The Ahsoka series is coming.
- Thread starter Mach5
- Start date
Yeah, like I said it's not that it doesn't make sense for it to be a hodgepodge, it's just a shame that it's lacking a certain unique visual identity. So far every version has been derivative of something else in Star Wars, but mostly just "Coruscant with more of a litter problem."
Coruscant and Cloud City manage to look recognisably distinct, regardless as to whether it's the upper residential levels, or the industrial undercity. It would be nice if and when it does show up, it had a comparably distinct art direction; and yes, even a hodgepodge can have a unique look.
Yes, it probably will be.
But this time it will have the right kind of same old same old.
I've been watching Clone Wars and I really like Ahsoka. I also liked her in The Mandalorian. So I'm looking forward to this.
close ups of the various sabers and props from the show
https://gizmodo.com/ahsoka-lightsabers-star-wars-sabine-chopper-disney-plus-1850658083
either they redesigned Ezra's lightsaber slightly, or in-universe Sabine modified it between Rebels and Ahsoka, or both.
https://gizmodo.com/ahsoka-lightsabers-star-wars-sabine-chopper-disney-plus-1850658083
either they redesigned Ezra's lightsaber slightly, or in-universe Sabine modified it between Rebels and Ahsoka, or both.
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I'm sorry to go back to such an old post, but I haven't been on this thread for a while and I wanted to address this.
I'm glad they didn't do that, because I don't think I could handle it. this, I'm a big fan of both Rosario Dawson and Mary Elizabeth Winstead and I'm pretty familiar with what they sound like, and hearing Ashlely Eckstein and Vanessa Marshall's voices coming out of their mouths (well not really, but you what I mean) would really fuck with my head.
If you're not a big fan of the Ahsoka character or interested in the storylines picking up from Rebels, then yeah it probaby will be.
I guess it depends on one's definition of "same old".
Will there be a protagonist? Clearly. Do they have to overcome challenges, both personal and existential? Without a doubt. Will they come into conflict with an antagonist? Seems like. Will there be a moral lesson underpinned by larger spiritual themes? Signs point to yes. Does all this apply to 90% of all good stories ever told across all media and genres? Yup.
Unless of course we're talking specifics, in which case; no I don't think Ahsoka will be wearing a helmet in almost every scene or hardly ever show her face. She probably won't be taking a job to capture/murder a child for money from an ex-imperial with a very intense demeanour only to grow a conscience at the last minute and go all John Wick up in the joint. I can't see her being called out of exile by Bail Organa to come rescue a ten year old Leia from that guy in 'Back to the Future 2 & 3'. The odds of the whole plot being a morally grey meditation on rebellions against the systemic oppression of a fascist state, complete with a sub-plot about a woman trying to get by in a man's world that has everyone cheering her on when she gets ahead until they remember she's an evil fascist nutter too, and for some reason picked up a failed wannabe warcriminal as a stalker are approximately three thousand seven hundred and twenty to one. Plus of course while I can't be 100% sure that a lizard won't climb up her nose and send her into a psychedelic spirit journey with an ocean tree, I won't exactly be putting money on it happening either.
There will however be laser-sword duels, blaster shootouts, and at least one high octane chase sequence. So by that measure, sure; it'll be exactly like every other star war with nothing new to offer whatsoever.
Will there be a protagonist? Clearly. Do they have to overcome challenges, both personal and existential? Without a doubt. Will they come into conflict with an antagonist? Seems like. Will there be a moral lesson underpinned by larger spiritual themes? Signs point to yes. Does all this apply to 90% of all good stories ever told across all media and genres? Yup.
