Ahsoka Tano almost instantly became a favorite among Star Wars fans when she first appeared in The Clone Wars animated movie, before going on to become an integral part of the TV show of the same name. Given the hugely positive reception to both the character and Ashley Eckstein’s vocal performance, as well as Dave Filoni’s insistence that she could play a role across all Star Wars-related media platforms, fingers had been crossed for a long time regarding a potential move to live-action.
When it finally happened though, the reactions from the fanbase were surprisingly mixed. The official announcement that Ahsoka was set to feature in the second season of The Mandalorian, which was something WGTC revealed several months ago, turned out to be a double-edged sword for some. Although the overwhelming majority were thrilled with the news, some were left disappointed that Eckstein wasn’t given the opportunity to continue playing the character, with Rosario Dawson finally getting the role she’d been after for years.
However, that won’t be the first time that Ahsoka had been involved in a live-action Star Wars project. During Rey’s final showdown with Palpatine in The Rise of Skywalker, she heard the voices of countless Jedi from from the extensive history of the franchise, including the animated cult hero.
In a recent interview, Eckstein admitted that she was honored to be involved in the Skywalker Saga even in such a minor capacity, and that it cemented Ahsoka Tano’s place among the pantheon of legendary Jedi.
“I actually didn’t record the lines until October and, once I recorded them, I still didn’t believe it because anything can happen in movies… But it wasn’t until I was sitting at the premiere of The Rise of Skywalker and I heard Ahsoka say, ‘As it guided us,’. And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I made it’. So it’s definitely an honor. Clone Wars is considered canon because it was what George Lucas created, but The Rise of Skywalker is part of the Skywalker Saga of films, and it’s really cool, not only professionally, to say that I got to be in it, but more so for Ahsoka to be cemented into the Skywalker Saga of films is really special for the character.”
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was absolutely loaded with fan service, and folks were thrilled to see that it extended out towards the animated shows, which have always been regarded as official canon. Eckstein might not be Ahsoka Tano in The Mandalorian, but at least she got the chance to play her on the big screen, even if it was only for a couple of lines of dialogue.
