The Ahsoka Character Guide: All The Star Wars Rebels Details You Need To Know
"Ahsoka" is coming to Disney+ this week, expanding the live-action "Star Wars" universe by folding in even more characters and storylines from "The Clone Wars" and "Star Wars Rebels." Executive producer Dave Filoni gets to bring his "Star Wars" sandboxes together, and it seems like he's ready to play in a big way, especially with Grand Admiral Thrawn entering the fray again. But maybe you don't know who Thrawn is at all. Maybe you're not familiar with the dynamic between the various characters from the animated side of "Star Wars." It's a big galaxy out there, and keeping up with multiple seasons of several shows maybe didn't feel necessary for some "Star Wars" movies fans out there. That's where we come in.
In order to help get the more casual "Star Wars" fans prepared to watch "Ahsoka," we've put together a character guide for all the key players from the first two episodes that are arriving a little earlier than usual on Disney+. From the titular, complex Jedi to a new assembly of villains who aren't quite Sith, we break down all the important details you need to know about the characters of "Ahsoka," and we keep it totally spoiler-free for anyone who wants to go into the series fresh.
Ahsoka Tano
Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) was first introduced as Anakin's padawan, who he nicknamed Snips, before becoming like a father to her. She was essentially a walking death flag, given we had never heard of Anakin's padawan in the films, but she quickly grew up to be one of the biggest characters in the franchise. As a padawan at a time of war, Ahsoka was a child soldier growing up on the battlefield, getting desensitized to violence and facing death on a daily basis, which gave her a unique view of the Jedi and the Force. Anakin was instrumental in clearing Ahsoka's name when the Jedi Order accused her of bombing the Jedi temple. But this incident shook Ahsoka's belief in the system and pushed her to leave the Jedi, and Anakin, behind. This development makes the show calling her a Jedi a murky area, as she never really finished her training.
Ahsoka was also instrumental in Bo-Katan's story of reclaiming Mandalore from Darth Maul's forces at the end of "Clone Wars," thus setting her on a path to rule the united Mandalorian clans, as we eventually saw in "The Mandalorian." At that time, Ahsoka also had to face one of her biggest challenges once the clones she grew up with as friends tried to kill her, forced to follow Order 66 as executed by Emperor Palpatine.
Once the Empire came into power, Ahsoka became an undercover agent helping the Rebellion under the code name "Fulcrum." It was at this time that Ahsoka started working with Hera Syndulla and the other characters from "Rebels" (more on them below), becoming friendly with the group and mentoring characters like Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus on occasion. She also eventually faced off against Anakin in one of the best fights in all of "Star Wars."
In the final episode of "Star Wars Rebels," Ahsoka and Sabine set off to search for Ezra, who ended up lost somewhere in space along with the villainous Grand Admiral Thrawn. "Ahsoka" catches up sometime after their attempt, where the two have been estranged for some time. (Rafael Motamayor)
Sabine Wren
A fearless, revolutionary spirit through and through, the Mandalorian known as Sabine Wren (played by Natasha Liu Bordizzo) played a seminal role in the rebellion against the Galactic Empire, with her artistry emerging as one of her greatest weapons during the war. One would assume that a free-spirited graffiti artist would have little to contribute during a time of galaxy-wide strifes, but Sabine's mere presence inspired the symbol of the Rebel Alliance: her signature Starbird, which she often used to sign her street art with. It is also interesting to note that Sabine was the one to retrieve the Darksaber from the treacherous planet of Dathomir, which ultimately allowed the events in "The Mandalorian" to unfurl.
Sabine's connection to Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) can be traced back to the former becoming a key member of Hera Syndulla's (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) "Ghost" crew in "Star Wars Rebels," which also included Jedi Kanan Jarrus and the Lasat named Zeb Orrelios. The Ghost crew was an asset for the Rebels during their most challenging battles against the Empire, and Sabine shined as a skilled technician and impulsive fighter who emerged as something of a wild card during tough spots.
