Summary
- The upcoming Ahsoka series is a spiritual successor to Star Wars Rebels and Clone Wars, and set in the same period as The Mandalorian.
- A live-action Clone Wars flashback in Ahsoka is likely, featuring a younger version of Ahsoka Tano, possibly played by a different actor.
- Ahsoka’s story comes full circle with the Clone Wars flashback, honoring the character’s legacy and showcasing her growth beyond the animated series.
Star Wars is setting up a second live-action Ahsoka Tano actor in Ahsoka, not just Rosario Dawson. More than 12 years after Ahsoka Tano debuted in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie, the character jumped to live-action in The Mandalorian season 2. “The Jedi,” which was directed by Ahsoka co-creator Dave Filoni, saw Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano in what would be the first of many live-action Ahsoka appearances. After returning in The Book of Boba Fett, Dawson now stars in the Ahsoka series.
The upcoming Ahsoka show is set in the same period as The Mandalorian, meaning it is part of the “Mandoverse.” Still, Ahsoka is not just another addition to The Mandalorian’s timeline. The Rosario Dawson-led series is a spiritual successor to Star Wars Rebels and, to some degree, to Clone Wars.
Ahsoka’s Clone Wars Flashbacks Could Reveal A Younger Live-Action Ahsoka Tano
Hayden Christensen will return as Anakin Skywalker in Ahsoka, as confirmed by the latest Ahsoka trailer. Except for the Ahsoka vs. Darth Vader fight in Star Wars Rebels, all of the interactions between Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker happened during the Clone Wars. As such, a live-action Clone Wars flashback in Ahsoka is all but confirmed. Ahsoka Tano was 14 years old in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and 17 years old during Clone Wars season 7. Naturally, an Anakin and Ahsoka flashback set during the Clone Wars would have to feature a younger version of the latter, likely played by a different actor.
The Ahsoka Tano Rosario Dawson is playing in The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka is around 50 years old. As such, a flashback set many years before Ahsoka would likely cast a different actor to play a teenage version of the character. It is always possible that Star Wars goes for de-aging techniques rather than a recast, but series like Obi-Wan Kenobi had no problem casting younger versions of Luke and Leia. Curiously, Hayden Christensen recently played Anakin Skywalker in an Obi-Wan Kenobi flashback scene set a few months before the Clone Wars movie. No announcement regarding a “Clone Wars Ahsoka” actor has been made.
Ahsoka’s Clone Wars Flashbacks Bring Ahsoka Tano’s Story Full Circle
Even though Ahsoka is set almost a decade after Return of the Jedi, the series would never be complete without a callback to Clone Wars. Ahsoka Tano is not the first animated Star Wars character to jump to live-action. However, Ahsoka is the first character from an animated Star Wars show to lead her own live-action series. The Ahsoka show is just one example of how popular this original Clone Wars character has become in the past 15 years. Ahsoka went from a sidekick whose very existence was a Star Wars retcon to one of the most popular and recognizable characters in the franchise.
By returning in Star Wars Rebels and debuting in live-action in The Mandalorian, Ahsoka has grown beyond Clone Wars already. Still, considering that Clone Wars’ seven-season run had dozens of episodes centered on Ahsoka, Anakin’s former Padawan will always be associated with the 3D animated series. A live-action Star Wars series is a major chapter in Ahsoka’s Star Wars history, and having a Clone Wars flashback in Ahsoka is the perfect way to honor the character’s legacy. Having Hayden Christensen’s Anakin interacting with a Clone Wars Ahsoka would also be very special, as Ahsoka Tano was only created after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.