The chronicles of Ahsoka are effectively dispersed throughout the Star Wars timeline. Now that she is headlining her own show, where does the titular Disney Plus series fit into the Star Wars universe?
In her earlier days, Ahsoka was appointed as Anakin Skywalker’s padawan in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. She was officially introduced to Star Wars enthusiasts in the preceding Clone Wars animated movie. The long running show fills in the gaps for a significant period between Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Although Ahsoka does not appear in any of the live-action films, the last few episodes of The Clone Wars run parallel to Revenge of the Sith and depicts Ahsoka’s perspective during the fall of the Republic.
One chapter of the animated anthology show Tales of the Jedi, entitled “Practice Makes Perfect”, further explores Ahsoka’s demanding training against clone troopers that leads to Ahsoka overcoming Order 66. Tales of the Jedi is a more recently released series that drops us in on various points in Ahsoka and Count Dooku’s lives. The opening episode, “Life and Death”, illustrates how special Ahsoka was, even as a baby, and is actually the earliest content in the Star Wars film and television canon timeline.
The Tales of the Jedi Season 1 finale is an account of Ahsoka after Star Wars: The Clone Wars and before Star Wars Rebels. Unlike in The Clone Wars, Ahsoka is much more of a supporting player in Star Wars Rebels, yet she is involved in some of the show’s most crucial plot points. In Rebels, she uses the codename Fulcrum, which is revived by Ahsoka in her eponymous show. After a cataclysmic confrontation with her former master (who now goes by Darth Vader), her return seasons later is mind-blowing.
Star Wars Rebels ends with Ahsoka and Sabine trying to track down the young jedi Ezra Bridger, and simultaneously ensure the demise of Grand Admiral Thrawn. The next time we see Ahsoka, chronologically, is in The Mandalorian, with Rosario Dawson transforming the master jedi into live-action glory. This jump does take her from the height of the Empire’s power to post-Return of the Jedi. She appears in a single, unforgettable Mandalorian episode as well as an appeasing Book of Boba Fett detour. The pair of showings efficiently galvanize devotees into clamoring for more Ahsoka.
Now in the Ahsoka series, her old Star Wars Rebels friends re-team with the adroit jedi. Hera, now a New Republic general, is back with her trusty droid Chopper. Sabine, a contender for best Mandalorian in Star Wars lore, has the most important connection to the title hero as we pick up bits and pieces of what transpired in between Rebels and Ahsoka; Sabine began jedi training, yet had a falling out with Ahsoka.
And not only is Lothal’s Governor, Ryder Azadi, another Rebels character to join Ahsoka, Clancy Brown reprises the role after voicing the character in animation. The actor is quickly building up his Star Wars stature – he first performed voice work in The Clone Wars as Savage Opress and then had a one-off part as Burg in the memorable Mandalorian chapter “The Prisoner”.
Another actor who is expected to remodel their voice character into live-action is Lars Mikkelsen. Just like his gradual reveal in Star Wars Rebels, Thrawn is only mentioned in the Ahsoka two-part premiere and has not yet been seen. In Mandalorian Season 2, Ahsoka defeats and captures Morgan Elsbeth, a disciple of Thrawn’s. Elsbeth has broken free in Ahsoka, clearly establishing that it succeeds those prior events, while marking its close proximity to The Mandalorian Season 3. Gideon’s council is still awaiting Thrawn’s reinstatement in The Mandalorian and his narrative is continuing to progress forward in Ahsoka.
Where Ahsoka takes place on the Star Wars timeline
Currently, this is how the Star Wars chronology roughly lines up:
- Tales of the Jedi – Life and Death, Justice, and Choices
- The Phantom Menace
- Tales of the Jedi – The Sith Lord
- Attack of the Clones
- The Clone Wars
- Tales of the Jedi – Practice Makes Perfect
- Revenge of the Sith
- Tales of the Jedi – Resolve
- The Bad Batch
- Solo
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Rebels
- Andor
- Rogue One
- A New Hope
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Return of the Jedi
- The Mandalorian (Seasons 1-2)
- The Book of Boba Fett
- The Mandalorian (Season 3)
- Ahsoka
- Resistance (Season 1)
- The Force Awakens
- The Last Jedi
- Resistance (Season 2)
- The Rise of Skywalker
Because of Ahsoka’s rich history in Star Wars, her series enables numerous connections to earlier content, while its unique placement on the timeline also opens up possible tie-ins to Star Wars Resistance or the sequel trilogy. Regardless of this delectable smorgasbord of Easter eggs and references, the opening chapters certainly set up an exciting storyline, leaving fans eager for more Ahsoka in the upcoming weeks.
What do you think of Ahsoka’s two-episode premiere? Do you want the show to include even more legacy Star Wars characters and continue to make connections with other shows and movies?