Credit: LucasfilmAhsoka is one of the most anticipated projects within the Star Wars Universe. Its title character is a live-action adaptation of a beloved animated prequel character. The series will be the long-awaited finale to Star Wars: Rebels, that will take place five years after Return of the Jedi. Ahsoka has been a character to crossover multiple storylines while interacting with prominent Star Wars icons from the original films and prequels. This prominence has had fans speculating if this kind of crosscutting will continue in the upcoming series. While Lucasfilm has not officially confirmed any of this, new officially licensed merchandise has leaked to do it for them.
The protagonist of the new series, Ahsoka Tano, was originally a Dave Filoni creation who made her first appearance in the animated TV show, Star Wars: The Cone Wars. Ahsoka was an impetuous, but valiant teenage Padawan under the tutelage of Jedi Knight, Anakin Skywalker. The talented dual lightsaber-wielding acolyte would eventually turn her back on the Jedi Order after being wrongfully accused of a terrorist attack. She would go on to team-up with a ragtag team of Resistance fights in Star Wars: Rebels to fight against the Empire in her own way.
SPOILER ALERT AHEAD!
It is very common for officially licensed merchandise to spoil twists or character reveals for upcoming projects. Studios will release concept art and a basic story overview so that partnered manufacturers have an understanding of what they are selling with their product. This information is released beforehand in order for companies to create the product and promote it close to the project’s release. The latest Star Wars epic is guilty of this now as officially licensed merchandise has confirmed that based off a blurb listing characters from the show on Amazon — Anakin Skywalker aka Darth Vader — will be in Ahsoka.
The Hollywood Reporter disclosed that a private source validated claims that actor, Hayden Christensen, would reprise his role as Vader back in 2021, but it was never acknowledged by Lucasfilm. While Darth Vader’s reemergence is understandable, it is also confusing. The character played a pivotal role as Ahsoka’s mentor, friend and eventual adversary in the animated Star Wars Universe, yet the reformed Sith perished at the end of Return of the Jedi. This death implies that Christensen’s return could be in the form of a Force ghost or perhaps in flashback sequences.
Dave Filoni has written, produced and will direct much of Ahsoka. The Executive Creative Director at LucasFilm, has been at the heart of expanding the lore of Star Wars for a whole new generation of fans since 2005. He has been involved with the creation of The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Resistance, and Star Wars: Rebels. Based off his knowledge of Star Wars mythology, his choice to bring back Anakin Skywalker will hopefully carry heavy emotional stakes, rather than solely be a fan-service inclusion.
The last time Ahsoka and Anakin met was in Rebels. They were engaged in a fight to the death as the newly transformed Darth Vader went blow-to-blow with his former apprentice. The sequence was a beautiful, gut-wrenching creation that carried immense symbolism that carried onto other storylines. During their duel, an embattled Vader has one side of his face exposed from his cracked helmet. This would become a mirror image during the clash between Vader and Obi-Wan in the finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The duality of the two moments showcase that the young Vader may have been a powerful warrior, but the only two characters to witness the last vestiges of his humanity were the ones he truly loved and he could not destroy them. Anakin’s return will certainly be a welcomed addition to fans who want to watch both of these have a live-action interaction.
This reveal will be sure to build more expectation for Ahsoka that will premiere its first two episodes on August 23, 2023 on Disney+.