10 Things That Don't Make Sense About Ahsoka Tano
The Togruta apprentice of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano has walked a most unique and well-written path. Her character development, kindheartedness, and general aptitude in combat have made her a fan-favorite for those fans who have closely followed the animated Star Wars series. With her introduction in The Mandalorian and her newly announced spin-off show, Ahsoka's popularity among Star Wars fans has nowhere to go but up. While there are undoubtedly new frontiers and adventures to explore with Ahsoka Tano, here are ten things that could stand with some elaboration in her upcoming appearances, or just flat out don't make sense from her previous ones.
10. Montrals inMando
With nothing to do with the writing or character of Ahsoka, this "complaint" is certainly the easiest place to start. Much was made of Rosario Dawson's costume in "Chapter 13" of The Mandalorian and how Ahsoka's montrals and lekku were disproportionate to what was seen in Star Wars Rebels. On their own, they were an effective, if safe, way to make Dawson look alien. However, when taken in the context of what we've seen of Ahsoka in the animated shows, in combination with the appearance of other Togrutas, such as Shaak Ti, what the costuming department came up with in Mando simply does not make sense.
9. Cardboard Commandos
The Clone Wars movie, while the kickstarter for the widely successful and beloved TV show, has mixed reviews. There are stellar moments and a true "Star Wars" feel to the whole thing. However, the writers had yet to hit their stride and even the great Dave Filoni himself probably wouldn't mind a mulligan on certain aspects of the movie. One such plot point could very well be the key deployment of tactical cover; by which I mean a box. The mighty droid army of the Separatists is defeated and their offensive on Christophsis stalled by a well placed box. As Ahsoka herself put it, "this is a stupid plan."
8. Vision of Potential
When Skywalker, Kenobi, and Tano stumble upon the mysterious realm of Mortis, they are all plagued by visions and voices. Obi-Wan speaks with his slain master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Anakin speaks to his dead mother, Shmi, and Ahsoka is confronted by a vision of her future. This vision is certainly not one of Mortis' better ones. It warns Ahsoka of the dangers of training under Skywalker and cautions her to leave his side. However, it's not the warning that is the most disturbing part of the vision. While this manifestation is a passable Togruta, it really looks nothing like Ahsoka. With extremely long lekku and stubby montrals, it looks more like a younger Shaak Ti than an older Ahsoka. Even the build seems off with the older Ahsoka looking tall, lanky, and lean while the true Tano is much more athletically built. Overall, despite all its flaws, the rendition of Ahsoka seen in The Mandalorian is far more convincing than this Force-fueled vision.
7. Special Sabers
One of the most iconic characteristics of Ahsoka Tano is her dual sabers, originally green then rebuilt blue by Anakin Skywalker upon her mission to Mandalore. Her off-hand saber is a Shoto, or shorter, saber often held in reverse grip to parry incoming attacks. By the time she appears in Rebels, she is wielding two white blades, something that is rarely if ever seen in Star Wars. Many wondered how she was able to construct these sabers after leaving her old ones at the crash site of the Tribunal; the Republic cruiser taking Ahsoka, Rex, the 332nd Division and the captive Maul back to Coruscant. The heart of Ahsoka's sabers, the white Kyber crystals, are taken from an Imperial Inquisitor that Ahsoka destroys on Radaa. Thanks to her experience and training as a mechanic under Skywalker, Ahsoka is able to construct saber hilts out of scrap metal and house the powerful, blade emitting crystals. These Kyber crystals are damaged, however, as Dark Side users break and bend the crystal to their will, causing them to "bleed" and emit a crimson blade. Through careful mediation and the will of the Force, Ahsoka is able to heal these damaged crystals. However, as a result of their trauma, they never again emit their original blue or green color, instead emitting a rarer and unique ivory blade.
6. Obstacles of Onderon
One of the pivotal moments in Ahsoka's character arc, and that of Saw Gerrera, is the ongoing Siege of Onderon. During the Clone Wars, the rightful king of Onderon is usurped by the loathsome King Rash, who allies the system with the Separatists. Desiring a free Onderon, Saw, his sister Steela, and Lux Bonteri call upon the Jedi for help driving the droid army offworld and reinstating the rightful king. Ahsoka is assigned to train the Onderon resistance and provide weapons and supplies, but little other aid arrives. Why is the burden of saving this beleaguered planet up to only Ahsoka? Could the Republic not spare more troopers or ships? In the The Clone Wars episode, they explain that the Republic cannot intervene with a sovereign government. However, that certainly does not stop them from invading Geonosis or Umbara.
