After nearly three long years of waiting, Ahsoka is finally streaming on Disney Plus.
The eight-episode series exists within the same timeline as The Mandalorian and stars Rosario Dawson as the fan-favorite headstrong Jedi, Ahsoka Tano. Taking place a short time after the events of Star Wars Rebels — after the supposed death of Grand Admiral Thrawn and the fall of the Empire — Ahsoka will see Tano follow through on the promise she made during her Mandalorian cameo in season two, which is to hunt down Grand Admiral Thrawn, who she believes is still very much alive.
The highly-anticipated live-action show was announced back in December 2020 following Dawson’s appearance in the second season of The Mandalorian. After that point, a number of former Star Wars Rebels characters were also confirmed to join Tano in her quest to hunt down Thrawn. Among them is Tano’s equally hot-headed apprentice Sabine Wren, played by Natasha Liu Bordizz.
Which Ahsoka cast and characters have been confirmed?
There were a ton of rumors leading up to the shows Aug. 22 premiere about who would and would not join the Ahsoka cast, namely whether Hayden Christensen and Lars Mikkelsen would reprise their roles as Anakin Skywalker and Grand Admiral Thrawn, respectively.
Now that Ahsoka has finally debuted on Disney Plus, all of the previously rumored characters have come to light. Here’s a list of the characters you can expect to see.
Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka Tano)
You can’t have a show without its title character. When Dawson made her live-action debut as Ahsoka Tano in “Chapter 13: The Jedi” of The Mandalorian, she immediately cemented herself as a fan favorite of the live-action Star Wars characters. Her relaxed authority and cool confidence capture Tano’s personality perfectly. Dawson also starred in episode six of The Book of Boba Fett, in which she offers sage advice to Mando regarding his Grogu predicament. Her cameos in both shows have felt so large it’s hard to believe she’s only been in two episodes. In Ahsoka, she finally steps to center stage as she continues her quest to hunt Grand Admiral Thrawn and find her friend, Ezra Bridgers.
Natasha Liu Bordizz (Sabine Wren)
Natasha Liu Bordizz will continue the storyline of Sabine Wren, Ahsoka’s aprentice and the Mandalorian figher/rebel warrior. Fans of Star Wars Rebels will easily recall the character, whom we last saw working with Tano to find Ezra Bridgers and Grand Admiral Thrawn after the two hurled into hyperspace. During Ahsoka‘s premiere, Tano and Sabine reunite to decipher a map left behind by Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) in the hopes that it will lead them to Thrawn, and Ezra.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Hera Syndulla)
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is no newcomer to the sci-fi genre. The actress has appeared in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and DC’s Birds of Prey. She’s also worked alongside Will Smith in Gemini Man. For those who didn’t know, Winstead is also wife to Ewan McGregor. When it comes to Ahsoka, Winstead plays the Twi’lek revolutionary leader Hera Syndulla, who is now a General in the New Republic. In Rebels, Hera played a pivtol role in Sabine and Ezra’s upbringing, serving as a parental figure to them both.
Eman Esfandi (Ezra Bridger)
For a while there it was unclear whether Ezra Bridger would play a part in Ahsoka. As the protagonist of Star Wars Rebels, his presence was one that would be sorely missed had it not come to fruition. Thankfully, it was finally announced that Eman Esfandi — no, not Mena Massoud — would bring the force-sentivie orphan to life in the Disney Plus series. When the show kicks off, Ezra is still an elusive member of the Ahsoka team, presumably trapped within the clutches of Thrawn and his henchmen. As the show progresses, that’ll undoubtedly change.
Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker)
One of the more exciting additions to the Ahsoka cast is Star Wars alum, Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, per The Hollywood Reporter. Because Ahsoka, like The Mandalorian, occurs five years after the events of Return of the Jedi and thus Anakin/Darth Vader’s death, Christensen’s role in Ahsoka is likely to occur only in flashbacks. As the former Padawan learner of Anakin, Tano’s flashbacks, if we are to assume there will be flashbacks, will probably include imparted wisdom on Anakin’s behalf, and hopefully newly uncovered information.
Ray Stevenson (Baylan Skoll)
Ray Stevenson is also not new to the world of Star Wars. In the past he played Gar Saxon in Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. However, in Ahsoka he plays the former Jedi Baylon Skoll, who, like Ahsoka, is looking for Thrawn, but for entirely more sinister reasons. Sadly, Ahsoka is Stevenson’s posthumous performance as the 58 years old actor passed away in May 2023.
Ivanna Sakhno (Shin Hati)
Ukrainian actress Ivanna Sakhno plays the former Jedi and Baylan’s apprentice Shin Hati. Like her master, Shin is searching for Grand Admiral Thrawn, and in the show’s first episode that looks like hunting down Sabine Wren. Sakhno is known for her appearances in Hulu’s High Fidelity, and The Spy Who Dumped Me.
Lars Mikkelsen (Grand Admiral Thrawn)
After Ahskoa inquired after the Grand Admiral Thrawn’s whereabouts in “Chapter 13: The Jedi” in The Mandalorian, it was only a matter of time before the blue-skinned, red-eyed Chiss made his live-action debut. Lars Mikkelsen voiced the ruthless villain in Star Wars Rebels but up until the trailer for Ahsoka his involvement in the Disney Plus show was kept under wraps. Despite being presumably killed in Rebels, Ahsoka believes Thrawn is still lurking somewhere in space (along with Ezra). As pointed out in season three of The Mandalorian, should he still be alive and come to power, it will spell major trouble for the New Republic.
Clancy Brown (Ryder Azadi)
Like Mikkelsen, Clancy Brown finally made his live-action Star Wars debut as Ryder Azadi, the governor of the planet Lothal. Brown previously played the character in Star Wars Rebels and voiced several other roles in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. In Ahsoka‘s season premiere, Ryder commemorates the fall of the Empire with a newly erected monument of Ezra Bridger on the anniversary of the victory. As a respected and revered actor in Hollywood known for his roles in The Shawshank Redemption, Cowboys & Aliens, and John Wick: Chapter 4, Brown’s addition to the Ahsoka cast is yet more proof that Disney is packing this series with as much star power as possible.
Diana Lee Inosanto (Morgan Elsbeth)
The last time we saw Morgan Elsbeth, the former Magistrate of Calodan and one of the last remaining Nightsisters of Dathomir, was in The Mandalorian “Chapter 13: The Jedi.” In the first episode of Ahsoka, Elsbeth is a prisoner inside a New Republic ship. Baylan and his apprentice Shin break her out and together the three of them begin their quest to overthrow the New Republic and restore the Empire to its former glory.
