What You Should Know About Ahsoka Tano and the TV Spinoff

The Mandalorian season two was well received by TV audiences. For a large subset of devoted fans, its biggest revelation was the appearance of Ahsoka Tano. This fan-favorite character finally made her live-action debut in “Chapter 13: The Jedi,” where it was revealed that she was on the lookout for Grand Admiral Thrawn. It's the beginning of another chapter in the life of this Force-Sensitive Outcast who left the Jedi Order on poor terms and joined the rebel cause against the Galactic Empire.

After years of watching Ahsoka in animated form, many fans welcomed the flesh-and-blood arrival of Rosario Dawson as the popular ex-Jedi. Her name had been frequently mentioned in the fan community as an ideal choice for a live-action version of the character. Incidentally, the episode was directed by Dave Filoni, who introduced Ahsoka to the world back in the 2008 film Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

The Ahsoka Tano Spin-off: The Facts Thus Far

As of mid-March 2021, this is what has been revealed about this Mandalorian spin-off series:

• The show is titled Ahsoka (or Star Wars: Ahsoka). It will be set within the timeline of The Mandalorian, as will fellow spin-off shows The Book of Boba Fett and Rangers of the New Republic.
• The show's creator is Dave Filoni, who will also act as executive producer. Aside from directing Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Filoni has performed directing and/or producing duties on Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: Forces of Destiny, and Star Wars Resistance, as well as the upcoming Rangers of the New Republic. (In other words, Ahsoka is probably in good hands with Filoni at the wheel.) Kennedy and Jon Favreau are also credited as executive producers.
• The story arc of the series hasn't been confirmed, but it seems very likely that it will involve Ahsoka's hunt for Grand Admiral Thrawn.
• The show is expected to tie in eventually with The Mandalorian and Rangers of the New Republic, leading up to what Kennedy calls "one exciting conclusion.” Presumably, the storylines of all three shows will somehow merge at some point.
• Rosario Dawson is returning as Ahsoka Tano. No other cast members have been confirmed at the present time. However, there are some rumors floating around cyberspace about possible casting choices:
  • It seems that Karen Gillan is under consideration for the role of Mara Jade, who would likely appear in Ahsoka and/or another of the new Star Wars series. Gillan has played Nebula in several Marvel Cinematic Universe films.
  • Mena Massoud is reportedly in talks to play Ezra Bridger, the Jedi who once trained with Ahsoka Tano. Star Wars fans know Ezra from the animated Rebels series, but he has never made a live-action appearance. Massoud starred in Aladdin (2019).
  • There is also some anti-confirmation news on the acting front. Benedict Cumberbatch has already made it clear that he is not interested in playing Grand Admiral Thrawn, either in Ahsoka or anywhere else. As he recently told Collider, "I think sitting in a makeup chair and being painted blue, and the amount of time it would take to do that and then take it off at the end of the day might just… it’s not the right time in my life for that.”
• Ahoska will be a limited series, not an open-ended production. It is not known how many episodes are planned.
• The show will debut sometime in 2022. Like the other new Star Wars series, it will be shown exclusively on Disney+.

Fans are advised to keep an eye out for further revelations about Ahsoka’s new show and the other upcoming TV productions in the Star Wars universe. 

In the meantime, you may wish to visit SaberForum.com, Ultrasabers’ discussion board for all things Star Wars. The board, which has more than 750,000 posts, is a rich mine of debate on a variety of fan topics. You can also contact Ultrasabers if you have any questions about their lightsaber products.