Credit: LucasfilmThe Star Wars franchise, like many Disney entities, is in the middle of evolutionary change.
The Force is strong with Ahsoka Tano. While production on Ahsoka Season 2 is already underway, Star Wars fans saw the former Jedi Padawan back in action. The fan-favorite character will make her return to the galaxy far, far away much sooner than expected, and with a very familiar voice behind her once again.
Introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), Ahsoka Tano began her journey as Anakin Skywalker’s determined and often rebellious apprentice. Over time, she evolved into a fierce and principled warrior, ultimately walking away from the Jedi Order after being wrongly accused of treason, a decision that became one of the franchise’s defining moments. Her character has since joined the ranks of Star Wars icons like Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Voiced by Ashley Eckstein throughout The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and Tales of the Jedi, Ahsoka earned her devoted fanbase through years of animated storytelling. Her transition to live-action came with The Mandalorian Season 2, where Rosario Dawson took up the role. Dawson went on to reprise Ahsoka in The Book of Boba Fett and later headlined her own Disney+ series, Ahsoka, which—like the rest of the so-called “Mando-Verse”—is set after Star Wars: Episode VI–Return of the Jedi (1983).
Created by Dave Filoni, Ahsoka blended mystical fantasy with Star Wars’ sci-fi foundations and acted as a continuation of Rebels. While reactions to the first season were mixed, Lucasfilm quickly confirmed that the story wasn’t over. Season 2 has officially entered production and is expected to premiere on Disney+ in 2026.
Rosario Dawson will reprise her role as Ahsoka, joined by returning co-stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Sabine Wren), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Hera Syndulla), Eman Esfandi (Ezra Bridger), Ivanna Sakhno (Shin Hati), Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker), and Lars Mikkelsen (Grand Admiral Thrawn). Following the tragic passing of Ray Stevenson, his character Baylan Skoll will now be portrayed by Game of Thrones actor Rory McCann.
But before fans reunite with Dawson’s live-action Ahsoka, Ashley Eckstein has stepped back into the character’s shoes for another adventure—this time in animated form. Building on the success of last year’s LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, a new LEGO-inspired series premiered on Disney+ this fall.
Titled LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past, the four-part prequel comes from creators Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit and debuted on September 19, 2025. During the announcement at Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo, Japan, Ahmed Best—who voiced Darth Jar Jar in the non-canonical Rebuild the Galaxy—was joined by Eckstein, who confirmed she’d be voicing a “very different version” of Ahsoka.
“When I got the call that I was going to be returning as Ahsoka, I cried […] I’ve missed her so much. I’ve missed you all so much,” StarWars.com reported on the announcement. “This has really been a dream come true. I am such a huge fan of LEGO. I have so many of these Ahsoka BrickHeadz, and I now get to voice her!”
The actress continued, “Last time I was on this stage, I talked about how Ahsoka lives in all of us, and we’ve really made Ahsoka’s story our own story. We’ve experienced Star Wars for an entire generation through Ahsoka’s eyes… and we’ve literally created our own story through Ahsoka, and that’s what this story is about. There’s so much heart in BrickHeadz Ahsoka, and we’re all going to relate to her. You’re going to love it.”
Along with the debut of the new series, Ashley Eckstein spoke about revisiting the role.
Eckstein has been the voice of Ahsoka Tano for well over a decade, bringing the beloved Star Wars hero to life across animation, video games, and shorts. Now, she’s stepping back into the role once again for LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy–Pieces of the Past, but according to Eckstein, her approach to the character hasn’t changed at all.
Speaking with ComicsOnline, Eckstein revealed that her performance for the LEGO series was just as authentic and emotionally grounded as any of her previous appearances as the former Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker.
“Nothing changed vocally at all. I voiced Ahsoka in this as if I was doing an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” she explained. “The only thing that consciously changes depending on the project is her age.”
Over the years, Ahsoka’s journey has been defined by her growth, and Eckstein shared that her vocal delivery evolves with that transformation. As the character matures—from her early Padawan days in The Clone Wars to her more seasoned appearances later in the saga—her voice naturally deepens and carries more weight.
Eckstein went on to confirm that her portrayal in LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy—Pieces of the Past represents a specific version of Ahsoka, one familiar to fans of The Clone Wars’ final season and The Mandalorian.
“This is Season 7 Ahsoka. This is after she’s… walked away from the Jedi Order, and she’s seen a lot at this point,” Eckstein said. “So I’m very conscious of her age. When I record Ahsoka, I always ask what costume she’s in because that tells me what age she is. I ask where in the storyline she is, what she’s been through. So, this is, obviously, we see her The Mandalorian-inspired costume. So this is Season 7 Ahsoka.”
While Ahsoka’s appearance in a lighthearted LEGO adventure might sound like a shift in tone, Eckstein said her approach to the character remains completely serious, no matter what the world around her might be.
“Ahsoka doesn’t think she’s in a comedic universe. Everything is very serious to her in this universe,” Eckstein explained to Nerd Reactor. She added that staying true to the emotional core of Ahsoka ensures that longtime fans will still recognize the same character they’ve grown to love.
“Ahsoka is still being Ahsoka. She doesn’t know, she doesn’t think she’s in a comedic universe. Everything is very serious to her in this universe,” she said. “So it’s still Ahsoka, it’s still going to feel like Ahsoka is there and she’s helping others and she’s on a mission. So yeah, Ahsoka is not going to turn into a comic in this, it’s still going to feel like Ahsoka from [The Clone Wars].”
Eckstein’s dedication to maintaining Ahsoka’s authenticity across every medium—animated, live-action, and now LEGO—underscores why she’s become such a vital part of the Star Wars legacy.
The four-part prequel series arrived on Disney’s streaming service on September 19.
The Star Wars franchise continues to expand across mediums, from upcoming Disney+ releases to high-profile theatrical projects. Among the next wave of major titles are The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) from Jon Favreau, and Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter starring Ryan Gosling. While Lucasfilm is steering some of its energy back toward theatrical storytelling, the streaming division remains active with varied results.
In 2024, The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew sparked debate among fans—particularly The Acolyte, which was ultimately canceled. Still, 2025 has seen renewed momentum with Tony Gilroy’s Andor returning for its second season to widespread acclaim. Episodes “Who Are You?” and “Welcome to the Rebellion” recently became two of the highest-rated Star Wars television episodes on IMDb.
Though LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy: Pieces of the Past won’t be part of official canon, its existence reinforces Lucasfilm’s strategy to keep expanding the universe for audiences of every generation and interest. With fresh stories on the horizon across animation, streaming, and cinema, the Force remains strong in the Star Wars galaxy.
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