The Star Wars universe continues to expand in Ahsoka, an eight-episode series on Disney+. Set following the end of the Original Trilogy, the show assembles a cast of heroes and villains from across the Star Wars universe, marking the live-action debuts of many characters who have previously appeared only in animated form.
Although this premise has pleased many viewers, others have complained that Ahsoka relies on knowledge not held by more casual fans. For those who can't distinguish their Togruta from their Thrawns, many questions are bound to arise. Just what is the Ghost, and who are its crew? Who is Thrawn, and what threat does he pose? And where does hero Ahsoka Tano fit in the wider Star Wars canon?
8 What Other Shows Does Ahsoka Link To?
Even before the recent boom in televised Star Wars, the franchise was not afraid to dabble in the TV medium. Some shows, like Droids (1985–1986), are practically forgotten, while others, like The Clone Wars (2008–2020) have grown from throwaway spin-offs into integral parts of the Star Wars tapestry.
The character of Ahsoka Tano first appeared in 2008's animated movie The Clone Wars, and starred in the series that followed. However, Ahsoka would not appear in a live-action project (a voice cameo in The Rise of Skywalker notwithstanding) until a 2020 episode of The Mandalorian. Other key players in Ahsoka, such as Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren, first appeared in Star Wars: Rebels, an animated series that ran from 2014 to 2018.
7 Who Is Ahsoka Tano?
The Togruta Jedi and star of Ahsoka was not always a beloved character. She was introduced in Star Wars canon as Anakin Skywalker's Padawan, and initial fan reaction was mixed. However, despite a rocky start, Ahsoka would demonstrate intriguing development throughout The Clone Wars series — including a shocking departure from the Jedi Order.
Following the devastation of Order 66, Ahsoka went into hiding, although Star Wars: Rebels depicts the character assisting with the Rebellion. Her dealings with the heroes of Rebels form the background of the Ahsoka series, including her tortured relationship with her former apprentice, Sabine Wren.
6 Sabine Wren's Role In Star Wars
Sabine Wren hailed from Mandalore, the same planet as Jango Fett. Like Fett, the headstrong Sabine was an accomplished warrior, although her impact on the galaxy was as much due to her inspirational art as it was to her combat skills. However, it was Sabine's acquisition of the Darksaber, a powerful Mandalorian artifact, that allowed her to break the Empire's hold over her home planet.
Sabine continued to serve in the Rebellion following the liberation of Mandalore, and was associated with Hera Syndulla and the crew of the Ghost. She was particularly close to Ezra Bridger, a Jedi trained in secret during the Galactic Civil War. Nor was Sabine ignorant of the Jedi ways. For a time, she was tutored by Ahsoka Tano, but the two women grew apart.
5 Who Is Ezra Bridger?
Ahsoka's first episode is full of mentions of Ezra Bridger, and the character even makes an appearance in holographic form. While it is apparent that the missing Ezra was important to both Sabine and Ahsoka, fans who haven't experienced Rebels may be left scratching their heads at the many Ezra references.
The Star Wars: Rebels hero was trained to use the Force by Kanan Jarrus, a Jedi Knight who survived Order 66. Together, the pair worked with the crew of the Ghost to overthrow the Empire. During this struggle, Ezra encountered both Obi Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul, and also fought Grand Admiral Thrawn. His final encounter with Thrawn apparently resulted in both of their deaths; however, the discovery of a map by the Jedi Ahsoka and Huyang, her droid, suggested these deaths were far from certain.
4 Huyang's Background
Although Huyang's voice actor (David Tennant) is known by many sci-fi fans for his role in Doctor Who, the droid he plays is more obscure. Constructed many thousands of years before the events of Ahsoka, Huyang worked with young Jedi before the fall of the Galactic Republic. He specialized in lightsaber production — a skill that allowed him to identify Baylen Skoll's weapon in Ahsoka's first episode.
Following the purge of the Jedi Order, Huyang joined up with Ahsoka Tano and participated in her brief training of Sabine Wren. Despite being a lesser known Star Wars character, the droid was an important part of the canon, having assisted Yoda and many others in creating suitable lightsabers.
3 Hera Syndulla & The Ghost Crew
General Hera Syndulla was a Twi'lek pilot who played a key role in the victory of the Rebel Alliance. She was best known for her work with the Spectre Cell, a group of rebels who traveled aboard her VCX-100 freighter, the Ghost. Syndulla's exploits earned the attention of Bail Organa, an important figure in the Alliance to Restore the Republic, and the two joined forces against the Empire.
The Ghost makes a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Syndulla also took part in several important battles during the Galactic Civil War. Following its conclusion, the Twi'lek continued to ensure the Republic's survival with the help of her astromech droid, Chopper — particularly in the face of the numerous Imperial Remnants.
2 What Are The Imperial Remnants?
Following the apparent death of Emperor Palpatine at the Battle of Endor, the Galactic Empire entered a death spiral. The loss of its leader and his henchman, the fearsome Darth Vader, not to mention the destruction of the second Death Star, stretched the state to breaking point, and it fractured into many smaller holdouts. One of these, led by Moff Gideon, featured heavily in The Mandalorian. These holdouts were known as the Imperial Remnants.
The emergence of the New Republic seemingly ended the threat posed by the Imperial Remnants. However, even the New Republic was forced to admit that, given a suitable leader, the fragments of the Empire could still prove a formidable opponent. As such, it was keen to locate and eliminate high-ranking Imperial officers.
1 The Threat Of Grand Admiral Thrawn
Grand Admiral Thrawn's road to live-action has been full of twists and turns. The character initially appeared in several Star Wars spin-off novels set after Return of the Jedi. Disney's purchase of the franchise replaced this continuity with their own, but Thrawn could not be vanquished, as the character became the principal antagonist in the animated Star Wars: Rebels.
Thrawn, a member of the Chiss Ascendency, was a talented tactician and loyal officer within the Empire. He believed that working with Palpatine would benefit his own people, and, as such, sought to repress the Rebellion. Thrawn was a deadly foe: his project to design a new starfighter, the TIE Defender, represented a significant threat to the Rebel Alliance. Although apparently killed at Lothal, rumors of Thrawn's survival continued to swirl — with potentially devastating consequences for the New Republic.