06 Feb Ahsoka Tano | What to Watch Before You See the Ahsoka Television Series

The Ahsoka Tano television series aired on Disney Plus at the end of August 2023. I was so excited I couldn’t contain myself, but with the Writers and SAG-AFTRA strike in full force, most of us content creators didn’t write about it in support of the strike. But in lieu of Ahsoka Tano Day, I think it’s a good time to share a post I wrote during the strike to save for the perfect time…

What is Ahsoka Tano Day?

January 29, 2024 has been dubbed Ahsoka Tano Day by fans who love her character. It was the day that Ahsoka was first introduced to the world in 2008. Some celebrated at Disney with an appearance by Ashley Eckstein, voice of Ahsoka in the Clone Wars. Others wore Ahsoka-inspired outfits and cosplayed as the amazing Padawan turned Rebel turned Master of the Force.

Me? I celebrate Ahsoka Tano Day pretty much everyday by wearing my RockLove Ahsoka necklace, TeeTurtle Tano tees, or paying homage to my collection of Ahsoka POPs.

I also watched my favorite Ahsoka Clone Wars episodes and the Ahsoka television series. And now we’ve come full circle.

Ahsoka Lives!

It feels like we’ve been waiting on this show for years – for anything starring one of our favorite characters from Star Wars’ The Clone Wars. Ever since Ahsoka stepped onto the scene as Anakin Skywalker’s new padawan, I was absolutely invested in her character, her story, and her future in the Star Wars galaxy.

For those of you who aren’t fans of Star Wars, let me apologize now. I am a huge fan and I love everything about the Galaxy. Save for that last bit of which we shall not speak. If you’d like to know more,  I hope you stick around. But I promise this entire blog won’t be only Star Wars.

Probably. 🙂

Meeting Star Wars

I entered the Star Wars galaxy with wide-eyed wonder. Hubs insisted that we watch the entire series before going to see the Last Jedi. As soon as we heard that the movie was coming to theaters, we planned our strategy. We were able to watch a movie a weekend, plus the Clone Wars, and Rebels before the last trilogy started. It was the epitome of movie nights and it was epic!

#dedication

I had always wanted to watch Star Wars, but sci-fi was not supported in my home growing up. It was hard to geek out over the things I really wanted to in a super Christian home where Pokemon were considered demons. ::eye roll:: Needless to say, I was entranced with the story and the characters, and I fell in love with the far, far away galaxy.

By the time Hubs and I completed our TV marathon adventure, I was a full-fledged fan. I took to educating myself about every aspect of all of the goodness I’d missed out on – I had a lot of catching up to do. I read books, articles, watched videos, and even re-watched episodes for deeper understanding. Hubs just smiled every time I came bouncing through the door after work sharing with him the last book I had listened to on Audible during my commute. After a while, he simply shook his head as he realized that this Padawan had finally surpassed the Master’s knowledge of the Force. She had became a full-fledged…

…sith?

Mua-ha-ha-ha… Bet you didn’t see that coming.

Clone Wars and Meeting Ahsoka

Needless to say, the last trilogy was (in my personal opinion) lacking, and I ran back to the Clone Wars to cleanse my palette.

I rewatched the series and got to know Ahsoka Tano a bit better. I liked her from the beginning, but now I understood her. Then I realized that I started to see a bit of myself in Ahsoka. With every episode, I loved her and Anakin and their evolving friendship. It helped me to understand Star Wars a little more, and the relationships between Master and Apprentice. I grew even more fond of Ahsoka Tano and she soon surpassed my adoration for even Princess Leia. 

I know. Leia is everything. But Ahsoka is more attainable… approachable, even.

Even More Star Wars

Then we were gifted with Disney+ and so many new Star Wars television series. I lost my mind as we saw some of our favorites return to the screen. We even met some new and amazing characters. Not counting the animated shows, amazing documentaries, and classic Star Wars television, if you’re a subscriber you can now watch even more Star Wars! You have “The Mandalorian”, “The Book of Boba Fett”, “Obi-Wan Kenobi”, “Andor”, and now, FINALLY, “Ahsoka”. I can’t tell you how long fans of Ahsoka Tano have been waiting for a stand-alone series.

