Disney debuted “Ahsoka” in live action on Aug. 22, piling on to the growing lineup of recent Star Wars series. Although the dual-wielding Jedi was popular among fans, she had previously flown under the radar as a figure limited to animated Star Wars films, such as “The Clone Wars” and “Rebels.”
While expanding off the original movies, Disney is bringing minor but beloved characters into the mainstream “Star Wars” media. Through its first seven episodes, “Ahsoka” is a compelling and imaginative series, blending the bright elements of the old animated series with intriguing new characters and content.
Since Lucasfilm had finalized the first six movies, the “Star Wars” franchise has turned into a scrambled web, jumping from point to point of an endless saga in the stars. Taking place after the events of the original Star Wars trilogy, the series revolves around the former Rebel Alliance ushering in an era of peace under the New Republic all while defending the peace from lingering remnants of the Empire. Admittedly, seeing a show backed by a lot of prior content can be a turn-off.
The titular character had years worth of animated backstory, the same going for many others in the supporting cast. However, if viewers are looking to expand beyond the movies and watch the newer content, “Ahsoka” is as good a starting point as any, occurring directly after the defeat of the Empire. For fans curious about the events after the original trilogy, the series offers a more straightforward connection than the sequel movies did.
Plus, Disney captured the scenes and settings masterfully, perfectly resembling the masterful world-building of old Star Wars. The live-action glow-up of Lothal, a key planet in the animated Star Wars franchise, came out fantastic; the iconic thin cylindrical towers of the city, a bright white speck in the desert, were reminiscent of the imaginative nuances of Star Wars that launched the movies to fame.
The CGI of the purrgil, “space whales,” also rendered brilliantly in live action, casually floating as a bizarre crossover of a squid and a whale. Their introduction opens up new theories and questions for “Star Wars” fans. The purrgil, capable of traveling through hyperspace and knowledgeable of hyperspace routes unknown to other sentients, can literally open the “Star Wars” franchise to new galaxies, opening the door for more creative and fresh spinoffs.
With “Ahsoka,” the Star Wars franchise is going into uncharted territory. Besides “The Mandalorian,” the events directly after the original “Star Wars” trilogy have been left untouched. “Andor,” “Clone Wars,” and other series have delved into the prequel era, and although they are good shows, the movies constrain and spoil the endings of each respective series. If “Ahsoka” is successful, it will leave a path for content that outgrows the events of the movies.
