After "Replacing" Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Is Set to Disappoint Fans With Upcoming Change

It’s hard to remember a time when Ahsoka Tano wasn’t a part of the Star Wars franchise. While the Togruta Jedi has only been around since the release of the theatrical animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) 15 years ago, it feels like she’s been around forever.

Ahsoka was relatively unknown for a long time, despite being one of the lead characters in the long-running CG-animated series of the same name that followed the 2008 film. But only in recent years has the show garnered wide recognition from the fanbase.

Ahsoka Tano in "A Friend in Need" in The Clone Wars — Credit: Lucasfilm

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 — 2020) ran for seven seasons (with a lengthy hiatus before returning for its final season), with Ahsoka appearing in most of the 133 episodes. She then returned in the animated follow-up, Star Wars: Rebels (2014 — 2018).

Ahsoka’s role in Rebels is short, but her storyline helped to ground her place in the Star Wars universe after pitting her against her old Jedi master Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader (Matt Lanter/James Earl Jones), in what has become another iconic lightsaber duel.

Ahsoka in white robes in the Rebels epilogue — Credit: Lucasfilm

Since then, the character has shown up in other corners of the faraway galaxy: animated shorts Star Wars: Forces of Destiny (2017 — 2017), the video game Disney Infinity 3.0 (2015), toy shelves, and even the Disney Parks.

Ahsoka Tano made her live-action debut in The Mandalorian Season 2, with Rosario Dawson taking the reins from voice actress Ashley Eckstein. Fans were thrilled to see the fan-favorite Jedi transition from animation to live action.

Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka in The Mandalorian Season 2 — Credit: Lucasfilm

She returned the following year in the spinoff series, The Book of Boba Fett (2021), and in a few weeks, she’ll be headlining her own live-action series on Disney+, Ahsoka (2023). And the buzz within the Star Wars community couldn’t be higher.

But Ahsoka will be arriving at a time when faith in Star Wars television shows is at an all-time low. Things got off to a very promising start when The Mandalorian (2019) first arrived on Disney+, with Season 2 being just as well received by fans and critics alike.

Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) in The Mandalorian Season 2 — Credit: Lucasfilm

But The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) left most fans deeply unimpressed. And though Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) prequel-series, Andor (2022), brought with it “a new hope” for many, it felt a little too late.

And then The Mandalorian Season 3 came along, leaving many fans feeling as hopeless and disenfranchised as they did when the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy films were being churned out in theaters between 2015 and 2019.

Star Wars The Last Jedi poster — Credit: Lucasfilm

Now, Ahsoka could restore our faith in Star Wars once again. The first trailer, which dropped back on Star Wars Day (May the 4th), promises that it will be a live-action sequel to Rebels, a series that’s just as beloved as The Clone Wars.

Everything from the live-action versions of the Rebels characters to the razor-sharp cinematography and Kevin Kiner’s riveting score make Ahsoka look like it has the potential to be a flower among weeds (no offense, The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2, and Andor).

Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano in her own solo series — Credit: Lucasfilm

Ahsoka will pick up where Rebels left off (many years later), with Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) continuing with their search for Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), while Grand Admiral Thrawn’s return looms over them.

While fans are excited to see Ahsoka finally get her own series, and a live-action one at that, Ahsoka may leave some feeling like the character’s glory days are actually long behind her.

Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren in Ahsoka — Credit: Lucasfilm

There’s no denying that the live-action side of the faraway galaxy lacks a certain charm the animated shows wield so effortlessly, especially when it comes to live-action adaptations. This is one concern many fans will undoubtedly have going into Ahsoka. Another is the fact that the character has her own show in the first place.

Rosario Dawson has done an incredible job of bringing Ahsoka Tano to life, but having her own television series could actually ruin the character forever.

Ahsoka and Rex in 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' — Credit: Lucasfilm

Many feel that Ahsoka has already “replaced” the iconic Jedi, Luke Skywalker. While this is more of a criticism than a compliment, as the latest Ahsoka trailer suggests that Ahsoka started training Sabine Wren in the Force only to later abandon her, which is similar to Luke’s reluctance to mentor Rey (Daisy Ridley) in Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi (2017), Ahsoka is yet to disappoint fans like Luke has in recent years.

Meanwhile, Mark Hamill, who has played Luke Skywalker since Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977), recently spoke out about how he is finally done with Star Wars. Could his exit leave a vacuum that needs to filled by another Jedi like Ahsoka?

Ahsoka has already become hugely popular with fans. And with her own Disney+ series just weeks away, there’s an even bigger lens on the character. In fact, it’s possible that, given time, she will become the new figurehead for the franchise.

Rey and Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Last Jedi — Credit: Lucasfilm

Unfortunately, though, there’s a downside to Ahsoka’s rise in popularity. We all have television shows, movies, books, and bands that we preferred before they became more widely known, and The Clone Wars is one of the best examples of this.

Watching something like The Clone Wars, which for a long time was relatively unknown, felt rather unique. During this time, telling a fellow Star Wars fan your new favorite character was Ahsoka Tano would usually leave them looking confused.

Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) in 'Tales of the Jedi' — Credit: Lucasfilm

Now, Ahsoka is set to become a household name, just like Luke Skywalker. It’s doubtful she’ll ever be as infamous as the legendary Jedi Knight, but either way, this could be off-putting for many fans of the Togruta Jedi.

If the series turns out to be a massive hit on Disney+, it will see Ahsoka go from being a fan favorite to a widely familiar character. In turn, this could shape her role in the upcoming Mando-Verse film, which Ahsoka Tano creator Dave Filoni is directing.

We might all be excited to see Rosario Dawson’s version of the character get eight episodes all to herself right now, but in a few months, Ahsoka might not feel anywhere near as unique as she did when she was mostly unknown.

As per Disney and Lucasfilm, here’s the official trailer for Ahsoka:

Ahsoka stars Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka Tano), Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Sabine Wren), Eman Esfandi (Ezra Bridger), Lars Mikkelsen (Grand Admiral Thrawn), Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Hera Syndulla), Genevieve O’Reilly (Mon Mothma), Ivanna Sakhno (Shin Hati), Diana Lee Inosanto (Morgan Elsbeth), and the late Ray Stevenson (Baylan).

The first two episodes of Ahsoka will premiere on Disney+ on August 23.

Are you worried that Ahsoka Tano will become too popular? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!