As a fan of the animated shows, I was optimistic that Ahsoka would be right up my alleyway and for the most part it was. It was a fun, well-shot story with plenty of heart for those who have been looking forward to seeing some of their favourite animated characters in live action. Ahsoka, of course, already had her live-action debut in The Mandalorian, but here she got a chance to continue her beloved character's legacy in more depth.
One of the best episodes of the show was the Clone Wars flashback which once more brought back Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, complete with haunting cinematography as the shadow of Darth Vader looms over the proceedings. As someone who grew up with the prequel trilogy, I've always loved Christensen in the role so it's good to see he's getting the love he deserves in recent Star Wars offerings.
Ahsoka's definitely in her Gandalf era as she transitions to wearing all white after the climax of her emotional journey. I'm looking forward to seeing where her character is taken next if the show gets a second season and there's certainly plenty of material for a sequel. The show ends with Ezra Bridger escaping the planet along with Thrawn though Ahsoka and Sabine Wren are left behind.
It remains to be seen how they'll handle Baylan Skoll's story with Ray Stevenson's passing. Animated show fans will notice his storyline was left on an interesting cliffhanger regarding the Mortis gods, the Father, the Son and the Daughter who in the animated show represented the Light, the Dark and the balance of the Force.
Delving deeper into that lore will be an interesting direction while Ezra and Hera Syndulla search for a way to free Sabine and Ahsoka. I'm looking forward to the potential of Ezra training Hera's son Jacen and continuing Kanan Jarrus' legacy. Hera's political arc in the show was the least interesting for me when the focus was so much stronger on Ahsoka and Sabine but with Thrawn back in the mix, things look set to be heating up in her storyline.
As far as Sabine is concerned, I, like many other fans, am confused about the decision to make her force sensitive. I was enjoying her lightsabre/Jedi training up until she used the force. It felt like a good way for her character to progress and struggle with balance and her obsession with finding Ezra.
A much more interesting Sabine storyline would have been a deeper look into the conflict surrounding her relationship with Ahsoka and the imapct of the fall of Mandalore. Instead, we are simply told about their conflict in passing and their relationship development isn't given the weight it deserves. Still, that's probably to be expected as the show is named after Ashoka, not Sabine.
What did you think of Ahsoka? Are you a fan of the animated shows? Do you think the live action series did the characters justice? Sound off in the comments below!
