Ahsoka Will Let David Tennant Revisit His Emmy-Winning Star Wars Role In Live-Action
Star Wars fans have been excited about the promise of Grand Admiral Thrawn's return to the "Star Wars" universe in live-action, and thanks to the brand new trailer for "Ahsoka", released today at Star Wars Celebration, we got a glimpse of the blue-skinned Chiss and legendary villain. But there were plenty of other things in that trailer that should excite fans; some of them might be blink-and-you'll-miss-it fast, but are no less important or thrilling than the resurgence of Thrawn. One of the very last shots in the trailer for Ahsoka is that of a very old-fashioned looking droid with a very familiar voice. Eagle-eyed and eared "Star Wars" fans will recognize this droid from the history of the saga, making his live-action debut in a galaxy far, far away.
This is Huyang, a centuries old droid voiced by David Tennant, and he's actually kind of a big deal.
The Gathering
Huyang made his first appearance in Star Wars in an arc of episodes from "The Clone Wars" in which Master Yoda and Ahsoka Tano lead a group of Jedi younglings to the icy planet of Ilum. There, the younglings will go on a quest to overcome their fears and trials and bring back to the Jedi Temple their very first (and possibly only) Jedi kyber crystal. As they boarded their ship on the way back to Coruscant, they were instructed in lightsaber construction by a centuries old droid named Huyang.
"From the Battles of Rashfond, to the Peacekeeping of Parliock, to our very own Clone Wars, the lightsaber is a Jedi's only true ally," Huyang tells the younglings in that episode of the show. "But how do they work? Hmm? Yes, you have brought me crystals, but they're all useless unless you give them life. Do you know how to awaken the Force within the crystal? No? Then I suggest you listen and learn until you think of a question this droid cannot answer."
He was a vital instructor with plans for all of the lightsabers ever built under his watch stored in his memory banks. He was damaged significantly when Hondo Ohnaka attacked the youngling ships to steal their kyber crystals.
Now it seems he's back, working with Ahsoka Tano in the times after "Return of the Jedi."
Doctor Who connections
Huyang was voiced by David Tennant, who might be best known as the 10th (and 14th?) Doctor in the long running BBC series "Doctor Who." The speech he gives the younglings in the episode alludes to the fact that he's been doing this for more than 900 years, which makes him older than Master Yoda (he likely helped the tridactyal Jedi Master build his lightsaber when he was a youngling) but is also a subtle nod to how old Tennant's character of the Doctor was when Tennant was in the role.
Another nod to Huyang and "Doctor Who" came in Mike Chen's book "Star Wars: Brotherhood," which included the following line: "Professor Huyang was so old that the ancient droid supposedly arrived at the Jedi Temple in a blue box thousands of years ago."
Blue box? Or TARDIS? You decide.
David Tennant brought an incredible gravitas and sense of wonder to the role and it earned him an Emmy Award in 2013 for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Series. Seeing him back in "Ahsoka" — and in live-action, nonetheless — is exciting. Will we get answers about how this character survived the great Jedi purge and comes back into the story? We can only hope.
"Star Wars: Ahsoka" debuts on Disney+ in August of 2023. In the meantime, you can see Huyang in action on "Star Wars: The Clone Wars", which is now streaming on Disney+.