5. A Little Busy For Trilogies
When Ahsoka first debuted in 2008, many people balked at such a huge change to the lore. If Anakin had an apprentice, why had we never heard of her before? Why was she not seen in Revenge of the Sith? As the show progressed and Ahsoka won over more and more fans with her compassion and martial ability, people began speculating that she would not survive the show and that would explain her absence in Episode III as well as contribute to Anakin's fall to the dark side. As her story unfolds, we see that she is offworld, assisting the Mandalorians during Order 66, and is "lost" on Malachor prior to the original trilogy, and perhaps even stranded there for the whole duration of that trilogy. However, we have yet to learn where she is during the events of the sequal trilogy. Surely Rey could have used her tutelage on her Jedi path and Leia could have used her leadership and military strategy against the First Order. Her voice is heard in The Rise of Skywalker, suggesting a death, but Filoni has hinted that this does not necessarily mean that she is dead at this point.
4. Canon Conflict
After Disney bought Lucasfilm, The Clone Wars was scrapped and many unfinished storylines were shelved. This included the Siege of Mandalore, detailing Ahsoka's perspective of Order 66 and her confrontation with Maul. For several years, many thought these episodes would never see the light of day, and E.K. Johnston was commissioned by Lucasfilm to write an interpretation of the events. The novel contains several changes to the events that eventually unfolded onscreen, including Maul holding Rex hostage and the use of a ray shield to finally capture the renegade Sith Lord. After the eventual release of the episodes in their entirety, fans couldn't help but compare and contrast the two. Many found it hypocritical of Lucasfilm to set aside years of novels and comics as "Legends" in an effort to create a more cohesive canonical storyline, only to immediately backtrack on that and produce two differing interpretations of a storyline. These complaints were raised again with the debut of The Bad Batch and the altering of Caleb Dume's Order 66 backstory when compared with the comic it originally appeared in.
3. Absent Again?
While Star Wars Rebels was not meant to focus on Ahsoka, her growth as a Force-user and humiliation of the Inquisitors began to shift focus away from the primary characters. That is, until "Twilight of the Apprentice," where the long-awaited confrontation between Ahsoka and Darth Vader occurred in a Sith temple on Malachor. Seemingly killed in the duel, Ahsoka is instead pulled into a dimension of the Force that is a physical manifestation of time and space by Ezra Bridger. To her, it is immediate, but for Ezra, it has been two to three since the battle on Malachor. Realizing the rules of time travel and that they must not alter the future by meddling in the past, Ezra and Ahsoka return to their respective time periods, with Ahsoka safe from the retreating Vader. Ahsoka is not seen in the show again until the finale, which takes place after the Battle of Endor and the fall of the Empire. If we account for Filoni's hint that the epilogue takes place after her live-action debut, this is a span of about a dozen years with no sign of the Togruta.
2. Giving Up Grogu
Short of watching a lone X-Wing arrive to the rescue, the most highly anticipated moment of The Mandalorian Season 2 was the live-action debut of Ahsoka Tano. Many thought this was the Jedi that would train Grogu, as she is strong, wise, and would keep him safe from the rampaging Kylo Ren. However, she sent Mando and his foundling on yet another side quest to the planet Tython to determine the destiny of the little Yoda-ling. Ahsoka cites Grogu's attachment to Din Djarin as the reason for her refusal, saying that their bond makes the young Jedi vulnerable to his fears and thus the dark side. This shows that even Ahsoka, who turned her back on the Order after realizing how corrupt it was, is not immune to the dogma that has been instilled in the Jedi younglings from Day 1 at the Temple. Perhaps she sent him on his way foreseeing that his place was with another Skywalker. I find it hard to believe that her true motivating factor was the fear of Grogu losing himself to his anxieties, considering her history of confronting fear and standing up for those who aren't given a chance. Hopefully we will get some elaboration on her decision the next time she crosses paths with Mando.
1. Current Canonical Status
While the most recent physical appearance of Ahsoka takes place in The Mandalorian, her voice can also be heard speaking to Rey during her final battle with Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker. Considering all the other Jedi who speak to her are coming from the great beyond, many speculated that this means Ahsoka is dead by the time of the Battle of Exegol. However, Dave Filoni has said that is not necessarily the case, confirming that she would have the ability to speak to Rey even if she were alive. However, this once again begs the question of where Ahsoka is, if not participating in one of the most climactic battles in the history of the galaxy. In all likelihood, we will learn the fate of Ahsoka Tano in the upcoming Disney+ shows following her and her friends in the years after the fall of the Empire.