Who is Ahsoka and when does the series take place?

For those who have not followed, we remind you that ‘Ahsoka is a character who originally appeared in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. She is initially Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice, before she was expelled from the Jedi Order. A never-before-seen character never seen in the movies, the Togruta has quickly established itself as one of the most popular figures in the Expanded Universe. Without too many surprises, we saw him again later in the animated series Star Wars Rebels, which we will talk a lot about today. Finally, we had to wait for season 2 of The Mandalorian to discover Ahsoka “in real life”, embodied by Rosario Dawson.

For this mini-series dedicated to the character, Ahsoka takes place between 7ABY and 9ABY, seven and nine after the Battle of Yavin (Star Wars IV: A New Hope) and therefore three and five years after Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi. In other words, the action takes place before the events of the first season of The Mandalorian. Moreover, the show is part of what is called the Mandoverse, that is to say this period after the fall of the Empire which includes the series which revolve around The Mandalorian. This whole section of the Star Wars universe will culminate in a film scheduled for 2026 directed by Dave Filoni, an important figure at Lucasfilm who worked on The Clone Wars, Rebels, The Mandalorian and therefore Ahsoka.

Ahsoka, season 5 of Rebels who does not say her name?

Throughout the trailer, we discover characters well known to Star Wars fans who will surely not speak to the general public. In addition to Ahsoka, this trailer is the opportunity to see the characters of Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wreck for the first time in live-action. The first is embodied by Mary Elyzabeth-Winstead (Ramona Flowers in Scott Pilgrim vs The World) and the second by Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Snow Vase in Tiger and Dragon 2). If these names mean nothing to you, know that they are two of the main characters of the Star Wars Rebels series. In this show which takes place between Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars IV: A New Hope, we follow a band of rebels with these two fighters, but also Zeb, Kanan Jarrus, Chopper and especially Erza Bringer, the main character that we see in hologram in the trailer, embodied for the first time in live-action by Eman Esfandi.

To present them to you quickly, Hera Syndulla is a green-skinned Twi’lek and one of the best pilots in the galaxy leading the Ghost. For her part, Sabine Wreck is a Mandalorian with colorful hair and clothes who has a penchant for graffiti and art in general. After the events of Star Wars Rebels, the latter decides to stay on Lothal to watch that the Empire does not return. And while we’re talking about Rebels, we also see an Inquisitor in the trailer, namely fighters introduced for the first time in the animated series and found in several Star Wars content since, including the Star Wars Jedi games. In addition to these protagonists well known to fans, this trailer also reveals a major antagonist: Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Character from the previous extended universe before the takeover by Disney, the latter was reintroduced in Star Wars Rebels. With his blue skin and eyes, the Chiss is one of the Empire’s most brilliant strategists, renowned for his tactics and unparalleled intelligence. Thanks to its popularity, Disney has decided to make him the main antagonist of the Mandoverse in the film due in 2026 which will serve as the climax to this part of the Star Wars universe. To fully understand where this character’s aura comes from, you have to know that he was the central enemy of the novel series. The Mad Jedi’s Dark Crusade which is often seen as a worthy saga of the original trilogy. Just that.

A series capable of bringing back the Star Wars hype?

Beyond all the elements that we recognize in this trailer, it also hints at a series that perfectly reproduces the Star Wars spirit that has made the saga so popular over the decades. Between the different planets, the spaceship pursuits and especially the lightsaber duels, everything seems to come together to offer an adventure that has something to satisfy the general public. If we find what people appreciate in Star Wars, we also discover a lot of new things. Already, we follow a group of exclusively female characters, something rare enough in Star Wars to be specified. And then, we have to do with new antagonists with Baylan Skoll, a former Jedi who survived Order 66 and who fled to the Unknown Regions, and his apprentice, Shin Hati. Both wield orange lightsabers and work with Grand Admiral Thrawn, hinting at their intentions and temptation to the dark side of the Force.

Between the references for the fans and what his adventure teases, Ahsoka promises to be the series capable of bringing back the hype around Star Wars projects. We can’t wait to discover all this from August 23 exclusively on Disney +.