As per the trailers for the new "Star Wars" show, it seems that Sabine will be key in Ahsoka's search for Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), who became close friends with Sabine when he was a part of the Ghost crew, before his disappearance alongside Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen). In fact, it seems that Sabine may have tried to become a Jedi nuder Ahsoka's tutelage. As Thrawn's threat looms large, the hope for Ezra to return is now stronger than ever, providing Sabine with the personal motivation to aid Ahsoka in her pursuits throughout the series. (Debopriyaa Dutta)
Hera Syndulla
Few revolutionary leaders are as driven and brilliant as Hera Syndulla (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who spearheaded her own resistance movement aboard her starship, the Ghost, along with a crew including Sabine Wren, Kanan Jarrus, and Ezra Bridger, among others. Having witnessed the devastation of the Clone Wars firsthand, Hera understood the need to dive into the heart of danger when absolutely necessary, which culminated in a rebellion she led on Lothal.
Over the years, Hera served in the capacity of Phoenix Leader and helped expand and consolidate Rebel forces, fighting oppression on every level possible until the liberation of Lothal and the eventual dismantling of the Empire was made possible. She also played a crucial role in the battles of Scarif, Hoth, and Endor, among countless others, and continued to serve as a respected military leader after the formation of the New Republic.
It is known that Hera regards Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) in great esteem, and the two remained close confidants over the years. As Thrawn's (Lars Mikkelsen) return in "Ahsoka" will directly jeopardize the galaxy's hard-earned peace, and could potentially galvanize remnant Imperial pockets to rise up again, General Syndulla emerges as a crucial character who will have Ahsoka's back in her fight against the Chiss military strategist. Hera and her crew have undergone massive trials, and they've had to make painful sacrifices to attain the delicate peace that the galaxy enjoys as a whole, which makes her contributions in the face of fresh threats all the more meaningful, and necessary. (Debopriyaa Dutta)
Ezra Bridger
Ezra Bridger is a very different kind of Jedi than the ones we've met in the "Star Wars" canon. Growing up on his own on Lothal, at the height of Imperial oppression, Ezra started out as kind of space Aladdin, stealing to survive, running around on rooftops and subconsciously using his Force abilities to become a con artist. Once he encountered the crew of the Ghost, in "Star Wars Rebels," Ezra enthusiastically became part of the team, and he also became the one most eager take the fight to the Empire.
Ezra trained as a Jedi under former Kanan Jarrus, and like every other major Jedi in the franchise, he was impatient and too impulsive. As with many "Star Wars" protagonists, Ezra also had more than a few encounters with the dark side, occasionally succumbing to it in an effort to save his friends or fight the Empire. These temptations cost him and his friends dearly, as Ezra learned the consequences of leaning into the dark side of the Force for a quick power-up. Still, Ezra ultimately succeeded in staying in the light, and he even prevented Darth Sidious from gaining control of space-time itself. (Yes, there is time travel in "Star Wars.")
Ezra was instrumental in freeing Lothal from the Empire, and he was also the hero responsible for Thrawn's defeat and exile, as he got help from space whales that transported the two of them to who knows where. It is this question of where Ezra and Thrawn might be that leads into "Ahsoka." (Rafael Motamayor)
Huyang
Building your own lightsaber is a rite of passage for any Jedi, but who actually teaches them how to do that? Enter Huyang (voiced by David Tennant in both live-action and animation), a Mark IV architect droid professor who, for thousands of generations, instructed Jedi Younglings how to build their weapons.
Introduced during the animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," Huyang's origins were always something of a mystery, even among the members of the Jedi Order prior to the Order's collapse and the rise of the Galactic Empire. Both as patient as any Jedi Master and as logic-driven and detail-oriented as, well, your average protocol droid, Huyang previously crossed paths with Ahsoka Tano while she was escorting a small group of Younglings to build their own lightsabers during the Clone Wars. Although he ended up in pieces after he, Ahsoka, and the Younglings were attacked by Weequay pirates, Huyang was eventually reassembled and he even managed to avoid being destroyed during Order 66.
