The Unparalleled Rise of Ahsoka Tano: How She Transcends Luke Skywalker as the Ultimate Star Wars Icon

Summary

Luke Skywalker's character in the new canon of Star Wars has been controversial, deviating from his original trilogy trajectory and making questionable choices.

In the Legends timeline, Luke was able to consistently develop and gain knowledge through his experiences of defeat, ultimately learning valuable lessons. His unwavering love for his friends and family remained a constant aspect of his character.

Ahsoka Tano, on the other hand, effectively assumes the role of Luke Skywalker within the canon continuity. She embodies Anakin's heritage, prioritizes her loved ones over her Jedi responsibilities, and fearlessly confronts adversaries such as Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Ahsoka Tano effectively takes on Luke Skywalker’s role in the Star Wars Legends continuity in various ways. However, viewers have had mixed opinions about the portrayal of Luke in the new canon timeline, regardless of their familiarity with his story in the Legends era. Unfortunately, the characterization of the current canon’s Luke seems to contradict his trajectory in the original trilogy, as he rebuilds the flawed Jedi Order, contemplates harming a beloved family member, and allows the galaxy to fall under a new oppressive regime due to his inaction.

On the other hand, the Legends timeline allowed Luke's character development to continue, without merely increasing his wisdom and power without purpose. This alternate version of Luke continued to grow and gain knowledge about Jedi Knighthood, with his defeats and mistakes being as instructive as his victories. Ultimately, Luke never loses one of his core traits from the original trilogy: his unwavering love for his friends and family members. He prioritizes his loved ones over his responsibilities and positions within the New Jedi Order, Rebellion, and New Republic, and the lessons he learned in the original trilogy strongly influence the philosophies of the Jedi in his generation. Although the current canon’s portrayal of Luke falls short compared to the Legends version, Ahsoka Tano is a suitable replacement for this role.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

8 Ahsoka Takes The Role Of A Wandering Knight

Ahsoka Tano takes on a comparable role to that of Luke Skywalker in the Legends era, specifically after the events of Return of the Jedi and prior to the establishment of the New Jedi Order. Following Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker officially departed from the New Republic approximately one year later. Over the next six years, he unofficially aided the New Republic whenever necessary, as well as providing assistance to those in need. Although limited information is available regarding Ahsoka Tano's activities between Star Wars Rebels and The Mandalorian, she can be seen fulfilling a similar role as a wandering knight, utilizing her powers and Jedi training to assist those who require aid.

7 Ahsoka Prefers To Redeem Her Enemies

A crucial point in Luke Skywalker's original trilogy story lies in his aspiration to redeem Darth Vader, a noble objective that he successfully accomplishes in Return of the Jedi. This sentiment becomes a defining characteristic of Luke in subsequent Legends-era narratives, as he leans towards redeeming his adversaries, be they Imperials or followers of the dark side, rather than merely defeating them. The Luke of the Legends continuity opposes the notion that the dark side will perpetually control one's destiny. Ahsoka Tano shares the same outlook, making efforts to unearth the good within Darth Vader and Darth Maul during their respective confrontations. Tano even symbolically redeems a pair of Kyber Crystals that were corrupted by the dark side.

6 Ahsoka Is Seen As Anakin's Legacy

Note: No changes were made to the provided placeholder.

Ahsoka's portrayal in The Ahsoka show emphasizes her embodiment of Anakin Skywalker's legacy more than anyone else in the canon continuity. She shares similarities with Anakin, such as her unorthodox tactics and propensity to question or bypass the rules of the Jedi during the prequel era. However, unlike her master, Ahsoka never succumbed to the dark side, nor did she pretend to, as Luke did in Legends. In the Legends continuity, Luke represents the potential Anakin could have fulfilled if he had remained a Jedi. Not only does Luke possess Anakin's renowned Force connection, but he also ushers in a fresh and balanced version of the Jedi Order.

5 Ahsoka Values Her Friends More Than Jedi Knighthood

Throughout the original Star Wars trilogy and his Legends continuity appearances, Luke Skywalker prioritizes his loved ones over his roles as a Jedi or member of the Rebellion (and later New Republic). His titles and positions are all driven by his devotion to his friends and the well-being of the galaxy's inhabitants. Ahsoka Tano, even after leaving the Jedi Order, maintains a strong desire to help others, striving to bring out the goodness in Darth Vader and ultimately contributing to the establishment of the Rebel Alliance. Like Luke in Legends, Ahsoka is motivated by selflessness and unwavering loyalty to her friends above all else.

4 Ahsoka Is The Jedi Confronting Thrawn

While Luke is not the sole opponent, whether Force-sensitive or not, of Grand Admiral Thrawn in Timothy Zahn's Legends-era Thrawn trilogy, he remains the only Jedi counteracting the Imperial warlord. In an endeavor to incorporate certain aspects of Zahn's novels, Ahsoka is introducing Thrawn as the most formidable threat to the New Republic in 9 ABY, thus establishing her own adaptation of the Thrawn Campaign within the new canon. Given that Luke Skywalker has not yet made an appearance in Ahsoka, Tano herself assumes the role of the Jedi opposing the Grand Admiral, placing her in a somewhat comparable position to Luke in Zahn's novel trilogy.

3 Ahsoka Is Critical Of The Old Jedi Order

Ahsoka Tano, tragically, found herself falsely accused of the Jedi Temple bombing in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 5. With little support from her fellow Jedi, she began to recognize the flaws within the Jedi Order. Although Ahsoka could have potentially joined Luke's new generation of Jedi, she likely chose not to due to its resemblance to the prequel-era Order. In Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker achieved ultimate victory by disregarding the ill advice from Yoda and Obi-Wan, instead relying on his deep connection with his father to bring about the redemption of Darth Vader. Luke proceeded to revise or even eliminate various guidelines of the prequel-era Jedi Order when establishing his own New Jedi Order in Legends.

2 Ahsoka Broke The Jedi Rule Of Non-Attachment (In Cut Content)

Luke famously disregarded one important rule in the Legends continuity: non-attachment. Unlike the traditional Jedi, the Knights of the New Jedi Order were not only allowed but also encouraged to form friendships and even romantic relationships. In fact, Luke himself tied the knot with Mara Jade, a fellow Jedi. Ahsoka Tano, after refusing to rejoin the Order, still followed certain aspects of the Jedi path. In her untold storyline from The Clone Wars season 7, she was intended to develop a romantic connection with a mechanic called Nyx Okami. Although this storyline ended up being scrapped, there is a possibility that Tano might embark on another romance in a future canon production.

1 Ahsoka Continues To Grow Through Defeats

The Luke Skywalker in the Legends continuity gained fame for his exceptional power and skill. However, he faced several defeats, including one shortly after Return of the Jedi, when he was beaten by the Dark Lady of the Sith, Lumiya. Luke's character growth stemmed from overcoming these defeats and learning from his mistakes. Similarly, Ahsoka, a highly skilled and powerful warrior, does not emerge victorious in every battle she faces. An example of this is her initial duel against Baylan Skoll. Like Luke in Star Wars Legends, each defeat serves as a valuable learning experience for Ahsoka Tano.