Ahsoka Tano has become one of Star Wars' most beloved characters.
If you are an avid follower of Star Wars animated content, including The Clone Wars and Rebels, then you are already plenty familiar with Ahsoka Tano. She is one of the main characters in those projects and has also made brief appearances in The Mandalorian and Boba Fett on Disney+. Now the beloved dual lightsaber-wielding Jedi is set to get a live-action series of her own, on August 22.
Like any character throughout Star Wars lore, Ahsoka has a fascinating backstory and countless connections to characters that we are already firmly familiar with. If she looks familiar, it is probably because you recall her fellow Togruta Shaak Ti dying at the bionic hand of General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith, she was Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan, she shares a distinct ability with Jedi Master Yoda, and so much more.
If the only exposure you have had to the Togruta native has been from Rosario Dawson’s live-action portrayal, then don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here are 10 facts about Ahsoka Tano to get you ready for the premiere.
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(1) Ahsoka Is Togruta
Ahsoka Tano’s story begins with her birth in a small village on the planet of Shili. Located in the Expansion Region between the Inner Rim and the Mid Rim, Shilli is the native world of the Togruta race, a humanoid species characterized by their colorful skin tones, large horns (called montrals), and lengthy head tails. Aside from Ahsoka, other notable Togruta characters include Jedi Master Shaak Ti, Jedi Master Jora Malli, and Supreme Chancellor Kirames Kaj. While Shili is their native planet, the Togruta people have expanded outside of their home world, leaving small, scattered pockets of them to exist throughout the galaxy. As Ahsoka explains in E.K. Johnston’s Ahsoka novel, “There aren’t so many Togruta at large in the galaxy that I fit into a crowd.” —Jacob Kramer
(2) Ahsoka Was Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan
No, Anakin Skywalker technically never earned the title of Jedi Master, but he was still entrusted with training Ahsoka Tano. Tano was first discovered by Plo Koon, a Kel Dor Jedi Master from Dorin, on the planet Shili when she was just 3 years old. Yoda made the decision for Anakin to train Ahsoka, “in order for him to learn the necessity of letting go so he could let go of his past.” While their relationship started off rocky, they quickly became incredibly close, and when Tano decided to leave the Jedi Order (more about that later), Skywalker felt that he was personally responsible. Of course, you all know what became of Anakin Skywalker, and you’ll find out more about his future interactions with Ahsoka later. —Ben Felderstein
(3) Ahsoka Has Dueled Darth Maul Twice
After leaving the Order, Ahsoka captured Maul during the Siege of Mandalore with help from Clone Commander Rex and a division of troops. Tano and Maul dueled in the Sundari Royal Palace, with Ahsoka getting the better of the former Sith, leading to his capture. Tano eventually freed Maul to create a diversion to aid with her escape from the same clones that originally helped her.
Ahsoka and Maul’s second and final duel, which is often considered to be the best lightsaber battle in Star Wars history, takes place during Season 7, Episode 10, “The Phantom Apprentice,” during Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This specific fight is so fascinating because it is meant to be a mirror image of the iconic battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader during The Empire Strikes Back. Down to the choreography, the motives behind the battle, and the fight’s finish, they are eerily similar, just with Ahsoka coming up victorious over Maul as opposed to Vader taking the win over his son, Luke. —Ben Felderstein
(4) Ahsoka Survived Order 66
After capturing Maul, Tano had a vision of Mace Windu dueling with Palpatine (or Darth Sidious) and saw Anakin betray Windu. She knew that something terrible was happening around the universe. She went to inform Rex and the clones that she was with of what she saw, and the troops immediately turned on her in accordance with Order 66. Ahsoka was able to escape the clones' offenses largely due in part to a distraction she created by freeing Maul from captivity. Tano was able to take her friend Commander Rex to the medical bay and get his inhibitor chip removed. The two crash-landed on a nearby moon where the Jedi left her lightsaber behind as a marker of her death, fooling the Empire into believing that she had not survived Order 66. —Ben Felderstein
(5) Ahsoka Wields Two Lightsabers
One of Ahsoka’s most unique and iconic features is her use of two lightsabers. However, it wasn’t always this way; when Ahsoka was first introduced in The Clone Wars animated film, she carried only a single lightsaber with a green blade. It wasn’t until Season 3 of the animated Clone Wars series, in the “Heroes on Both Sides” episode, that we first see her wield a second blade.
