Summary
Ahsokaactor Rosario Dawson has revealed the unlikely source of inspiration that helped shape the character in her first soloStar Warsseries.
Ahsokawas first announced in December of 2020 as a new live-actionStar Warsseries for Disney Plus featuring Dawson in the titular role of Ahsoka Tano, a character created for the highly acclaimed 2008 TV seriesStar Wars: The Clone Warswho quickly became a fan favorite throughout the show’s run. Following on fromThe MandalorianandThe Book of Boba Fett,Ahsokais set after the fall of the Galactic Empire and will see the titular former Jedi investigating a yet unknown threat to the galaxy far, far away. Dave Filoni, the supervising director ofThe Clone Wars,developed the show alongsideThe Mandaloriancreator Jon Favreau.
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Speaking toEntertainment Weeklyabout the upcoming project, Dawson, who gave fans positiveupdates during the filming ofStar Wars: Ahsoka, discussed the inspiration behind her iteration of Ahsoka and what’s in store for her character arc from the original animated series. “In the animation, you saw her go to the white, but what I loved is the idea that there was even another level to her,” Dawson explained to EW. “Dave [FIloni] and I talked a lot about Gandalf the Gray and Gandalf the White – talking about that transition and how she’s someone very capable and excellent and looked up to as a leader, but she still has levels of development to go.”
Gandalf, a pivotal character in the critically acclaimedLord of the Ringsuniverse, appears in more than one form, with the color-based name distinction being only one of thedifferences between Gandalf the Grey and Gandalf the White. One interesting facet of the change is Gandalf’s increased clarity of mind, focus, and vastly improved mastery over his powers. While some fans of the animatedStar Wars: The Clone Warsseries can already draw easy parallels between this idea and the character growth that began for Ahsoka after she departed from the Jedi Order, it will be interesting to see how the arc continues and concludes in the live-action series with a more mature Ahsoka Tano.
The Ahsoka character is inseparable from Filoni’s creative direction, a talent that got him the title of Executive Creative Director at Lucasfilm. He’s also been allowed to work onhis ownStar Warsmovie, which is rumored to be recasting a classic role and bringing back a divisive star.
Ahsokacertainly has a lot going for it; With Dawson’s encouragingwords for viewers of theStar Warsshow, even the most casual fans or total newcomers can enjoy the upcoming series without doing a ton of homework that might put them off.
Ahsokais set to premiere for streaming on Disney Plus on Jul 10, 2025.
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