Credit: Inside the MagicNew information is coming to light about the upcoming Disney+ Ahsoka series, which has recently raised eyebrows thanks to an apparent redesign of a prominent character.
Rosario Dawson is back as the eponymous ex-Jedi in the Star Wars spinoff show Ahsoka. Picking up around the same time as Season 3 of The Mandalorian, the story will follow Ahsoka Tano as she continues the search for her missing friend, Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), in the aftermath of the Galactic Empire, all while a familiar threat lingers in the shadows, waiting to strike.
With all eight episodes being written by longtime Lucasfilm creative Dave Filoni, it’s widely understood that the first season of Ahsoka will act as a sort of spiritual successor to the animated Star Wars Rebels, picking up on many loose plot threads introduced in the Disney XD show.
Because of this, it only makes sense that fan-favorite characters like Ghost pilot Hera Syndulla and Mandalorian warrior Sabine Wren would make their live-action debuts in the new series, where they’ll be played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Natasha Liu Bordizzo, respectively. Lars Mikkelsen will also bring the sinister Grand Admiral Thrawn to life after voicing him in Rebels, with his casting being confirmed at April’s Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023.
Check out the official teaser trailer for Lucasfilm’s Ahsoka below:
As mentioned, Ahsoka will serve as a sort of de facto Season 5 of Rebels, which, as viewers know, ended with some major revelations for the galaxy far, far away. For one, the Rebels finale left audiences on a massive cliffhanger after showing Ezra and Thrawn catapulted into space on the backs of hyperspace-traveling Purrgil. At the same time, Zeb took former Imperial Agent Kallus to the planet Lira San while Ahsoka set off to find Ezra.
Hera was promoted to General and went on to fight in the Battle of Endor alongside Captain Rex, while Sabine stayed on Lothal to help keep a watchful eye on Ezra’s homeworld. Amongst all of these pivotal moments in the Rebellion, it was also revealed that Hera had a son with slain Jedi Kanan Jarrus, who sacrificed himself for his Ghost crewmates in the opening of Season 4, Episode 10, “Jedi Night.”
While we didn’t see much of Hera and her son, Jacen, we did get a glimpse at his character design, which incorporated some of his mother’s Twi’lek features while staying mostly in the realm of human, like his father. However, after seeing Jacen’s appearance in Rebels, it looks like Ahsoka is doing a complete 180 on his design according to a new LEGO set.
Recently, the LEGO store revealed plans for a new set entitled “LEGO Star Wars Ghost & Phantom II,” highlighting the Ghost ship fans know and love from Rebels, which will also make an appearance in Ahsoka. The set includes new LEGO figurines for First Officer Hawkins, Lieutenant Beta, General Hera Syndulla, Jacen Syndulla, and the crew’s feisty droid, Chopper. Check it out below:
First look at Lego Ghost & Phantom II! Definitely getting this.
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Credit @promobricks #Lego #LegoStarWars #StarWars #Collectibles pic.twitter.com/bYEzMIsRcU— DisTrackers (@DisTrackers) July 8, 2023
Specifically, fans pointed out a significant change to Jacen’s design, who looks nearly unrecognizable based on this new LEGO set, with his hair being a dark brown color this time around, as opposed to his greenish locks in the Star Wars Rebels finale.
Of course, this does mark Jacen’s first live-action appearance, meaning there’s wiggle room for Ahsoka‘s creative time to mess around with the character’s looks. While there are no details on why Jacen’s hair color was changed, it could be chalked up to age, hair dye, or simply the showrunners’ decision to make him seem more similar to Kanan, further linking him to Rebels.
However, the most reasonable “why” behind this redesign might be because this common brown hair color probably looked more natural and translated better in live-action. Plus, fans weren’t exactly in love with her design to begin with, meaning a change might’ve been sorely needed. Still, fans are already poking fun at Jacen’s new redesign, with many wondering why he doesn’t look more Twi’lek.
The addition of Jacen to this LEGO set hints that he could have a bigger role in Ahsoka than initially expected. With Dawson, Bordizzo, and Winstead’s characters set to take the lead in the new show, it would seem impossible for Star Wars not to address Jacen or put him on the back burner while focusing so intently on his mother’s arc. But judging by this set, it looks like Jacen will be along for the ride after all.
Ultimately, bringing animated characters to life in live-action continues to be a challenge for Star Wars’ production teams, as not every visual element can be seamlessly adapted. Ahsoka’s montrals became a point of contention when Dawson made her first live-action appearance in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, and hundreds of Rebels fans were also quick to call out the design of Rupert Friend’s Grand Inquisitor in Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries.
Changes were also made to Sabine Wren’s look in Ahsoka, with her preference for short, colorfully-dyed hair being swapped out for a longer, more subtle style in the new series. While they might not have quite the same flare as their animated counterparts, it’s important to note that it’s virtually impossible to create an entirely 100% accurate version of characters like Sabine and Jacen in live-action. However, they did come pretty close with Zeb’s design in the latest season of The Mandalorian.
It’ll be interesting to see how the relationship between this more “maternal” version of Hera and her son will unfold in Ahsoka and if Jacen will indeed have a substantial part in the show, setting him up for an extended role in future Star Wars projects. If he’s Force-sensitive like his father, maybe he’ll join in the fight against Thrawn in Dave Filoni’s upcoming “Mando-Verse” crossover movie.
All will be revealed when Ahsoka premieres on Disney+ on August 23.
Will you be tuning in for Ahsoka when it arrives on Disney+ this fall? Are you hoping to see more of Jacen Syndulla? Let us know in the comments below.