It’s kind of amazing which characters come to be embraced by fans and which ones are left behind. Ahsoka Tano wasn’t even known until the Clone Wars movie, and yet sometime after that, her name started being heard every other time that Star Wars was mentioned since the character became someone that somehow balanced out Anakin Skywalker in a way that very few people ever could. It’s regrettable that George Lucas didn’t come up with this character a long time ago, since her inclusion into the Star Wars franchise would have likely been widely accepted had she appeared at some point in the original trilogy or even been mentioned. But hindsight being what it is, Ahsoka is still one of the most popular Star Wars characters out there, and her arrival on The Mandalorian is being heavily anticipated even if the idea is that she’s not going to stick around for that long. Her story has become one of the most sought after and among the most tragic in the history of the franchise since like many others she’s lost quite a great deal and had to find a way to find her center after walking away from the Jedi. The unfortunate fact that she was framed for a heinous crime was bad enough, but the fact that the order turned on her was even worse since they did almost nothing to ascertain if she was guilty or innocent. It’s not too surprising that she lost a great deal of faith in the order, but she never lost faith in the Force, which continued to sustain her as she walked away from what she’d known for so long.
The moral conundrum of the Jedi being turned into soldiers for the Republic weighed heavily on a lot of the Jedi, while some reveled in it and took their responsibilities as generals to extremes that were more than a little disturbing. But for Ahsoka it was difficult since like many padawans she was recruited into the war before she’d ever gained her knighthood and became close to several of the clone troopers under the command of her master and, at times, herself. The fact that she was assigned to Anakin Skywalker threw a pretty wrench in the main storyline for a lot of people since at that point the movies had already been released, and Ahsoka was nowhere to be found when the live-action story had been put into motion. But with some clever storytelling, it was established that Ahsoka was a part of the order during the Clone Wars and was off on more than a few missions during her time, meaning that she wasn’t always at Anakin’s side.
But despite the fact that she had to woven into the story with such care, people came to love her in a big way since she wasn’t just another padawan, she was a student of one of the main characters, and she was given the type of attitude and skills that allowed her to keep up with Anakin as well, proving that she was the type of padawan he needed since she could be just as reckless and impulsive as he was. It didn’t help her every time, but that bold nature kept Ahsoka from being forgotten and put her out in front where everyone could see her since people enjoyed her pluck from the start. Her fighting style was also unique since her backhanded grip would make a lot of sword instructors wince given that when using a metal blade this tends to restrict the range of motion that a person can use. With a lightsaber, it feels even more dangerous though since the fact that the blade can cut just by touching bare flesh makes it feel that anyone not trained in the Force would amputate their own limbs with a simple movement. But thanks to her training and the fact that she knows how to handle the weapon it’s a little more feasible.
What the future holds for Ahsoka is largely unknown since whether or not she’s dead in the most recent trilogy is hard to say since some people would say yes, while others would say no since seeing her fall to anyone but the most powerful of fighters or the most overwhelming odds feels as though it would be an insult to the character she became. If she does show up in Star Wars again it would be to the approving roar of many fans that have come to truly appreciate her character and value her as one of the most popular Force-users in the franchise. At this point, she’s hit nearly the same level of fame as some of the original characters, and if she does come back it does feel that she could help the future of Star Wars continue on its way.
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