The Mandalorian: 10 Things Only Clone Wars Fans Know About Ahsoka Tano
The Mandalorian made Star Wars history with Chapter 13, "The Jedi." Ahsoka Tano made her first live-action appearance after originating in the Clone Wars animated series. For many fans, this was a dream come true. For a lot of new fans who may have discovered the character for the first time, it's their first step into a broader world.
Some may have a lot of questions about Ahsoka after Chapter 13. Ahsoka has a long, rich, and important history in Star Wars. She appeared not only in Clone Wars but also in Star Wars Rebels. She's also made numerous appearances in comic books and novels. Her story is an ever-evolving one that no one could have expected would go to the places it has.
10 She Was Originally Ashla
Ahsoka was envisioned as part of the Clone Wars animated series from the beginning. The idea of an apprentice for Anakin Skywalker was a controversial but critical component of the series.
Dave Filoni designed the character early in development, but she was initially called Ashla. George Lucas created the name Ahsoka after Ashoka the Great, the Indian Emperor of the Maurya Dynasty. Her basic design evolved through concept art, as it continued to do for The Mandalorian.
9 Discovered By Plo Koon
Anakin Skywalker was Ahsoka's master during the Clone Wars, but she was originally the ward of another Jedi. Plo Koon, an underrated Jedi, discovered the young Ahsoka's potential when she was a young child.
He brought her back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and she maintained a close relationship with him over the years. Though their journies took them down to distant corners of the galaxy, they occasionally crossed paths during the wars.
8 Snips
Ahsoka didn't catch on with many fans of Star Wars in the beginning. Part of it was the incongruity of a character who no one ever mentioned or remembered in the movies, and the other was her childish nature.
This was embodied in Anakin Skywalker's nickname for her, 'Snips.' She responded in kind with 'Sky Guy.' As the show evolved, so did Ahsoka, and she grew out of the nicknames. She eventually became one of the most beloved characters in the franchise.
7 Battle-Hardened
Ahsoka's childish naivete vanished in the horrors of the Clone Wars. She often featured in some of the best storylines from the series, which showed the true price of war. Ahsoka learned many bitter lessons, including losing an entire squad of Clone Troopers, which left her battle-hardened and one of the ways Ahsoka became better and better.
Ahsoka also fought and killed many of her only troops in the chaos of Order 66. She buried them in the wreckage of their Republic Assault Cruiser at the end of the war.
6 She Met Chewbacca
Ahsoka was friends and colleagues with major figures of the prequel trilogy, but she crossed paths with some original trilogy heroes, too. In the third season of the Clone Wars, Ahsoka was kidnapped by Trandoshan hunters (the species bounty hunter Bossk belongs to).
She was left to fend for herself on a remote planet alongside other victims, including Chewbacca. Ahsoka befriended the Wookie and worked with him to escape the hunters and get back to their respective homes.
5 Ahsoka Knew About Anakin And Padme
The core tragedy of the prequel trilogy is Anakin Skywalker's fall to the Dark Side. His memory haunts Ahsoka to this day, as was clear in Chapter 13
. It's especially painful for Ahsoka as she knew the secret that led to his fall: his forbidden marriage to Padma Amidala. Ahsoka and Anakin were one of the best friendships in the Star Wars saga, but she couldn't help him during the Clone Wars, and when she realized he was Darth Vader, she couldn't save him then either.
4 Lifelong Friends With Captain Rex
Ahsoka and Anakin were close, but ultimately, Ahsoka and Captain Rex might have been closer. Rex acted as something of a mentor and friend during the Clone Wars, and the two continued their bond into the era of Rebels. That said, there are unanswered questions about their story together.
Now that Ahsoka has made the leap to live-action, Rex could be close behind. The ideal actor to play him, Temuera Morrison, is already working in The Mandalorian as Boba Fett.
3 She Died
Ahsoka's death was once the subject of a great deal of speculation on the part of fans. Many assumed she didn't survive Order 66. She actually died during the Clone Wars, in the "Mortis" arc. This surreal, philosophical story saw Ahsoka infected and ultimately killed by a deadly virus.
She was resurrected by the Daughter, at the cost of her own life and some life-energy from Anakin Skywalker.
2 Connected To The Morai
The Daughter's role in the Force and on Mortis remains something of a mystery. What's clear is that she maintains a strong connection to Ahsoka in her life. Everywhere Ahsoka was seen after Mortis, the Morai was present. The Morai is the owl-like creature who may or may not be the avatar of the Daughter.
The creature was visible in key moments in the Clone Wars, Rebels, and in the barren forest of Corvus in Chapter 13 of The Mandalorian.
1 She Walked Away From The Jedi Order
The defining moment in Ahsoka Tano's story so far is her decision to walk away from the Jedi Order. The final arc of season five of the Clone Wars had Ahsoka accused of a crime she didn't commit and then hung out to dry by the Jedi Council. They eventually offer to take her back, but she walks away, exposing the order's flawed thinking.
Her decision likely saved her life in the long run and has led her down a path that is arguably more Jedi-like than those that sat in judgment of her.