15 Ways ‘Ahsoka’ Pays Tribute to the ‘Star Wars’ Animated Series

Ahsoka has been effectively shaking up the Star Wars universe since its premiere. The series is Ahsoka Tano’s first solo outing and sees the former Jedi on a mission to foil the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn.

While Ahsoka is set in the same timeline as The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, the show bears far more ties to the Star Wars animated universe than its live-action one.

Ahsoka is essentially a continuation of Star Wars Rebels but also bears many nods and ties to other animated series, including Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and Star Wars Resistance. These ties to the animated series go beyond mere Easter eggs.

Instead, Ahsoka seeks to continue the stories of countless animated characters and demonstrate how their actions and stories matter in the grand scheme of things. In this way, it honors the animated shows, highlighting their importance in the Star Wars timeline.

Here are, in no particular order, the 15 ways Ahsoka pays tribute to the Star Wars animated series:

1. Depicting the Clone Wars in Live-Action

One of the best ways Ahsoka pays tribute is by bringing the Clone Wars to live-action. Star Wars: The Clone Wars devoted seven seasons to depicting the realities of the Clone Wars, and it was beautiful to see Ahsoka contribute to its goal by bringing a new realism to the conflict. 

The two monumental battles from the Clone Wars adapted into live-action were the Battle of Ryloth and the Seige of Mandalore.

While we have seen these battles before in animation, it was far more jarring in live-action. Bringing a darker portion of the Clone Wars to live-action reiterated the importance of Star Wars: The Clone Wars‘ stories and the many sacrifices of those serving in the Grand Army of the Republic.

2. Bringing Young Ahsoka to Live-Action

The series also introduces us to a live-action version of Young Ahsoka, portrayed by Ariana Greenblatt.

Young Ahsoka’s presence reiterated a problematic truth: Ahsoka was indeed a child soldier in the Clone Wars, forced to command armies and be responsible for lives other than hers instead of training as a padawan.

A big part of Star Wars: The Clone Wars‘ story examined Ahsoka’s gradual disillusionment with the Jedi Order.

Hence, Ahsoka delving further into what Ahsoka experienced as a child forced to be a soldier and how it still impacts her feelings towards the Jedi in the present drives home the perspective that Star Wars: The Clone Wars first introduced.

3. Anakin’s and Ahsoka’s Reunion

One of the significant purposes of the Star Wars animated series was to explore Anakin Skywalker’s friendship with Ahsoka before he turned to the dark side.

The pair boasted a siblings-like bond, with Anakin training Ahsoka and giving her the nickname “Snips.” Unfortunately, the animated shows were able to offer little closure when it came to their friendship ending.

This is because Star Wars: The Clone Wars ends right when Anakin turns, and Star Wars Rebels sees him only facing Ahsoka as the masked Darth Vader.

However, neither series was the right time to explore what happened between them and where Ahsoka’s feelings about him lie. 

Fortunately, by seeing Anakin and Ahsoka finally reunited and allowing Ahsoka to acknowledge taking a different path from her former master, Ahsoka brings the friends’ story full circle, neatly tying up what the animated series started. 

4. Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Return

One of Star Wars Rebels‘ most significant legacies was bringing Grand Admiral Thrawn into the official Star Wars canon. Before the series, he was a popular Legends character featured in Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire trilogy.

He was such an iconic villain that he was welcomed into Star Wars Rebels’ film/TV universe. Unfortunately, he disappeared at the end of the series.

Hence, we have anticipated his return for five years, and Ahsoka finally made it happen.

Not only that, but Ahsoka takes place after the fall of the Empire, meaning that Thrawn finally has an opportunity to fulfill his story arc from the books, in which he tries to re-establish the Empire.

Star Wars Rebels made history by bringing Thrawn into the canon, and Ahsoka is now acknowledging that monumental moment by allowing Thrawn’s story to continue.

5. Ezra Bridger’s Return

In addition to Thrawn, one of the most important characters introduced in Star Wars Rebels was Ezra Bridger.

Ezra was a young Force-sensitive boy, secretly trained to be a Jedi after the fall of the Jedi Order, who eventually liberated his home planet from the Empire.

While Ezra also disappeared at the end of the series, it only seemed fitting that he should return and receive proper honor for how much of a hero he was.

Fortunately, Ahsoka has brought Ezra back, allowing not just his story to continue but the stories of all those who needed closure after his disappearance.

6. Bringing Jacen Syndulla to Live-Action

Before it concluded, Star Wars Rebels introduced an essential character — Jacen Syndulla. Jacen is the son of Hera Syndulla and the late Kanan Jarrus.

Because he is the son of a Jedi and was named after a significant Legends character, there is so much potential for Jacen to become a major part of the Star Wars universe’s future.

Ahsoka acknowledges Jacen’s importance and heritage by bringing him to live-action, already exploring his Jedi abilities and promising to build off the strong foundation Star Wars Rebels laid for him.

7. Sabine Being Ahsoka’s Padawan

Ahsoka brings Star Wars Rebels character Sabine Wren to live-action but does something unique with her story.

It reveals that sometime after Star Wars Rebels concluded, Ahsoka began training Sabine as her padawan off-screen but sadly ended up abandoning her.

Thankfully, Ahsoka sees Sabine taken under Ahsoka’s wing once more to train as a Jedi.

While the story arc was unexpected since Sabine does not appear to be Force-sensitive, it adds more depth to the friendship between Sabine and Ahsoka that started in Star Wars Rebels.

Meanwhile, in Star Wars Rebels, Sabine was always unsure if she wanted to rebel or be a Mandalorian. Hence, allowing her to decide to be anything she wants, including a Jedi, is a satisfying way for Ahsoka to conclude that identity struggle.