Years later, after the defeat of the Empire, Ahsoka was reunited with Huyang and the pair started traveling together as Ahsoka began her hunt for Grand Admiral Thrawn. Fortunately, in addition to useful information regarding the history of the Jedi and the "Star Wars" galaxy at large, Huyang also has the wisdom that comes from living thousands of years to offer to those around him. That will prove invaluable to Ahsoka and her allies as they attempt to locate Thrawn and prevent another galactic conflict from breaking out, all the while trying to avoid being pulled down by the ghosts of their past (some perhaps more literal than others). (Sandy Schaefer)
Chopper
Every family has a weird little sibling or pet that may be a bit psychotic, and the Ghost crew is no exception. Following in the footsteps of BB-8 and R2-D2, "Star Wars Rebels" introduced us to Chopper, a chaotic little gremlin of a droid who may have a penchant for murder. That's right, murder. While we've always known R2 is a foul-mouthed droid, Chopper takes things further, electrocuting, blasting, and exploding so many Imperial forces — human and droid — that it would make Anakin blush.
But Chopper isn't simply an assassin droid like the droid companions of Doctor Aphra; he is mostly an agent of chaos who loves to prank his friends and happens to enjoy murder and mayhem because he gets away with it all the time. Indeed, from the moment we meet him, it's as if Chopper watched the original trilogy and how R2 constantly had to save the pesky humans from death, and he merely decided they were lame for simply listening to orders. So Chopper decided he was going to punish humans by being quite the rascal, such as pranking Ezra during his Jedi training and making him think he isn't capable of even opening a door, or sabotaging Ezra's bunk so he'd crush Zeb beneath him, making them fight each other.
Sure, Chopper's prevalence in the story acts as comic relief, particularly in the first season, and he may have come close to being a Poochie situation. But Chopper's attitude being more of an unapologetic jerk rather than a too-cool-for-school droid made him unique and one of the best characters on that show. In "Ahsoka," he's still hanging around and helping Hera Syndulla on the Ghost, and he's as feisty as ever. (Rafael Motamayor)
Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn
The name Thrawn (or Mitth'raw'nuruodo, though almost nobody calls him that) inspires just as many chills among longtime "Star Wars" fans as it does those who call a galaxy far, far away home. A character who originated in the no longer canonical Expanded Universe (now officially known as Star Wars Legends), Thrawn is a Chiss officer who advanced his position in the Galactic Empire thanks to his tactical brilliance and cunning. It's his ability to deeply empathize with his enemies — he takes the time to study everything from their culture to their personal desires — and then use that knowledge against them that makes him not just a unique threat but also a deeply unnerving one.
It's that same chess master-like strategizing that had allowed Thrawn (who's played by Lars Mikkelsen in both live-action and animation) to attain the rank of Grand Admiral by the time he made his entry in the Disney-era "Star Wars" canon on "Star Wars Rebels." The animated show pitted him against the Rebel faction based on the planet Lothal, culminating in a battle that saw the Rebel/Jedi in training Ezra Bridger using the Force to call a pack of purrgil (whale-like creatures that reside in deep space) to attack Thrawn's command ship and pull it into hyperspace, taking both Ezra and Thrawn with it. In the decade-plus since then, there have been whispers that Thrawn survived this incident and has been laying low, scheming to unite the remaining Imperial forces against the New Republic in the wake of the Empire's downfall. The question is, where, exactly, is he, and what is he up to? (Sandy Schaefer)
Morgan Elsbeth
For those wondering how much homework they're required to do before the "Ahsoka" premiere, the marketing has made it clear that at least one minor character from a single episode of "The Mandalorian" will play a significant role in this new series. First appearing in the season 2 episode "The Jedi," the hour that fittingly marks Ahsoka Tano's first crossover into live action, Morgan Elsbeth (portrayed by Diana Lee Inosanto) plays the role of main antagonist for both Ahsoka and Pedro Pascal's Mando. Known as the cruel Magistrate of the city Calodan on the planet Corvus, we soon learn from Ahsoka that Morgan knows key information about the whereabouts of a certain Grand Admiral Thrawn — missing since the events of the "Star Wars: Rebels" series finale.
