trailer. So, once you have watched these episodes of Rebels, you'll understand Ahsoka in a much better way and thoroughly enjoy it.