Why Ahsoka, the new Star Wars series, matters

In the great mythology of a galaxy far, far away, Ahsoka Tano was created late in life by Georges Lucas, to compensate for the lack of important female characters in his original saga and to offer a new role model to teenage girls.. Because if the intergalactic saga has been telling us since the 70s the great universal battle of Good against Evil, we see that in the first six films Star Warsthe Jedi or the Sith (Master Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu, Darth Sidious, Darth Maul…) have a systematically male face. Memorable female characters boil down to Princess Leia and Queen Amidala. Suffice it to say that a creative path opened up for screenwriters who would have had the crazy idea of ​​inventing new female characters… and why not Jedi?

A key character in the Star Wars universe

First appeared in 2008 in the animated film and then in the series Star Wars Battle of the Clones Ahsoka Tano has quickly become one of the most important female characters in the franchise. She was created before Rey Skywalker, the Jedi apprentice from the latest film trilogy Star Wars (released between 2015 and 2019) which has finally done its utmost to create new female figures. But Ahsoka has an older history directly linked to various important events in Star Wars. And then he appears in the series in a position of power and passing on knowledge of him, in a welcome twist to the famous “wise old man” trope.

A Force-sensitive orphan, Ahsoka Tano is a non-human (of the Togruta species) who joined the Jedi order at the age of three. She becomes Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice, before he turns to the dark side of the Force. Star Wars fans have seen Ahsoka grow over the course of the animated series (The Clone Wars, the Rebels and the Forces of Destiny) before taking on the features of Rosario Dawson, who plays her older since 2020 in the live-action series The Mandolarian AND The Boba Fett book. In the increasingly complex timeline of the Star Wars universe, the series Ahsokacurrently broadcast on Disney+, it is therefore set after the events of the film Return of the Jedi (6th episode), when the Empire was defeated. A lone Jedi, Ahsoka Tano investigates a new threat to the Republic and reconnects with her former apprentice, Mandalorian Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo).

Timid beginnings

Beyond its obvious appeal to fans of the Star Wars mythology, Ahsoka turns out to be a unique series in terms of perspective. For once, the male protagonists are relegated to the status of secondary characters. They can be robots – like Huyang, played by David Tennant – or antagonists, like Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson). But the heart of the series lies in its female trio of Ahsoka, Sabine and the doting general Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Inside for the first time Star Warswe are also witnesses a 100% female dynamic between Jedi and apprentice. To this we must add another devious apprentice of the dark side of the Force, Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno). Suffice it to say that the proposed universe contained its share of promise. Aesthetically stunning, the series unfortunately lacks bite in its first episodes. The fault lies in the lack of rhythm, incisive dialogues and a very solemn tone, which lacks lightness. While it may be visually stunning, Ahsoka still searching for his identity.

The casting is not to blame. The series is carried by the solid performance of black actress Rosario Dawson (again, a first for the franchise, for sure!). If she performs in the sumptuously choreographed fights, we hope to understand more of the Jedi’s currently fairly monolithic personality, as well as the complexities of her relationship with her rebellious apprentice. During her youth, Ahsoka was portrayed in cartoons as a mix of Anakin’s brashness and Obi-Wan’s calm. Although it is normal for her as an adult and as a Jedi to show a certain stoicism, for the moment she lacks rough edges. Ahsoka he seems inhibited by what is at stake: satisfying the fans of the first hour Star Wars and demonstrate that a production Star Wars worn by female characters can be a hit. Behind the camera, the lack of screenwriters (none) or directors (only two episodes out of eight) does not help to develop a real female gauze in the approach to the relationships between the different protagonists. The series has therefore not fully spread its wings, but episode 4 shuffles the cards between the characters and revitalizes the plot. Hopefully, for the future of female characters in Star WarsThatAhsoka it belongs to the diesel series category and has a great second part of the season in store for us.

Do you like our articles? You’ll love our newsletters! Sign up for free on this page.