Dave Filoni is the director, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor responsible for the creation of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He is also the creator and executive producer of Ahsoka the television series. He really came through, and in just a couple of days we will finally see Ahsoka Tano in action!

“squeeeeeeee!!!”

The Clone Wars

If you’ve never heard of Ahsoka Tano, that’s okay. You will receive no judgment on this blog. You will not remember her from any of the six movies in the first and second Star Wars trilogies because she isn’t there. Ahsoka was created for The Clone Wars (an animated Star Wars story series) and played a starring role alongside Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padmé Amadala, Palpatine, and others. 

There is so much to know about Star Wars, and I don’t want to make this post an encyclopedic essay on the entire series. But I will share links where you can find information on shows and the story as a whole. For now, here is a brief description of the Clone Wars from Wookiepedia:

“The Clone Wars (22–19 BBY) was a galaxy-spanning conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which had seceded from the Republic. Also referred to as the Clone War, it was named after the clone troopers used by the Grand Army of the Republic against the Separatist Droid Army. With both being fielded in enormous numbers by each respective side, they were the largest military forces in galactic history, and fighting between them swept through the galaxy for three, nearly four, years.”

A Spoiler-Free Watch List

It’s hard to find a spoiler-free description of Ahsoka. I see red whenever someone online spoils a show for everyone else because they want to be the first to talk about how they’ve seen it. At this point, it would be hard trying not to spoil the Star Wars story for any newcomers on this blog. The movie first came out in 1977, after all. 

I was lucky not to have any of it spoiled for me, and the feeling of getting to see everything that transpires for the first time on my own… there is nothing like it. I mean, I got to feel the feels and come to my own conclusions about the characters and the story without having my view tainted by another, often very biased view. Even naming the shows Ahsoka appears in can be seen as a slight spoiler – but at this point that can’t be helped because, I mean, she’s back for her own series. And since the Ahsoka series has been out since August 2023, it would be difficult not spoiling that, as well. But I will try my best.

So without spoiling major details of the stories, I wanted to compile a watch list. This is for those of you who may want to watch for the first time and just need to know where to start so you’re caught up to Ahsoka’s story by the time you sit down to join in on Ahsoka’s adventures.

Who is Ahsoka Tano?

Thank you, Wikipedia, for telling us who Ahsoka is in a brief introduction without spoiling the entire unaired series for us. I’ll post that description below because the page will go into detail for each story. And maybe you want to read about her history – that’s cool – here’s the Wiki-link.

“Ahsoka Tano is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise. Introduced as the 14-year-old Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker in 2008, she is a supporting character in the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) and the subsequent animated television series (2008–2014; 2020). Ahsoka reappears in the sequel series Star Wars Rebels (2014–2018) as a member of the Rebel Alliance, under the codename Fulcrum; in the live-action film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) as a voiceover cameo; and in the miniseries Tales of the Jedi (2022). She is voiced by Ashley Eckstein, who also narrated the audiobook version of the novel Ahsoka (2016), following the character’s exploits in-between the events of The Clone Wars and Rebels under the alias Ashla, which was ultimately adapted as “Resolve”, the first season finale of Tales of the Jedi.

In 2020, Ahsoka made her first live-action debut in the second season of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, portrayed by Rosario Dawson. Dawson reprised the role in a 2022 episode of the spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett, and is set to star in her limited series, Ahsoka, in 2023.”

Where to Watch Ahsoka

There is so much more to Ahsoka’s character, but you really have to see it for yourself. I encourage this. And you have a little time to fully dive into this world by way of watching some of the primary Ahsoka shows. Don’t worry, if you don’t know where to start, I’ll give you a rundown based on my own viewing history and opinion, and with a little help from Disney+, where you can find key Ahsoka episodes outlined for you to watch.

I am not a Disney expert, so the order I suggest may be debatable. That’s fair. But this would have helped me understand her character better, and this post is specifically about Ahsoka Tano and the upcoming television series. Even now, watching Ahsoka on screen gives me chills – in a good way. I am so emotionally invested in Star Wars, but it is Ahsoka’s character that leaves me breathless every time. 