8. Huyang’s Major Role

Huyan played a small but impactful role in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. We were instantly taken by the droid’s wisdom and age, as he’s currently the oldest known character in the Star Wars universe.

Additionally, Huyang’s voice actor, David Tennant, did such a masterful job that he was awarded an Emmy for his performance. Hence, seeing Huyang given one of the leading roles in Ahsoka was very exciting, with Tennant reprising his role for the series.

Huyang’s and Tennant’s return recognizes the voice actors of the Star Wars animated series and the characters who truly earned the right to return in live-action.

Teasing that Huyang is the writer of the Star Wars films’ intros was also the cherry on top for Ahsoka‘s excellent adaptation of him.

9. The Return of Captain Rex

Captain Rex was a central character in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: The Bad Batch. He was vital in painting the humanity of clones and how they forged their own identities throughout the Clone Wars.

So, of all the characters that Ahsoka has to choose from, it was heartwarming to see Captain Rex chosen for a cameo in Ahsoka’s flashback.

It emphasized the importance of Captain Rex’s deep friendship with Ahsoka and what it meant to her during the horrors of war.

As a result, Ahsoka continues emphasizing the messages that Star Wars: The Clone Wars first broached regarding the humanity of clones and how, perhaps, they could’ve been treated better by the Republic, given that they were just as heroic as many of the Jedi fighting.

10. Depicting the New Republic’s Flaws

Ahsoka depicts the Senate of the New Republic in a non-perfect light. In the series, the Senate refuses to believe that Thrawn is returning.

They are so desperate to avoid a war that they are afraid to take action, endangering everything so many people sacrificed to create.

This eerily parallels the situation in Star Wars Resistance, which covers the rise of the First Order and how the Senate’s failure to act was a significant part of why the Empire’s successor succeeded.

Ahsoka contains a clear nod to this lesser-known animated series, even adapting Hamato Xiono to live-action to emphasize that the New Republic’s inaction had severe connotations for the Star Wars universe.

11. Delving into the Mystical Side of Star Wars

Ahsoka devotes an entire episode to Ahsoka’s experience in the World Between Worlds, first introduced in Star Wars Rebels.

Both Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars delve much deeper into Star Wars lore than any other canon series, exploring the World Between Worlds, Mortis, and the Mortis gods.

These series established how there is so much more to the Star Wars universe than meets the eye and seemingly infinite layers to the Force.

Like the animated series, Ahsoka isn’t afraid to get mystical and continue exploring the idea that there are further complex concepts waiting to be explored.

12. Increased Emphasis on the Purrgil

Star Wars Rebels first introduced the purrgil, a species of space whale that can travel through hyperspace.

These creatures were instantly mysterious and alluring, given how much potential their travel abilities held and how creative and beautiful their designs were.

Fortunately, Ahsoka recognizes the value of the many unique species meticulously designed for the animated series and brings the purrgil to live-action in the most detailed way yet.

The series also beautifully expands their story by showing that they’re more than a trick to eliminate Thrawn.

They’re creatures capable of communicating with Jedi and can even travel beyond the galaxy, opening the potential for Star Wars to traverse multiple galaxies instead of just focusing on one.

13. Providing a Critical Examination of the Jedi Order

One of the things that the animated series, especially Star Wars: The Clone Wars, weren’t afraid to do was take a more critical look at the Jedi Order.

The series highlighted that things aren’t black-and-white. It’s more complicated than that the Jedi are good, and the Sith are evil.

The Jedi have flaws, too, as seen in how they treated padawans and clones during the Clone Wars and how they refused to believe Ahsoka when she was framed for a crime she didn’t commit.

Ahsoka acknowledges this unique perspective from the animated series, as it shows many of the Order’s flaws through its flashbacks.

Ahsoka and Baylan Skoll parted ways with the Jedi Order for various reasons and weren’t afraid to discuss what they perceived as the shortcomings of the Order.

The Star Wars animated series provided a more nuanced depiction of the Jedi Order.

Meanwhile, Ahsoka encourages viewers to continue acknowledging the many layers of Jedi and what it really means to be one in the Star Wars universe.

14. Going Beyond the Galaxy

One thing that the animated shows always highlighted was that there are endless ways to expand the Star Wars universe.

Whether it’s delving into Star Wars lore, introducing new layers of the Force, or finding more Jedi who survived Order 66, the animated shows celebrate the fact that there are no limits in the Star Wars universe.

Ahsoka fully embraces that idea by taking viewers outside the Star Wars galaxy for the first time in Star Wars history.

The animated series laid the groundwork for so much innovative expansion, and it’s beautiful to see Ahsoka continuing that growth pattern and legacy of pushing the limits.

15. Ghost Crew Reunion

One of the most significant ways Ahsoka pays tribute to Star Wars Rebels is by almost entirely reuniting the Ghost Crew.

The only missing living member is Garazeb Orrelios, but otherwise, the whole crew has returned for the series.

It’s special that Ahsoka welcomed them back and, in doing so, acknowledged their importance in the Star Wars universe.

Sometimes, it seems like it would be easier for the franchise to create characters for the sake of a single story and then disband them. However, Ahsoka confirms that the Ghost Crew wasn’t just useful for one story.

They were very complex characters who completed an incredible feat during the rebellion. It’s only fitting that they return and ensure their work isn’t lost during the New Republic.

Ahsoka brings their story full circle, showing that they weren’t forgotten, nor were their contributions for naught. They still have a significant role to play in the Star Wars universe, and the series is making that happen.

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Ahsoka airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on Disney+.

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