The Unstoppable Ahsoka: A Star Wars Legend

Ahsoka's Journey: From Padawan to Rebel

Ahsoka Tano has become one of the best characters in Star Wars for several reasons. Since her debut in 2008, Ahsoka has become a character beloved by fans. From Star Wars: The Clone Wars (movie and TV show), to Star Wars Rebels, to The Mandalorian, and Ahsoka, Ahsoka continues to be a stand-out character in the Star Wars universe. Ahsoka's timeline stretches from the Clone Wars to the New Republic Era. At 14 years old, Ahsoka was paired with Anakin Skywalker by Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who hoped the responsibility of being a master would help her grow. She ultimately left the Jedi Order in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 5, only to become one of the few Jedi to survive Order 66. Ahsoka's story continues today in live-action, where she's now played by Rosario Dawson.

Ahsoka looking at her lightsaber in The Clone Wars season 7 next to Ahsoka looking at Anakin in The Clone Wars season 3

Ahsoka goes from being a bratty teenager to a mature woman. When Ahsoka was first introduced in the 2008 Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie, she was a controversial figure. Ahsoka was initially disliked, viewed as overly confident, rude, and arrogant. During her very first battle, Ahsoka told Captain Rex she outranked him and insisted on having her own way. In her desperate attempt to prove her capability, she disregarded and put down others. In essence, she behaved like the immature 14-year-old girl that she was. But Ahsoka grew throughout the Clone Wars, learning to recognize her own flaws. She lost her entire squadron the first time she was given command, learning the hard way what it means to be a leader. She learned the difference between confidence and arrogance, learning the value of patience when she worked with Master Tera Sinube to find her stolen lightsaber, and understanding the enemy when she gained an unlikely ally in the Separatist senator Mina Bonteri. Ahsoka conquered Anakin's greatest weakness when she left the Jedi, proving she was not thrall to attachment. Essentially, she goes from being an immature child to a capable and caring woman.

Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars The Clone Wars season 1, episode 19 Storm Over Ryloth

Ahsoka's compassion can be seen throughout Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and Ahsoka. However, one of the most recent and poignant examples is when she fights the Dark Jedi Padawan Shin Hati. Even though Shin is actively trying to kill her, Ahsoka still recognizes the pain the woman is feeling. She sees that Shin is deeply hurting, and takes compassion on her. She offers to help her even though Shin has done nothing to earn Ahsoka's grace. It's simply because Ahsoka is kind and caring that she offers to help Shin.

Ahsoka Tano, Sabine Wren, and Shin Hati.

Ahsoka's inner conflict is best displayed in Ahsoka. She struggles with her role in the Clone Wars and how she abandoned Sabine out of fear. She grapples with her failures. She has a difficult time coming to terms with who she believed she should - and would - be as a Jedi when growing up as a youngling and the soldier she was forced to become. Ahsoka's inner conflicts are heavy, and the show does an excellent job of conveying that.

Star Wars Young Ahsoka

The Complex Character of Ahsoka

Ahsoka Is Willing To Have Fun. Ahsoka doesn't let the bad things that happen to her take away her joy and ability to have a good time. Unlike some other Jedi, such as Master Mace Windu, Ahsoka is willing to have a good time and joke around with people. She is constantly coming up with nicknames for people and making little quips to uplift the spirits of her men. She doesn't allow grave circumstances to take away her humor. She is serious when she needs to be, but she is always willing to lighten the mood when possible.

Star Wars Ahsoka Vesper

Ahsoka Is Most Certainly Not A Mary Sue. Ahsoka makes mistakes that have consequences. A 'Mary Sue' is an unrealistic female character, one who has no real flaws - or, at least, no real flaws that are acknowledged by people in the story. A Mary Sue is the generic 'strong female character' in movies whose entire personality is found in their being strong. Ahsoka is not a Mary Sue. While she is a strong and capable warrior, she has flaws and failures. She is captured by the bad guys and sometimes needs the help of others to escape. She is capable but still recognizes the value of relying on and working with others. She doesn't sit around waiting to be saved, but she doesn't reject help. Ahsoka's flaws are acknowledged by other characters within the story. For example, when Ahsoka defies orders to retreat, Anakin and Obi-Wan express disappointment in her. When she recognizes her mistake and apologizes to the Council, while they forgive her, she still experiences consequences. She doesn't just get let off the hook whenever she makes a mistake. She is held accountable.

Anakin, Ahsoka, and Plo Koon prepare to board Y-wings in The Clone Wars

Ahsoka Fails... & Gets Straight Back Up Again. Ahsoka is able to stay positive against all odds. There are many times throughout The Clone Wars and Ahsoka where Ahsoka fails. For example, in Ahsoka, Grand Admiral Thrawn successfully delays her long enough to ensure she and Sabine are stranded on Peridea. Rather than moping around and allowing herself to become despondent, however, she accepts her circumstances and is determined to make the best of them. She doesn't just give up when things get hard.

Ahsoka Pathway to Peridea

Ahsoka's Unwavering Conviction

Ahsoka Will Never Stop Fighting. Ahsoka sticks to what she believes is right. In Ahsoka episode 5, Anakin Skywalker's former Padawan enters the World Between Worlds. There, she is forced to fight what seems to be Anakin Skywalker's Force Ghost, who accuses her of lacking conviction when she questions if a soldier is all she'll ever be. He says that she must fight or die. After a brief sparring, she throws her lightsaber into the abyss and says, 'I choose to live.' This moment is significant because it is Ahsoka committing to living by her convictions. She refuses to give in to what others tell her she must be, instead choosing to do what she thinks is right. She chooses to live - to keep fighting - but on her terms. She never gives up.

Ahsoka and Anakin's battle from Ahsoka episode 5 next to Ahsoka in the World Between Worlds

All This Means Ahsoka Feels Like A Real Person. Ahsoka's story and personality are relatable. All of these elements together make Ahsoka feel like a real person. Despite being an alien, Ahsoka and her story feel distinctly human. While the plot is fantastical, her struggles with finding out who she is, her failures, her complex emotions, her humor, and her character growth make her relatable. This is why she is one of the best characters to ever grace the Star Wars universe.

Ahsoka Tano and Star Wars Rebels mural with Sabine Wren