Ahsoka Tano is an interesting exercise in duality. A powerful force wielder, but not a Jedi or Sith. At first unpopular, but now a top-seller. The only canon character other than Luke to earn an “I am your father” style confrontation with Darth Vader, but unknown to fans who have only seen the live action films. As the face of Star Wars’ canon though isolated animated side, Ahsoka has for a while now straddled a line between central series protagonist and niche side character. However, according to a new interview with J.J. Abrams, the most prominent gray force user in Star Wars might finally be making her jump to the mainstream.
Speaking last week with Japanese outlet Sora News, Abrams casually dropped a massive teaser for Ahsoka fans when talking with reporter P.K. Sanjun. During their conversation, Sanjun asked Abrams who his favorite character was, with the director instantly answering Han Solo. When Abrams asked Sanjun his favorite character, however, Sanjun replied with Ahsoka Tano, saying he really likes her “positive, determined” personality.
It’s no wonder why Sanjun went with Tano. While Tano starts off in The Clone Wars as brash and quip-happy, she quickly matures into a confident fighter able to mix Anakin’s more foolhardy tactics and open-minded interpretation of the Force with a greater sense of empathy than the future Sith Lord. Similarly, when she’s later ejected from the Jedi order after being framed for a crime, she neglects to rejoin it after Anakin proves her innocence, choosing instead to leave the corrupt system behind and pave her own way forward. This allows her to survive Order 66, and later help establish the Rebel Alliance under the codename “Fulcrum,” before having an up-close and personal experience with the Force itself that seems to give her sagelike wisdom just as Return of the Jedi comes to a close.
“Hmmm, Ahsoka, huh?” Abrams shot back at Sanjun. “Well then, you’ll probably want to watch closely during The Rise of Skywalker.”
Sanjun mirrors the internet’s reaction with a “Wh-whoa-wait-whaaaaaaaaaat?” before Abrams laughs and tells him to “enjoy the movie.”
That’s as far as the interaction goes, but it could have major consequences for Star Wars going forward. While Rogue One, and especially Solo, have toyed with bringing in elements of Star Wars’ animated side (shoutout to Darth Maul), the Skywalker films have yet to do so. And while Ahsoka did not exist when Revenge of the Sith hit theaters, her absence is especially noticeable given her close relationship with Anakin, and his known soft spot for her as almost a surrogate daughter. Being acknowledged in the films seems a fitting final reward for her character arc.
Further, not only is Ahsoka still alive in Star Wars canon, but we don’t yet know her story after Return of the Jedi, as Star Wars: Rebels ends by teasing a joint adventure between her and Mandalorian Rebel fighter Sabine Wren. As the throughline character for Star Wars’ animated side, fans are eagerly awaiting what will come next for her. And as Star Wars searches for where to take the series after the Skywalker saga is complete, she could provide a compelling foundation for future films.
After all, both the Star Wars prequels and Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi played with the idea that the Sith are not the only faction to misuse the Force, but also the Jedi. As someone who left the Jedi behind, but did not fall to the dark side, Ahsoka is likely the biggest personification of this idea that the canon series has seen yet. If the Skywalker Saga is looking to close with those themes at the forefront, bringing her in would be a wise decision, and could also provide a fruitful jumping off point for continued exploration of the Star Wars cosmology.
And yet, Abrams does say “watch closely,” which might simply imply a minor, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo. A Rise of Skywalker teaser trailer has already shown what looks to be The Ghost, a Millennium Falcon style ship from Star Wars: Rebels and frequent Ahsoka Tano haunt, taking part in a space battle in the movie. Whether there’s more to Ahsoka’s cameo, or if she just shows up in a background scene like Hera Syndulla’s ship in this teaser, remains to be seen.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters this Thursday, December 19.
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