The latest episode of The Mandalorian answered a lot of questions and was filled with even more surprises. For one, we’ve finally learned Baby Yoda’s real name. I must say, the name doesn’t really fit him. I’m just going to stick with calling him Baby Yoda. It was still a nice reveal, but we still have to talk about the elephant in the room. We’ve been expecting Ahsoka Tano to make one heck of a live-action debut ever since Rosario Dawson was cast. It was a good choice, but this would be a much different Ahsoka from the one we saw in the Clone Wars cartoon. I’ll admit, I didn’t really watch too much of Rebels, but I did watch most of her scenes on YouTube. I actually forgot she has a pair of dual-wield white lightsabers, a more unique feature that makes her stand out.
I just have to say that I didn’t dig Ahsoka when she first debuted in 2008. She was a very childish character for a time when the Clone Wars cartoon was very childish. However, I saw how she developed in the following seasons and she did mature. She began as an overzealous teenager, but grew up to be a wiser and more skilled Jedi Knight. What I saw in Rosario’s Dawson’s performance reflected exactly that and she really nailed it. For one, it always helps to have a talented actress play a vital character for a story. Sounds counterintuitive, but that performance can always be undermined by a lackluster script. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case for Ahsoka in the Mandalorian, because this episode, titled The Jedi, rightfully so, was written and directed by Dave Filoni.
Dave Filoni has always been very fond of Ahsoka Tano. I understand why, because that character is his. He created her, he’s written many stories where she’s the central character, and he’s made her a vital character to the main story of Star Wars. Ahsoka even made several references about it throughout the episode, the most significant one being about Anakin himself. It’s actually why she refused to train Baby Yoda. A bit surprising, but her reasons made sense, considering she saw how Anakin succumbed to the dark side because he gave in to his emotions and his fears. I’m actually starting to like The Mandalorian because of it. If it’s going to make more sense of the prequels and the sequel trilogy, then don’t stop now.
Now I have taken issue with popular Star Wars characters consistently getting the spotlight. Whenever we see a character we’ve already seen before play a major role in another Star Wars story, it makes the universe feel smaller. Instead of shrinking the largest fictional universe, there needs to be more characters that have stories of their own. That’s why it was so refreshing to have The Mandalorian grace us with its existence. We have a new bounty hunter that’s actually a good guy and a smaller, cuter version of Yoda who will change the Star Wars universe. Then, it decided to bring aboard some familiar faces. First with Boba Fett, who is now apparently getting his own miniseries, and now Ahsoka.
If Boba Fett can get his own miniseries, then Ahsoka definitely can. In fact, she’s more worthy of it. I don’t know what you can do with a solo Boba Fett story, and to be honest, I thought we were past it. Perhaps we’re in for a surprise, but it’s different with Ahsoka. What stood out most to me is when she was explaining how Grogu, aka Baby Yoda, was actually training at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. On top of that, he was there when Anakin/Darth Vader sacked the temple. He wasn’t cut down because, according to Ahsoka, “someone” got him out. I’d like to know who that someone is and why he felt Baby Yoda was so important to rescue. If Ahsoka doesn’t really know who that person is, she can soon discover it. If there are more Jedi, Ahsoka should meet with them.
Speaking of which, there’s one particular Jedi she needs to meet above the rest. Her mentor’s son, Luke Skywalker. That’s an interaction all of us fans need to see. If an Ahsoka series happens, I have no doubt that she’ll cross paths with Luke. And no CGI of a young Mark Hamill. We’re past that, so Disney needs to call someone they’re already working with. If you’re a Star Wars nerd who’s kept up with the gossip, you’ll know I’m talking about Sebastian Stan. Just Google how he can play a young Luke and you’ll see the side-by-side comparison. There’s no question about it, Stan is practically identical to the young Mark Hamill. Disney needs to bring him aboard to play the young Luke so he can interact with Ahsoka.
For those who have kept up with the Clone Wars series, you’ll see the chemistry between Anakin and Ahsoka and how vital it is for both their characterizations. In the time of the Mandalorian, five years have past since The Last Jedi. Han and Leia have already had Ben Solo, and Luke is probably building his own Jedi temple. Because of the sequel trilogy, we’ve seen that he never took it too far. Luke became a great Jedi Knight, but he failed to become a great master. This is where he can greatly benefit from meeting Ahsoka. Luke was a humble man and was always eager to learn. Ahsoka, being a more experienced Jedi and a veteran of the Clone Wars, could be his new mentor.
Their relationship would be driven by curiosity. Luke never got the chance to really know his father and Ahsoka can tell him what he was like. On Ahsoka’s end, she probably doesn’t know that Anakin didn’t die as the evil Darth Vader. In his final moments he became Anakin once again and destroyed the Emperor, saving his son and the galaxy. Luke telling Ahsoka that he died as the Jedi she once knew would take some serious weight off her shoulders and the two of them can form a bond stronger than the one she shared with Anakin.
But hold on, who are they going to fight? No, no Sith, but another fan-favorite Star Wars villain who was name-dropped in the last Mandalorian episode. It turns out, Ahsoka is spending her time hunting Grand Admiral Thrawn. Like I said earlier, I never got into Rebels, but I did check out his scenes on YouTube. He’s a cunning, ruthless villain, who doesn’t need a lightsaber or the force to be a terrifying villain. He’s a master strategist and is almost impossible to outwit, making him a dangerous foe. If Ahsoka is searching for him, then that means he survived after Rebels. He’s a character that I really want to see debut in live-action. Besides being an overall awesome character, he just looks cool. That dark blue skin and devilish red eyes would look really incredible in live-action form.
If Thrawn survived, you can bet that Ezra survived too. When Mando takes Baby Yoda and puts him on that magic pedestal, Ahsoka told him whatever Jedi are left will be drawn to him. I have a theory that Ezra is that Jedi. We don’t know how he and Thrawn escaped their predicament, but this could be the chance to explain that. It would make for a good return for both characters, and Mando can possibly cross paths with Ahsoka again. Heck, if Ahsoka has her own series and meets Luke, what if they pursue Thrawn and run into Mando on the way? Luke has had a bad experience with a Mandalorian before, so seeing him interact with a good one would be interesting. Call it fan service, but if it’s written right, then I believe it’ll be a fun interaction that can tie up some loose ends.
If Disney got Rosario Dawson to play Ahsoka, then I believe they got bigger plans for her. She deserves her own series at this point, and there’s a lot they can do with her. Heck, maybe TV is the future of Star Wars.
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