The Unforgettable Legacy of Ahsoka Tano: How Star Wars Defied George Lucas's Fate for Her

George Lucas initially intended for Ahsoka Tano to meet her demise in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. However, the franchise has proven Lucas wrong, as Ahsoka has continued to be a significant character. Lucas created Ahsoka as Anakin Skywalker's apprentice, but the character's ultimate fate sparked ongoing discussions between Lucas and supervising director Dave Filoni. Despite the uncertainty, Ahsoka has appeared in various projects following The Clone Wars, including the upcoming Ahsoka live-action series, proving that she survived. In a 2013 interview with IGN, Filoni revealed that Lucas consistently insisted on Ahsoka's demise.

I had numerous discussions with George about this matter over the years. From time to time, I would express my deep contemplation about Ahsoka's fate. In the early days, he would suggest that she should meet her demise. However, I would counter by saying, "Perhaps not."

Ultimately, Filoni emerged victorious as he successfully persuaded Lucas that having Ahsoka leave the Jedi Order held more power than killing her off. Although Lucas would occasionally tease Filoni about Ahsoka's destiny, the two collaborators eventually came to a decision that has since proven to be a crucial turning point for the franchise.

Lucas' Instincts About Ahsoka Were Correct

While it was not the right decision to kill off Ahsoka, Lucas was correct in his belief that something significant needed to happen to remove her from the story. Filoni shared the same sentiment and fought for Ahsoka to survive in order to explore new possibilities with a Force-user character. The main point of debate was how Ahsoka's fate would impact Anakin Skywalker's narrative. Her role was initially introduced to showcase how Anakin would grow and mature with the burden of responsibility, but the events of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith required that things take a darker turn.

Regardless of whether she lived or died, Ahsoka could not be present in Revenge of the Sith, and whatever did occur had to push Anakin further towards the dark side. Lucas, much like Yoda, aimed to convey the message that Anakin needed to work on overcoming his attachments and would continue to struggle with letting go. Filoni's persistence ultimately saved Ahsoka from death in The Clone Wars, resulting in a heartbreaking conflict with Darth Vader in their future, which added a poignant twist to their once powerful friendship.

Source: IGN