No Star Wars story is complete without an endearing droid sidekick. The original trilogy and the prequels had R2-D2 and C-3PO, Rogue One had K-2SO, and even The Mandalorian paired its droid-averse bounty hunter with the stone-cold IG-11.
Ahsoka is carrying on the tradition with Professor Huyang (David Tennant), an ancient droid with an encyclopedic memory. While his role in the Star Wars saga was brief before the new Disney+ series, he’s a key figure in the history of the Jedi. He may even be older than the Order itself.
Huyang is roughly 25,000 years old, which makes you wonder how he’s retained 75% of his original parts. His origins are murky, but he’s spent most of his life in service to the Jedi. For thousands of generations, he assisted aspiring Jedi in constructing their lightsabers. He’d guide groups of younglings on a quest called The Gathering, which saw them collect kyber crystals to construct their Jedi weapons.
As seen in the first two episodes of Ahsoka, Huyang retains an extensive catalog of every Jedi lightsaber ever assembled. He also remembers every prospective Jedi that crossed his path, which is why he can identify the series’ ex-Jedi turned mercenary, Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson).
Huyang’s knowledge extends beyond weaponry. Per the official Star Wars databanks, he possesses a “repository of ancient Jedi lore.” He’s basically a living encyclopedia, one with exacting data on the origins of the Jedi Order. His knowledge may prove useful to surviving Jedi attempting to establish a new Order, but it also makes him one of the most valuable characters in Ahsoka, and his talents aren’t being put to great use thus far.
Huyang occupies an interesting role in the series. To Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson), he’s a jack of all trades, not just a source of Jedi history but a pilot and confidant too. His staunch programming also makes him an apt vessel for comic relief. But beyond identifying rogue ex-Jedi or serving as a buffer between Ahsoka and the angsty Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), is there anything more for Huyang to really do?
There’s a sense that Huyang’s talents could be better used elsewhere. While Ahsoka and Sabine set out on a search for Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), Luke Skywalker is working to rebuild the Jedi Order. And unlike Ahsoka, who has the luxury of being trained at the height of the Jedi’s power, Luke is pretty much going it alone. Huyang could be a great resource for the new Jedi academy. His experience could be the one thing standing between the Jedi’s success and a second extinction.
Time will tell whether Ahsoka finds a way to acknowledge Huyang’s importance. But even if he is little more than a C-3PO figure moving forward, he’s still one of the best parts of the series.