Initially, all we know about Morgan is what Ahsoka tells Din Djarin. Elsbeth's people (a foreshadowed backstory that will likely pay off in "Ahsoka") were massacred during the Clone Wars, leading to her support of the Empire and her vengeance-driven quest to plunder entire planets of their resources to fuel the Imperial navy. Although displaced from power by the end of her appearance on "The Mandalorian," providing Din Djarin with the beskar spear he uses in subsequent episodes, her final scene ends on an unresolved note. Ahsoka demands to know where her "master" Thrawn is, which dovetails nicely with the Force-wielder's continuing quest in "Ahsoka." It remains to be seen exactly how Morgan finds herself back in the action again after her defeat by Ahsoka, but something tells us it won't take very long to find out. (Jeremy Mathai)
Baylan Skoll
Baylan Skoll (played by the late Ray Stevenson) is a new character debuting in the "Star Wars" universe, but he definitely has a history that has already been briefly established by Lucasfilm ahead of the show's release. In the official "Star Wars" databank, it is revealed that Skoll once knew Anakin Skywalker, but despite surviving Order 66, he is no Jedi. However, he's not referred to as a Sith either, which is probably why he has more of a dark orange lightsaber blade rather than a full-on red blade, like we've seen from the likes of Darth Vader, Darth Maul, various Sith Inquisitors, and other dark side villains.
In "Ahsoka," Skoll is working as a mercenary for Morgan Elsbeth, and he has an apprentice named Shin Hati along with him. Both are working to help Elsbeth in her quest to track down Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn. However, it's not clear if Skoll's larger agenda actually lines up with whatever Elsbeth and Thrawn have planned. Though Skoll is aware that finding Thrawn could lead to a new war, he may have future interests that lie elsewhere. (Ethan Anderton)
Shin Hati
Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno) is the apprentice of Baylan Skoll. Again, Hati is not referred to as a Sith, but she's not a Jedi either. However, Skoll and Hati have taken on the same relationship as many Jedi and Sith have before them. Hati is eager and loyal, and she doesn't hesitate to do whatever her master asks. She's skilled with a lightsaber and the Force, making her a valuable asset in Morgan Elsbeth's quest to find Grand Admiral Thrawn.
It's not clear how Hati came to be under the guidance of Skoll or what their relationship history might be. Beyond what Lucasfilm has revealed, we don't know that much about Skoll's allegiances other than his current mercenary work for Elsbeth. Since Hati is following whatever Skoll does, her fate is pretty much tied to whatever her master requires, at least for the time being. With so much uncertainly about Skoll and Hati's past, we don't know if the two of them may eventually not be on the same page. (Ethan Anderton)
Marrok
"Star Wars" is nothing without its villains. "The Clone Wars" era pitted the might of the Jedi against the sheer numbers of the Separatist droid army (and the secret Sith lord pulling the strings), while the time of the Galactic Civil War saw the fledgling Rebel Alliance hopelessly outgunned by the vast Empire. But despite taking place after the fall of the Empire and prior to the rise of the First Order, "Ahsoka" features at least one secondary villain that's a holdover from the decades of instability between the prequel movies and the originals. Marrok, portrayed by stunt performer Paul Darnell, appears to be a former Imperial Inquisitor — the specialized group of former Jedi who were tasked with hunting down their old comrades in arms in the aftermath of Emperor Palpatine's Order 66.
Marrok's appearance in "Ahsoka" further hints at the intriguing collection of enemies that Ahsoka and her allies will have to contend with during the course of their adventures. The "Rebels" characters, as fans know, dealt with their fair share of fearsome Inquisitors and their distinctive circular-hilted lightsabers. The trailers have already shown Ahsoka coming face-to-helmet with this masked threat, who undoubtedly poses a significant challenge to her own abilities. The only concrete information about this antagonist that we have to go on was previously revealed by the official "Star Wars" website, describing him as:
"Once an Inquisitor hunting Jedi for the Empire, the mysterious Marrok now works as a mercenary hired by Morgan Elsbeth to carry out dark deeds. Fully encased in battered battle armor, the warrior still carries a red double-bladed saber with a circular hilt."
We'll have to wait and see if this shadowy figure ultimately ends up playing a much larger role than this vague description might suggest. (Jeremy Mathai)
Episodes of "Ahsoka" premiere on Tuesday nights at 9:00 PM EST on Disney+.