What You Need To Know About Ahsoka's Species, The Togruta

The trailer for the upcoming "Star Wars" television series "Ahsoka" gave fans a peak at how the long-beloved character will make her solo live-action debut. Ahsoka Tano has long been an essential part of Dave Filoni's animated "Star Wars" shows, "The Clone Wars" and "Rebels," but those who skipped watching these will soon get a chance to better acquaint themselves with Anakin Skywalker's former apprentice. The facial markings, red skin, and horns that actor Rosario Dawson is wearing make it clear that Ahsoka is one of the many alien species found across the "Star Wars" galaxy, but who, exactly, are the Togruta?

One of the coolest parts of both "The Clone Wars" and "Rebels" was the way they expanded on the politics and cultures of other planets. The "Star Wars" films never truly got to dig deep into these alien worlds, but now that television has become a central part of the franchise's storytelling, there's more room for world-building. "The Mandalorian" has already shown the complex inner workings of the Mandalorians, so it's possible audiences will get to learn a bit more about Ahsoka's own heritage in her show.

The Togruta have technically been a part of "Star Wars" since before "The Clone Wars" show, though merely as one of the background aliens who sat on the Jedi Council. That would be Shaak Ti, who also made an appearance during "The Clone Wars" as a much more developed character with strong ties to the Kamino cloning facility. 

Both Ashoka and Shaak Ti carry the Togruta's distinct facial markings, which are actually part of their skin as a way to camouflage from predators on the Togruta's original homeworld of Shili. Like humans, the Togruta migrated to other planets, most notably the lush environment of the planet Kiros. The colony there was a central focus of an Ahsoka-centered story arc on "The Clone Wars" in which the Separatists enslaved Kiros' denizens on the harsh volcanic rock world Kadavo. With the help of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka went undercover as an enslaved worker and liberated her people.

The event fully aligned the Galactic Republic with the Togruta, who were always hesitant to declare themselves on either side of a war. However, they always had great respect for the Jedi, perhaps because so many of their species entered the Order. That's because their signature horns, called montrals, give them a sixth sense-like echolocation ability that, when combined with the use of the Force, allows them to have an incredibly adept sense of their surroundings. 

The Togruta are also a highly spiritual people who are deeply connected to the natural environment of Shili while also maintaining a rigid royal hierarchy with its own military. The colony on Kiros, however, was less combative, instead focusing on their people's penchant for the arts. Still, it's common for a Togruta to make a rite of passage by killing a vicious beast on Shili called an akul. Both Shaak Ti and Ahsoka Tano have worn the akul teeth around their face, but they're notably absent from the live-action character design. Whether this is simply an aesthetic change or a hint at further Togruta world-building will remain to be seen.

"Ahsoka" will begin streaming on Disney+ in August 2023.