Unless of course we're talking specifics, in which case; no I don't think Ahsoka will be wearing a helmet in almost every scene or hardly ever show her face. She probably won't be taking a job to capture/murder a child for money from an ex-imperial with a very intense demeanour only to grow a conscience at the last minute and go all John Wick up in the joint. I can't see her being called out of exile by Bail Organa to come rescue a ten year old Leia from that guy in 'Back to the Future 2 & 3'. The odds of the whole plot being a morally grey meditation on rebellions against the systemic oppression of a fascist state, complete with a sub-plot about a woman trying to get by in a man's world that has everyone cheering her on when she gets ahead until they remember she's an evil fascist nutter too, and for some reason picked up a failed wannabe warcriminal as a stalker are approximately three thousand seven hundred and twenty to one. Plus of course while I can't be 100% sure that a lizard won't climb up her nose and send her into a psychedelic spirit journey with an ocean tree, I won't exactly be putting money on it happening either.
There will however be laser-sword duels, blaster shootouts, and at least one high octane chase sequence. So by that measure, sure; it'll be exactly like every other star war with nothing new to offer whatsoever.
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The official website has posted the following description of the former Inquisitor now known as Marrok:
Once an Inquisitor hunting Jedi for the Empire, the mysterious Marrok now works as a mercenary hired by Morgan Elsbeth to carry out dark deeds. Fully encased in battered battle armor, the warrior still carries a red double-bladed saber with a circular hilt.
^ How much do we want to bet this character will be getting a standalone comic or something explaining their backstory?
I've noticed a few of the relevant entries on the Databank have also been updated with more than just new profile shots from Ahsoka.
Huyang's entry now reads: -
As has Sabine's, which is an interesting one since while there's nothing new here, there is a clear and deliberate shift in emphasis away from her bomb making, and more towards the graffiti art. It also now specifically namechecks her beskar, credits her with inspiring the Alliance/NR logo, and adds much more specific details about her journey from Imperial Cadet to Rebel, to quasi-Jedi . . . uh Initiate? Novice? Disciple? Acolyte? Convert? Most of which one presumes will be touched upon in the show: -
Baylan's new entry seems rather insistent on the whole "not a Jedi" angle.
Speaking of Elsbeth; her new entry now has some interesting details that seem to confirm the show indeed takes place after the events in 'The Mandalorian' and 'Book of Boba Fett': -
Needless to say Ahsoka's entry has been updated, which mostly makes it more curious it wasn't done sooner. So far as I can tell as recently as June, it didn't go any further than 'Twilight of the Apprentice', now it seems fully up to date.
Oh and here's the latest promo, which I really will not be watching this time, since we're clearly at the "post a new 30 second add every week until launch" phase of the campaign, and I don't want a drip-feed of new footage to spoil the first few episodes.
ETA: Oh, two in one day? Eager bunch at LF marketing I see.
I've noticed a few of the relevant entries on the Databank have also been updated with more than just new profile shots from Ahsoka.
Huyang's entry now reads: -
"An ancient droid, but still quick of mind, Huyang oversaw the construction of lightsabers in the Jedi Order for centuries. After the fall of the Republic and the Jedi, his databanks remain a repository of ancient Jedi lore, including an exacting record of every lightsaber constructed under his supervision. A storied architect and professor, during the Clone Wars Huyang was based out of the training vessel Crucible, where he guided younglings in the art of saber construction as part of their journey to become Padawans. He continues to be operational after the end of the Jedi Order, surviving through the rise and fall of the Empire, to see the dawn of the New Republic."
Even The Ghost has an updated entry, with the most telling passage being: -
"After the Galactic Civil War that brought about the New Republic, Hera still prefers flying the Ghost to other ships, using it as a homebase for herself, her droid, and her son, Jacen"
Hera's intro has been completely rewritten, now also with a NR era perspective: -
"Once the heart of the Ghost crew during the age of the Empire, Hera Syndulla continues to serve as the captain of her ship while fighting for freedom from oppression as a general in the New Republic during an era of reconstruction. A gifted pilot with a knack for dogfighting with TIE fighters and a steadfast leader who was instrumental in leading the successful Lothal rebellion, Syndulla is now a mother, veteran, and general."