She learned the ways of Jar’Kai combat, the art of using two lightsabers simultaneously, after being taught (offscreen) by Jedi Grand Master Yoda. The newfound technique proved incredibly useful in combat, as Ahsoka went on to serve on the frontlines of some of the galaxy’s most unforgiving battles, ultimately cementing herself as one of the most formidable—and badass —duelists in Star Wars canon. —Jacob Kramer
(6) Ahsoka Left the Jedi Order
Simply put, Ahsoka left the Jedi Order because she was accused of a crime that she did not commit. Tano was framed for the bombing of a building on Coruscant, a crime that was actually committed by her former friend Bariss Offee. Like Tano, Offee became unsure of the Order’s actions during the Clone Wars and bombed the building as a sign of her distrust in the Jedi. Anakin apprehended Offee and brought her and her crimes to light during Ahsoka’s trial, exonerating the Togruta native of her crimes. Even though she was offered full reinstatement as a Jedi Knight, Ahsoka turned it down and continued to fight alongside the Rebel Alliance while still maintaining that she is no longer a Jedi. —Ben Felderstein
(7) Ahsoka's Lightsabers Are White
Ahsoka has owned a handful of different weapons throughout her time in the Star Wars franchise, none more recognizable, though, than her iconic white-bladed lightsabers. Tano obtained this pair after defeating an Imperial Inquisitor known as the Sixth Brother, who was sent by Darth Vader to hunt her down. After beating him in battle, Tano used the kyber crystals in the Inquisitor’s double-bladed lightsaber to craft her own set of weapons. Though the lightsaber originally featured a red blade, Tano used her connection to The Force to heal and purify the crystals from the Empire’s corruption, which is ultimately what gave them their pure-white glow.
It’s also important to note that a lightsaber’s color in Star Wars lore reflects the owner’s unique personality and temperament. Dave Filoni, creator of both Star Wars: Rebels and the new live-action Ahsoka series, openly confirmed that Tano’s white lightsabers are meant to accurately reveal her non-affiliation with either the Sith or Jedi Order. —Jacob Kramer
(8) Ahsoka Shares a Force Ability with Master Yoda
Much like another beloved character in the history of Star Wars, Yoda, Ahsoka has the special ability to use The Force to deactivate an opponent’s lightsaber in the middle of a battle. While there isn’t exactly a definitive answer to why we don’t see this more, we did learn in Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, that most Jedis create a Force barrier around themselves while they are dueling. However, Yoda and Ahsoka are incredibly powerful, and we saw them both use this tactic, with the former utilizing it to disarm Asajj Ventress in the Clone Wars and the latter doing it to the Seventh Sister in Rebels. —Ben Felderstein
(9) Ahsoka Has Dueled Darth Vader
Ahsoka Tano fights Darth Vader in the Season 2 finale of the animated TV series Star Wars: Rebels. The long-awaited duel takes place inside a Sith temple on the planet of Malachor, as Ahsoka looks to confront Darth Vader after learning about his true identity as her former Jedi master, Anakin Skywalker. The intense battle reached its climax when Ahsoka managed to remove Vader’s helmet, momentarily revealing his scarred face as she screams, “I won’t leave you. Not this time.” This poignant moment marked a turning point in their confrontation, leading to Ahsoka's decision to ultimately save her former mentor from the temple's collapse. The pivotal duel stands as a defining moment in both characters’ narratives and an equally important moment in the broader Star Wars saga. —Jacob Kramer
(10) Ahsoka Was Created by George Lucas
Ahsoka Tano’s inception came as a collaborative effort between the visionary minds of George Lucas and executive creative director Dave Filoni. When creating the storyline for The Clone Wars, Lucas asked Filoni to center an animated series around Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker—but he also asked for one other thing: for Skywalker to have his own Padawan. Filoni later went on to say: “It was taking Anakin who is young and brash and giving him a responsibility [...] That was something that George had laid out and then I developed.”
Lucas and Filoni wanted to introduce a character that could grow alongside Skywalker and simultaneously provide a fresh take on the Jedi Order. Ahsoka’s unique Togruta heritage, distinct montrals, and her journey from loyal apprentice to an independent force, captured the hearts of audiences across the globe, cementing her status as a fan-favorite character in the Star Wars galaxy. —Jacob Kramer
