Don’t Go Into Ahsoka Expecting Andor

Ahsoka is a love letter to Star Wars animation.

Everything, from the way the series frames its fight scenes, to the colour palette used in the costume and set design is a homage to the animated era of a galaxy far, far away. Coming from director, writer and producer Dave Filoni, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Ahsoka is truly the sequel series that The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels fans have been hoping for. The surprise is how well it translates into live-action.

The series takes place around a decade after the finale of Rebels and shortly after the events of The Mandalorian Season 2 and The Book of Boba Fett. The New Republic is still establishing itself after the fall of the Galactic Empire, and rebel Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano is out to ensure that it doesn’t rise again.

As was teased in The Mandalorian, there are whispers of villainous warlord Grand Admiral Thrawn’s reemergence, which could be devastating for the fragile peace the New Republic has worked to establish. But with whispers of Thrawn’s reappearance also comes the hope that long-lost Jedi hero, Ezra Bridger, may be alive. It’s a quest that’s long weighed on the shoulders of Sabine Wren, the rebellious Mandalorian hero, and it’s this carrot that Ahsoka uses to bring their master and apprentice duo back together again.

A lot of this information will come naturally to Star Wars Rebels viewers; inherently, this show is designed to reward that audience. But if you’ve never laid eyes on a Star Wars animated series, Ahsoka sets things up plainly enough for anyone to pick up.

In a similar vein to its animated predecessors, Ahsoka can be light on plot. Breadcrumbs are laid slowly, and things are signposted without much depth, more often than not relying on the use of classic Star Wars MacGuffins to carry the story. That being said, the plot does begin to thicken by the second episode and holds promise for the episodes going forward. There are also plenty of fight scenes, whether with lightsabers or in starships, that keep things interesting enough.

The same goes for the dialogue, which is overly simplistic, but this can be somewhat forgiven thanks to the powerful performances.

There are some faultless casting choices across the board. Rosario Dawson embodies the wisened and world-wearied spirit of Ahsoka, a Jedi who is weighed down by the struggles of being the master rather than the apprentice. Mary Elizabeth Winstead perfectly portrays Hera’s warm and steady leadership, while Natasha Liu Bordizzo brings effortless charm as Sabine, the quick-witted punk rock aforementioned apprentice. They all feel like the right choices to bring these fan-favourite characters to life.

It’s the dynamic between Ahsoka and Sabine that makes for the heart of the show. The relationship between the failed master and padawan is a thread ready to be pulled. It also makes for a nice duality that Star Wars is so fond of, as it parallels a similar relationship between the new Sith villains, master Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) and his apprentice Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno), who work as a much more effective unit. It’s obvious that Ahsoka and Sabine will need to do the same to stand a chance of victory, but whether they’ll get there is the question.

Judging by the first two episodes alone, Ahsoka is clearly a Star Wars Rebels tribute, through and through. The visuals are clean and colourful; the score is sweeping and epic; scenes are filmed and framed with bold intention, and there are some comedic quirks that feel right at home in a youth-oriented series. It’s a feat in itself that this aesthetic can be replicated in live-action, which is largely thanks to the series’ high production value and crisp visual effects.

It’s fair to say that Ahsoka aims for broad appeal. Star Wars has, for the most part, always been aimed at a younger demographic. It’s only recent releases like Andor that proved Star Wars could be more mature. Don’t go in expecting more of that here.

Ahsoka takes things back to those youthful roots with a classic heroes-and-villains adventure story that builds on an interesting mythology full of beloved characters.

The fact that Ahsoka feels like a direct translation of the animated series isn’t a bad thing. Star Wars Rebels and The Clone Wars are legitimately very good TV shows, but they won’t be everyone’s cup of blue milk.

Fans of the animated series are going to get more out of Ahsoka than the average viewer, but that doesn’t mean newcomers won’t be entertained in what is still a very enjoyable Star Wars adventure.

Ahsoka Review: The verdict

Pros: Plenty to love for fans of the animated Star Wars series, high production value, great casting and performances, and exciting action scenes.

Cons: Plot is light, dialogue is simple, pacing is slow.

Watch if you liked: Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Mandalorian.

Ahsoka episodes 1 & 2 will be available to stream on Disney+ on August 23.