After taking a plunge into the vivid, gigantic world of Star Wars, the second season of The Mandalorian has finally introduced the much-awaited Ahsoka Tano in the latest episode, The Jedi. Directed by Dave Filoni, The Jedi revealed the first-ever live-action version of the fan-favorite Ahsoka Tano, played by the charismatic Rosario Dawson. While fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels must have been euphoric with Ahsoka Tano’s appearance, it’s absolutely alright to be a bit clueless if you haven’t watched the animated shows.
Who Is Ahsoka Tano?
As the title of the latest episode clearly suggests, Ahsoka Tano is the first Jedi to appear in The Mandalorian. A female Togruta, Ahsoka was found by the Jedi Master Plo Koon on the planet of Shili. Sensing her potential, the Jedi Master brought the young Ahsoka to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to formally begin her Jedi training. Like every Jedi padawan, Ahsoka was also assigned a mentor who would teach and guide her to use the ways of the Force. As fate would have it, the young Ahsoka was mentored by the Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker. Despite starting off with a rocky relationship due to conflicting personalities, Ahsoka’s potential to be a Jedi Knight and her eagerness to prove herself was acknowledged by Anakin.
Why Is Ahsoka Tano A Former Jedi?
As the Padawan training under the Chosen One, Ahsoka and Anakin together fought many battles during the Clone Wars. As the Clone Wars neared its end, there was a bombing of the Jedi Temple hangar. The Jedi Council blamed Ahsoka for the act and barred her from the Jedi Order for sedition. But fortunately, Anakin Skywalker discovered the real culprit, thus vindicating his student. However, the lack of faith shown by the Jedi masters left Ahsoka disheartened. As a result, she did not accept the request to re-join the Jedi Order, thus becoming a Force-Sensitive Outcast. Despite not adhering to the Jedi Order, Ahsoka never yielded to the Dark Side, and has also helped the Jedi in their battles in later years.
Why Does She Wield White Lightsabers?
From the beginning, Ahsoka preferred dual lightsabers as her weapons of choice. During the Siege of Mandalore, Ahsoka abandoned her lightsabers to fake her death and get away from the Galactic Empire. At the end of the Clone Wars, Ahsoka obtained the Kyber Crystals from the fallen Sixth Brother, an Inquisitor. Inquisitors were a mysterious group of Force-Sensitive agents who served the Dark Side of the Force. Though the Kyber Crystal initially emitted the red blade, as used by Sith Lords, Ahsoka purified the Crystal using the Force. As a result, the blade turned unusually white. Her white lightsabers also indicate her stance on the spectrum of the Force. Neither a member of the Jedi nor the Sith, Ahsoka is a balanced, compassionate warrior who believes in doing the right thing.
Related: EXCLUSIVE: Ahsoka Tano Will Lead Live-Action Disney+ Star Wars Series
When initially introduced, Ahsoka Tano was heavily criticized by critics and fans for being too arrogant. However, the character later evolved into a much more balanced and charismatic leader, thus becoming a fan-favorite among Star Wars fans. With Rosario Dawson portraying the role of Ahsoka in The Mandalorian, we surely believe that it won’t be the last time we see the Jedi Outcast in the series, or the upcoming Star Wars line-up.
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