As has Sabine's, which is an interesting one since while there's nothing new here, there is a clear and deliberate shift in emphasis away from her bomb making, and more towards the graffiti art. It also now specifically namechecks her beskar, credits her with inspiring the Alliance/NR logo, and adds much more specific details about her journey from Imperial Cadet to Rebel, to quasi-Jedi . . . uh Initiate? Novice? Disciple? Acolyte? Convert? Most of which one presumes will be touched upon in the show: -
"Sabine Wren is a Mandalorian warrior and graffiti artist with a creative and rebellious spirit. Independent by nature, during the age of the Empire a young Sabine defected from the Imperial Academy of Mandalore and joined a small rebel cell operating out of the Ghost and led by Hera Syndulla and the Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus. With a gift for colorful explosives and uniquely-painted beskar, Sabine’s signature starbird — a mark she left to sign her street art and other handiwork — inspired what would become the symbol for the Rebel Alliance."
Baylan's new entry seems rather insistent on the whole "not a Jedi" angle.
"Baylan Skoll is lightsaber-wielding mercenary for hire overseeing his apprentice Shin Hati. But make no mistake: although there was a time when Skoll knew the acclaimed Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, Baylan is no Jedi. Now allied to Morgan Elsbeth, the former Magistrate of Calodan, after the fall of the Jedi and the Empire, Skoll remains a shrewd fighter in search of power who believes that another war is inevitable."
(Shin's is just more of the same.)Speaking of Elsbeth; her new entry now has some interesting details that seem to confirm the show indeed takes place after the events in 'The Mandalorian' and 'Book of Boba Fett': -
"The coldhearted former Magistrate of Calodan, Morgan Elsbeth is an ally of Grand Admiral Thrawn and an enemy of the New Republic. A formidable fighter with a mysterious past, Elsbeth once hunted Ahsoka Tano on the world of Corvus before she was bested in battle and arrested for acting as an Imperial sympathizer."
This leads me to assume that Baylan & Shin's attack on the New Republic ship we see in the trailer is a prison break to rescue Morgan Elsbeth from custody.Needless to say Ahsoka's entry has been updated, which mostly makes it more curious it wasn't done sooner. So far as I can tell as recently as June, it didn't go any further than 'Twilight of the Apprentice', now it seems fully up to date.
Oh and here's the latest promo, which I really will not be watching this time, since we're clearly at the "post a new 30 second add every week until launch" phase of the campaign, and I don't want a drip-feed of new footage to spoil the first few episodes.
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I don't think she's quite there yet. I know it's a bit arbitrary considering how the Jedi Order isn't a thing in any meaningful sense, plus the whole "[She is] no Jedi!" bit; but I'm somewhat of a stickler for who should and should not be considered a Master in title, and not just as an honorific.
It's something that really bothered me back in the old EU days how wishy-washy the distinction was between how one qualifies as apprentice, Knight and Master (seriously, people just up and declared themselves Masters at a certain point.)
So I appreciated when the 'Jedi Path' book laid it out quite simply: You're a padawan once you pass the padawan trials and taken on as an apprentice. You're a Knight once you pass the trials of knighthood. And you're a Master once you train an apprentice to pass their own trials and are Knighted in turn (yes, yes, asterisks, exceptions, and edge cases abound, but that's still the main thrust of it all.) The idea that the defining trait of a Jedi Master is literally "pass on what you have learned" is something that I found very appealing, was sorely missing in previous media, makes perfect sense, and lines up perfectly with what we saw in the movies. Forget the laserswords and the robes and the floating of rocks; the things that makes a Jedi a Jedi is selflessness, discipline, and teaching.
Indeed it adds a particularly relevant (to this thread) context about exactly why Anakin was so especially put out by the whole "we do not grant you the rank of Master" thing, beyond his usual petulance. By rights, he should have attained the rank the moment the Council essentially offered Ahsoka a Knighthood, and it's only (in his mind) by the mere technicality of her refusal that he was robbed of the honour. That at that very moment, she was all but back with them, leading a planetary siege, charged with capturing a Sith Lord single handedly (hardly the job of a mere Padawan) made it especially galling. How Ahsoka feels about it remains to be seen. Indeed, it's likely going to be something she actively struggles with.
