Natasha Liu Bordizzo Discusses What Training Was Like For 'Ahsoka'

Star Wars

May 20

Actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo, set to play the live-action version of “artistic” Mandalorian Rebel, Sabine Wren, recently opened up about her experiences training and preparing for her role on the upcoming live-action Ashoka series, set to premiere sometime this August on D+. In an extended trailer for the upcoming series shown exclusively at this past Star Wars Celebration in London, Bordizzo, as Sabrine, is seen igniting a green lightsaber.

Some fans have suggested this may belong to the missing Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger, who Sabine previously served with as part of the crew of The Ghost in the animated series, Star Wars Rebels. However, when asked, Bordizzo did not confirm this. In the scene in question, Sabine is seen wielding the lightsaber and clashing with a new lightsaber-wielding character, Shin Hati, portrayed by Ivanna Sakhno.

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The original crew of the Ghost from *Star Wars Rebels*
Image Source: HDQWALLS

As Bordizzo commented, “What can I tease? It’s just part of her journey. Not just the ‘saber itself, but what comes with that, and what that means, and what mindset it takes to wield that weapon.” Bordizzo discussed her lightsaber training in greater detail, describing how Sabine’s Mandalorian heritage influenced the kind of stunt training she received from key stunt coordinator, Ming Qui, while preparing for her character’s return.

“I’m just really glad that’s out there. It’s been really hard talking about my fight training without talking about the fact that it’s saber training, which is literally all I’ve been doing for so long. The Mandalorian [physicality] is very Western, and then the ‘saber style is very samurai-influenced. Trying to embody those two things – sometimes one right after the other – in the choreography was super interesting because they’re such different modes of being. I really had fun with the journey of trying to master both.”

It remains to be seen why Sabine, who, as far as we know, is not a Force user, will be using a lightsaber in the series. Of course, usage of a lightsaber is not necessarily restricted to Force users, and the Mandalorians used to have a lightsaber-esque weapon, The Darksaber, although lightsabers have always seemed tailored to the use by a Force user and nearly every character who has owned and/or used one throughout the franchise has been Force-sensitive to some degree, the only possible exception being Han Solo (clumsily) wielding Luke’s lightsaber to cut open his dead Tauntaun to keep Luke warm on Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. Whatever the explanation for Sabine having and using one may wind up being, it will nonetheless be exciting to see Sabine reunite with Ashoka and the rest of the surviving Ghost crew and find out what has happened with everybody else since the conclusion of Star Wars Rebels, as well as what adventures lie ahead for them.

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