Star Wars fans have taken comparisons of Ahsoka Tano to the iconic wizard Gandalf from Lord of the Rings and run with it.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ahsoka star Rosario Dawson revealed that she found Ahsoka’s ongoing evolution intriguing, drawing a parallel between her growth and the transformation of Tolkien’s Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings saga.
“In the animation, you saw her go to the white, but what I loved is the idea that there was even another level to her. Dave and I talked a lot about Gandalf the Gray and Gandalf the White — talking about that transition and how she’s someone very capable and excellent and looked up to as a leader, but she still has levels of development to go.”
The origin of the creation of Ahsoka’s story is as exhilarating as the narrative itself. George Lucas took Filoni under his wing after recruiting him from Avatar: The Last Airbender on Nickelodeon to develop a female protagonist compelling enough to captivate his daughters.
Fans flocked to the r/StarWars subreddit to analyze Dawson’s revelations about Filoni’s inspiration for the Togrutan heroine. The discussion kicked off with a Redditor laying out an astute comparative analysis of Ahsoka and Gandalf.
Filoni’s comparison awakened the curiosity of some fans. One Redditor wondered which stages of Ahsoka’s transformation journey the show will focus on and how it will visually communicate changes in her development.
However, the conversation quickly devolved into criticism. The Gandalf comparison was an immediate no for another redditor, who was sure that any similarities would be superficial at best.
Another fan called out Filoni, suggesting he made the Gandalf allusion in a conceited attempt to confer classic status on Ahsoka’s story.
It soon became evident that many redditors shared the sentiment.
Another skeptic mocked and dismissed Filoni’s aspirations for Ahsoka.
However, some fans were supportive of Filoni and had little patience for the vitriol of the naysayers. One pointed out that Filoni was not comparing the characters themselves but their respective journeys.
More clarity came from another Redditor who added context by sharing quotes from Filoni and Dawson.
Filoni likening Ahsoka’s evolution to Gandalf’s resonated with some Star Wars fans while incensing others. However, the first two episodes have garnered rave reviews from critics. It shows that classic literature can serve as a guiding star to illuminate the path for storytellers as they craft satisfying narratives in the present.
The first two episodes of Ahsoka are scheduled to drop on Disney Plus later today.