Oh and for the record: IMO Anakin didn't properly become a Master until his final act of sacrifice. Likewise for Kanan, not only for what he did in his final moments, but mostly because in doing so he conveyed to Ezra the last lesson for him to become a Jedi Knight, when he in turn selflessly sacrificed himself (albeit, non-fatally) for the greater cause. And yeah, I've counted Ahsoka as a Knight in spirit if not in rank since the moment she walked away, but not for the reasons the Council claimed. I'm curious to see if she'll come to that realisation herself. As for true Mastery . . . again, I don't think she's there yet, but I suspect that's what her relationship to Sabine will orbit around during the show.
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Mace Windu was wrong about the frame up job being Ahsoka's trial. Mace's offer to her to return to the order was Ahsoka's trial, and she passed it wonderfully. The greatest Jedi the Order ever produced.
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Exactly.
I tend to think this is why when Ahsoka went into the Lothal temple with Kanan & Ezra, Yoda tested & knighted the former, and tried to guide the latter away from violence . . . but left Ahsoka herself alone, save for a brief farewell (that vision of Vader was all her.) He knew there was nothing she needed from him, and already had everything she required.
Despite being completely unfamiliar with the series, I just made myself a list of 40 Rebels episodes to watch as Ahsoka prep and am trying to do likewise with episodes from The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett as well, but other than the two obvious ones, I'm struggling, and am therefore asking for suggestions.
If all you care about is 'Ahsoka' prep, then there really is only those two episodes that are likely to be directly relevant. I guess you can also throw in 'The Heiress' on the off-chance Bo shows up (I doubt it.)
As for Rebels . . . honestly 40 sounds a little short. Lemme guess; all of the two parters/season premiers & finalise, plus the mid-season break episodes and the entire latter half of season 4 from 'Rebel Assault' onwards?
There's very little fat on that show and almost every episode has some kind of significant character moment for at least one of the main cast. That's not even counting episodes like 'The Mystery of Chopper Base' where the framing narrative is direct set-up and foreshadowing for 'Twilight of the Apprentice', with an important character thread running though the whole thing that's very important to Hera & Kanan's story. I think I'd struggle to get an "essentials only" list in under 50. If you really want to cut it to the bone though, there's always these.
Here's the list I came up with:
Season 1
Spark of Rebellion, Part 1
Spark of Rebellion, Part 2
Rise of the Old Masters
Out of Darkness
Empire Day
Gathering Forces
Path of the Jedi
Call to Action
Rebel Resolve
Fire Across the Galaxy
Season 2
The Siege of Lothal, Part 1
The Siege of Lothal, Part 2
The Lost Commanders
Relics of the Old Republic
The Protector of Concord Dawn
Shroud of Darkness
The Forgotten Droid
The Mystery of Chopper Base
Twilight of the Apprentice, Part 1
Twilight of the Apprentice, Part 2
Season 3
Step into Shadow, Part 1
Step into Shadow, Part 2
Hera's Heroes
Imperial Supercommandos
Trials of the Darksaber
Legacy of Mandalore
Through Imperial Eyes
Secret Cargo
Zero Hour, Part 1
Zero Hour, Part 2
Season 4
Heroes of Mandalore, Part 1
Heroes of Mandalore, Part 2
The Occupation
Flight of the Defender
Rebel Assault
Jedi Night
Wolves and a Door
A World Between Worlds
Family Reunion - and Farewell, Part 1
Family Reunion - and Farewell, Part 2
As for how I came up with the list, I used a couple of online 'essentials' lists as a template and also made my own choices by reading synopses and breakdowns from both Wikipedia and Wookieepedia.
