Lucasfilm’s latest Disney+ series, Ahsoka, occupies an interesting place in Star Wars history. Like The Mandalorian, it takes place shortly after the events of the original trilogy, which covered the conflict between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance.
While this new time period is chock full of possibilities for showrunner Dave Filoni, it’s also bringing legacy character Ahsoka Tano back into the fold. Her early history is well documented in The Clone Wars, but her life during the Empire’s reign is more nebulous. As a character, Ahsoka is relatively new; she was created by George Lucas in the early ‘00s, so she wasn’t in the original trilogy. But that doesn’t mean she wasn’t active. If you’ve been wondering how the franchise explains away Ahsoka’s absence from the original trilogy, the answers are in less-explored chapters of her story.
The Age of the Empire, Ahsoka, and Tales of the Jedi
After The Clone Wars ended, Dave Filoni joined forces with author E.K. Johnston to continue Ahsoka’s story. They partnered on Ahsoka, a young adult novel that followed the ex-Jedi in the years following Order 66. After participating in the Siege of Mandalore, Ahsoka fled to the Outer Rim, taking on the pseudonym Ashla and settling on the moon of Raada.
There, Ahsoka served as a mechanic and befriended the local farmers. But her peace is shortlived: the Empire visits the remote moon, and quickly exploits its occupants for Imperial gain. Ahsoka builds a grassroots resistance movement with the help of her new friends, which grows into an all-out uprising. Her efforts catch the eye of Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan, who’s organizing his own resistance.
Ahsoka’s time on Raada and her relationship with Bail are also explored in an episode of Tales of the Jedi, “Resolve.” The senator is keen to recruit Ahsoka after the loss of his greatest ally, Padmé Amidala. While Ahsoka initially refuses to join the fight against the Empire, a fight with an Inquisitor during her self-imposed exile changes her mind. Ahsoka teams up with Bail shortly after, and becomes one of his first undercover operatives, Fulcrum.
Becoming Fulcrum, Star Wars: Rebels
Ahsoka’s journey continued in Star Wars: Rebels. She’s first introduced as Fulcrum; while her identity remained a secret throughout Season 1, she assists the Spectres (particularly Hera Syndulla) on missions across the Outer Rim. Once the Spectres join the larger Rebellion, Ahsoka reveals her identity. She later works closely with Jedi Kanan Jarrus and his padawan, Ezra Bridger.
Since Ahsoka isn’t the main character of Rebels, her role is as a guiding figure to Kanan and Ezra. Her missions with the Spectres become focused on defeating the Empire’s Force-wielding assets, like Sith Inquisitors and even Darth Vader. She and Ezra later explore the mystical World Between Worlds, and while Ezra goes on to face Grand Admiral Thrawn, Ahsoka commits herself to studying the metaphysical realm.
Not much is known about Ahsoka’s life after her time in the World Between Worlds, but it’s safe to assume her lost years were spent on a spiritual journey there. Her next appearance comes years after the fall of the Empire, in the second season of The Mandalorian, which makes this period of her life one of the character’s bigger mysteries. Whether any of her lost years will be addressed in Ahsoka remains to be seen. But Filoni and his team have the freedom to continue her story without worrying about continuity, so it’s full steam ahead from here.
