Ashoka Tano is back in Disney+’s new live-action series Ashoka. Portrayed by Rosario Dawson, playing Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice hasn’t been easy for the actress. From extreme physical transformation to extensive training seven days a week, the actress had to go through a lot to prepare for the role and ace it.
And so far she has been doing a splendid job for it is no easy feat when it comes to portraying extensive fighting techniques and styles especially the likes of Skywalkers’. However, to perfect each fighting scene, the production had to develop newer technologies for it was a physically impossible feat to show the extraordinary fighting capabilities of the popular fictional character.
Star Wars Production Had To Develop New Technology For Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson‘s Ashoka Tano, a former Jedi, is one of the fiercest and most formidable female characters in the Star Wars universe. Not only does the character have excellent strength but is widely regarded as a champion combatant.
So naturally Dawson had to go through extreme training and focus on perfecting her combat skills as much as she could. But despite her hard work, there were certain challenging aspects of fight scenes and Ashoka’s style that were physically impossible, and hence the production had to rely on technology whenever such scenes were to be shot.
To perfect each fight scene, as Dawson revealed in an interview with Star Wars Insider (via Gizmodo), the production had to constantly keep fiddling with technology and even develop new ones.
“Our stunt coordinator, Ming Qiu, looked at Ahsoka’s fighting style, and said, ‘That’s not physically possibly for a human, so let’s see what we can do to figure out how to do that move.’ We tried to do as many stunts as possible practically. We had ropes and pulleys and all kinds of things to make them work. There was a lot of experimentation, using technology that was developed while we were filming.”
Despite the challenges the role presented her with, the actress loves the character, stating that it is not just a character for her but rather a part of her being now.
Rosario Dawson Loved Playing Ashoka Tano
While most actors aren’t fond of the physical transformation they have to undergo for their roles, Rosario Dawson has no qualms about playing Ashoka. Even though the role is an extremely challenging and demanding one, she enjoyed the whole experience. Dawson stated in an interview with Star Wars Insider (via Gizmodo),
“I’ve never worked on anything so physical before. It really was all encompassing. But I loved that, because that’s who Ahsoka is. It’s her! Every fiber of her being is on the line at every given moment, so it felt really good to have that strength. It was this amazing mental, emotional, physical experience… Ahsoka is not some character I can just play and then dismiss when I take off the head montrals. It’s been a lifestyle shift in connecting to her and performing her. She’s in me.”
Dawson’s dedication and perseverance for the role are awe-inspiring, something that can be felt in every moment of the series.
Ashoka can be streamed on Disney+.