I could possibly be convinced to add in another episode to Rebels Season 4 and bring the total up to 41 episodes, but don't really have the time to watch anything more than that since I'm already watching a bunch of other stuff throughout the week and only have just over two weeks to 'cram' for the start of Ahsoka if I want to watch it when it prenieres, even without counting anything that I might also have to add from The Mandalorian/The Book of Boba Fett beyond The Jedi and From the Desert Comes a Stranger.
For a show that was supposed to cater to the under-10 crowd, Rebels was a super show across the board. I thought it was light-years better than The Clone Wars.
I'd recommend just watching the whole thing from start to finish.
I'd recommend just watching the whole thing from start to finish.
OK, let's see . . .
Yup. The only very minor issue here is that there's a thing they have in 'Fire Across the Galaxy' that they got in 'Fighter Flight' that might seem odd without context. You don't have to watch the episode, just know that if them having a certain thing seems out of place, just know that some low stakes hijinks ensued in an earlier episode, and they got the thing with some panicked larceny.
Whatever else you decide: I'd unquestionably add 'The Call' in here. Don't worry what the synopsis says, or why, just trust me. It'll make sense eventually. There are no "filler" episodes on this show.
You're also missing out on some character building episodes for Hera in 'Wings of the Master' & 'The Homecoming', and for Sabine in 'Blood Sisters'. If you have to pick only one, it'll have to be 'Homecoming'. It's pretty central to understanding Hera's backstory and next season's 'Hera's Heroes' is a direct follow-up.
'The Future of the Force' may have one of the most memorable Ahsoka moments of the whole show, and the episode does touch more on what the Inquisitors are up to when they're not hunting Order 66 survivors . . . but if you're really in a hurry it can be skipped. (If you just wanna see the cool fight, it's at around the 00:17:40 mark.)
'The Mystery of Chopper Base' can be mostly dropped. Just watch the first two mins, and skip to the end from about the 19min mark onwards to get the connective tissue for the finale.
'Through Imperial Eyes' is a tricky one since it's a Kallus episode and I doubt his story will be directly relevant to 'Ahsoka' (same with any Zeb episodes, if I'm honest.) On the other hand there's also a lot of Thrawn in it, and he definitely will be important to understand. But if you already knows he's an evil Sherlock Holmes type intellect, then you can probably take that as read and skip this one.
Now 'Holocrons of Fate', 'Visions and Voices' and 'Twin Suns' on the other hand really probably shouldn't be skipped. I don't want to spoil anything, but suffice to say these are of a piece and non-trivial entries. I don't know how relevant they'll be to 'Ahsoka', but they're pretty relevant to Star Wars as a whole.
This is tough because from 'The Occupation' onwards, this season essentially becomes a fully serialised show with only 'Crawler Commandeers' being close to disposable. Even then, you'd probably want to catch the first few mins & skip to the 21min mark to get some connective tissue for what's coming.
I don't know if anyone else has brought this one up, but as far as Clone Wars episodes go, the Jedi youngling arc is a great story for Ahsoka, but she's not the reason to watch it. This is the first appearance of Professor Huyang voiced by David Tennant, who will also be appearing in the show.
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@Reverend The idea behind my wanting an Essentials list in the first place is to get a casual understanding of the characters and a cliff-notes version of the story, and, based on the research I did, the episodes I selected make the most sense in accomplishing that. Most of them also pretty consistently appeared on the online 'Essentials' lists I found.
As an aside, I think that there's a fair bit of non-malicious over-emphasizing of the series' interconnectedness and serialization going on in online spaces like this forum, YouTube, etc., particularly when Dave Filoni himself said that newbies could get away with just watching the 15 episodes of Rebels season 4 as prep for Ahsoka (I personally want a broader understanding of the characters and basic overall narrative, though).
As an aside, I think that there's a fair bit of non-malicious over-emphasizing of the series' interconnectedness and serialization going on in online spaces like this forum, YouTube, etc., particularly when Dave Filoni himself said that newbies could get away with just watching the 15 episodes of Rebels season 4 as prep for Ahsoka (I personally want a broader understanding of the characters and basic overall narrative, though).
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