Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Ahsoka episodes 1 & 2
Summary
- Dave Filoni's first live-action Star Wars series is Ahsoka, showcasing his transition from animation to live-action as the creator of Ahsoka and a longtime apprentice of George Lucas.
- Ahsoka's first two episodes feel like live-action episodes of the animated series Star Wars Rebels, thanks to Filoni's background in animation and his ability to blend emotion and high-intensity action.
- Fans should be excited for the remaining episodes of Ahsoka and for Filoni's live-action project, The Mandalorian movie. With his premiere episodes of Ahsoka, Filoni solidifies his status as a full Jedi Knight in the Star Wars universe.
Star Wars' new Ahsoka premiere episode is all about masters and apprentices, though viewers might have missed the show's most important apprentice. With the very first episode entitled "Master and Apprentice," the ideas of teachers, students, and mentorship is quite a central theme not only in the premiere, but for the entire series, as well. To that end, the release of the new Ahsoka show marks a very important milestone for someone who's arguably the most important apprentice when it comes to the Star Wars franchise.
Set during the New Republic Era fives years after Return of the Jedi, Ahsoka features former Jedi Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) on the hunt for Grand iral Thrawn, a major military leader of the Empire who went missing before its fall but is now set to make his return to lead the Imperial Remnant. Needing the help of her one-time apprentice Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), the two heroines must reunite in order to find Thrawn while also facing dark-side wielding mercenaries such as Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) and his own apprentice, Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno). However, there's another apprentice whose even more crucial than Ahsoka's cast of exciting characters.
Ahsoka Episode 1 Is Dave Filoni's First Live-Action Star Wars Episode
Despite having served as an executive producer on shows such as The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, the new Ahsoka show is Dave Filoni's first true entrance into the world of live-action. Having created and written Ahsoka, Filoni brings the titular character he created back in 2008 from animation to live-action with her very own series. Working directly under Star Wars creator George Lucas on the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars series, Filoni has long been credited as Lucas' very own Padawan, learning from the only person who's ever been truly worthy of the title "master" when it comes to the galaxy far, far away.
As a result, it's quite fitting that Ahsoka's premiere is titled "Master and Apprentice," featuring satisfying homages to the original Star Wars films from Lucas. While the dichotomies between Ahsoka and Sabine as well as those between Baylan and Shin are exciting, along with references to Ahsoka's old master Anakin Skywalker, the true apprentice on display in the premiere is Filoni himself. Proving his ability and all that he's learned from Lucas over the years while overseeing Lucasfilm's animated projects, the student is becoming the master.
How Dave Filoni's Animation Background Informed Ahsoka Episode 1
It's remarkable just how much the first two episodes of Ahsoka feel like live-action episodes of the animated Star Wars Rebels series (also from Filoni). Having been guided by Lucas at the beginning of his career in animation with Lucasfilm, it's evident that Filoni is taking those same lessons and applying them to the transition to the new live-action medium. Just as Filoni has always done, there are several key moments of genuine emotion featured between scenes of high-intensity action, keeping one eye on the legacy of Star Wars and its past while also exploring brand-new spaces at the same time.
To that end, Star Wars fans should be very excited about the rest of Ahsoka and its remaining six episodes. However, there's also The Mandalorian movie coming from Filoni as well, a culmination of the Mandoverse's events that serves as the director's first live-action project on the big screen. If he wasn't already, Filoni should definitely be undoubtedly a full Jedi Knight following Ahsoka's premiere episodes.
Ahsoka releases new episodes Tuesdays at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Disney+.