I am also not a Disney Plus affiliate. I am not a big enough name for them to approve me as an affiliate. Whatever. I’m still a subscriber and am grateful that we can afford to watch the shows we love from our couch at home.

Essential Ahsoka Episodes to Watch in Order

ONE. Start with the Clone Wars Animated Movie

No matter what anyone says, I believe this is the first essential introduction to both Ahsoka Tano and her relationship with Anakin Skywalker. Personally, I enjoyed this prequel to the Clone Wars and I’m not going to let anyone sway my opinion on that.

Sidenote: There are many movies and shows in the Star Wars canon that some consider non-essential simply because they simply don’t ‘like the movie’. But as a Star Wars fan, I’m looking at more than just shallow biases. I’m looking at how each individual character and their stories relate to the entire saga as a whole. What can learn from this character and how do they contribute to the general plot – even in a small way? What you may learn because someone’s advice is skewed based on whether they like an actor, a character, or an idea greatly affects your knowledge of the overall story and potential growth of a character. My advice is to watch the Star Wars movies in their entirety to get the whole story – origins and all. It’s part of the story, so why not watch the entire story?

There’s a life lesson there, somewhere…

My point? Never allow others to tell you what to like or what not to like. Don’t be so easily swayed by a loud minority on, really, anything. And more important – if you want to watch something, watch it. If you like a character, then you like that character. You don’t have to explain your personal preferences to anyone at any time.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

Now back to your regularly scheduled watch list:

TWO. Before you delve into the rest of the amazing Clone Wars show, learn a bit more about Ahsoka’s childhood origins in Tales of the Jedi, Episode One.

This is a short story that tells of Ahsoka’s birth and potential for her power in the Force.

Next, dive into the Clone Wars. I got help from Disney+ for this part. They had an Ahsoka Tano Essential Episodes section under Star Wars. It’s a lot, but if you want to be caught up when you get to the television series then you should settle in for a weekend watch party. Honestly, I would just watch the entire Clone Wars series if you hadn’t seen it because Ahsoka is an essential part of every episode. And because that is one of the best shows in the franchise, in my opinion. 

THREE. Watch Ahsoka in the Clone Wars.

Here are the essential Ahsoka episodes in Clone Wars, Seasons 1-7 (with a short Tale or two):

Season One, Episode 2
Season One, Episode 19
Season Three, Episode 21
Season Three, Episode 22
Season Five, Episode 17
Season Five, Episode 18
Season Five, Episode 19
Season Five, Episode 20
Season Seven, Episodes 5-11*

FOUR. *Don’t watch the last episode of The Clone Wars, Season Seven just yet. Go back to Tales of the Jedi and watch Episode 5: Practice Makes Perfect.

FIVE. Now watch The Clone Wars Season Seven, Episode 12.

SIX. Next go back to Tales of the Jedi and watch the last Ahsoka episode: Episode 6: Resolve.

Now it’s time for the essential Rebels episodes:

(OPTIONAL)

Ahsoka isn’t in the first two episodes, but if you have time, you should get to know the characters in the show by watching Star Wars Rebels, Episodes 1-2. In fact, if you want another amazing Star Wars television experience, just watch the entire Rebels series.

SEVEN. Watch Ahsoka in Rebels.

Here are the essential Ahsoka episodes in Rebels:

Season One, Episode 15
Season Two, Episode 1
Season Two, Episode 2
Season Two, Episode 18
Season Two, Episode 21
Season Two, Episode 22
Season Four, Episode 12
Season Four, Episode 13

And now it’s time to delve into some of the more recent television series that have all the fans so excited.

EIGHT. The Mandalorian Season Two, Episode 5

NINE. The Book of Boba Fett Season One, Episode 6

And that’s the list. It looks like about 24 hours of viewing time. I hope that you love Ahsoka Tano as much as many of us do. If not, that’s okay – there are still many more characters in the far away galaxy for you to love. And if not Star Wars, there are many more fandoms out there to geek out over.

So until the next fandom, you geeks!

Have you already seen the Ahsoka television series? What did you think? (Please no toxic negativity, please. Honest and thoughtful responses only!)