Ahsoka Tano left the Jedi Order in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, something that led to her character's journey in the Ahsoka series. Introduced as Anakin Skywalker's Padawan in the animated film, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the character's story continued through various animated shows from Lucasfilm. Although initially only appearing in Star Wars' animated content, Ahsoka has become one of the most beloved characters in the entire franchise - transition into live-action during the New Republic era through The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka.
Throughout the prequel era, Ahsoka was one of the main combatants of the Clone Wars. Despite her loyalty to the ways of the Jedi, her service to the Order did not last long beyond the prequels. This led Ahsoka to work as Fulcrum, a Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War. This was shown in Star Wars Rebels, a show that will greatly inform the Ahsoka series. However, given Ahsoka's status and importance during the time of the New Republic, it is worth exploring why the former Padawan left the Jedi Order in the first place and the effect that will have on the story of the Ahsoka show.
Ahsoka Left The Jedi Order In The Clone Wars
One of Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ best arcs came in season 5, detailing why Ahsoka Tano eventually left the Jedi Order. Much of Star Wars: The Clone Wars was used to delve deeper in the mindsets of many characters, specifically how they felt about the titular conflict. This extended to the Jedi Order, with many stories told during the show centering on whether the Jedi were doing the right thing by fighting as generals against the Separatists.
The main arc that explored this was Ahsoka’s, which saw her character swiftly lose faith in the ways of the prequel-era Jedi. The arc in question saw Ahsoka framed for a crime in the Jedi Temple, a bombing of the building on Coruscant. The arc saw Ahsoka go on the run from the Jedi Order and the Republic after both organizations instantly turned against her despite her commitment to their causes. Eventually, after teaming up with Asajj Ventress, Ahsoka reveals that it was her friend Bariss Offee who committed the bombing, the homicides, and the framing of Ahsoka.
After being apprehended by Anakin Skywalker, Bariss is taken to Ashoka’s hearing where she its to the crime due to her lack of faith in the Jedi Order. Like many others in the galaxy, Bariss began questioning the actions of the Jedi during the Clone Wars, turning on them as a result. Ahsoka is therefore exonerated, being offered the title of Jedi Knight as an apology from the Council. However, rather than immediately accepting her reinstatement, the way the Jedi handled Ahsoka’s trial causes her to become disillusioned with the Order. She rejects their apology and subsequently leaves the Jedi Order.
The Jedi pride themselves on always having a good grasp of things, and yet when it came to it, they couldn't properly handle an investigation concerning one of their own. After being a faithful member of the Jedi Order who was dedicated to following their code, Ahsoka was quickly cast aside, stripped of her rank, and presumed guilty in the aftermath of the accusations against her. In many ways, the Jedi Order felt no different from the Empire, causing Ahsoka to abandon the Order yet continue to fight for the good of the galaxy into the days of the Galactic Civil War.
Ahsoka Still Doesn't Consider Herself A Jedi After The Empire's Fall
As mentioned, Ahsoka goes on to fight alongside the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars Rebels. Despite fighting for what is right, Ahsoka makes it clear throughout Rebels that she does not consider herself a Jedi. This even extends beyond the Empire's fall into the days of the New Republic. Despite being shown to chase down Grand iral Thrawn during The Mandalorian and spending time with Luke Skywalker in The Book of Boba Fett, recent comments from Dave Filoni on Ahsoka's status during her own show prove she still does not adhere to the Jedi Order.
Speaking with Empire about the Ahsoka series, Filoni had this to say regarding Ahsoka's Jedi status:
"She’s a wanderer at this point, and is in a lot of ways wary of any organization as such because of the power that comes with it as a group. She walks a path that basically died out a long time ago, and there aren’t many like her left, if any. So that’s a lonely thing. What is that life like? If you are a loner, you have a very small circle of friends. What is it like, then, when you try to open back up?"
Filoni's comments seem to confirm that Ahsoka still does not consider herself as a Jedi. While she is fighting for the good of the galaxy against Grand iral Thrawn's potential resurgence, she is still very much a loner. As Filoni points out, this stems from her distrust of any organization after the events of The Clone Wars. This was even shown in Rebels, with Ahsoka rarely considering herself part of the Rebel Alliance and more of an outside worker doing what she can to do what is right.
Filoni's comments also seem to hint that Ahsoka might take the titular character on an emotional journey, that being that she will open up to the idea of a family again. This will likely come through the Ahsoka show's cast of characters: Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, and the rest of the Ghost crew from Star Wars Rebels. The journey of Ahsoka may be that she learns to open up again, adhering more to the Jedi ways that she exhibits rather than what the prequel-era Jedi Order did. Regardless, it is interesting that Ahsoka still does not class herself as Jedi.
If anything, Ahsoka's recent Star Wars outings have proven she is what the Jedi should be. From helping those in need like in Clone Wars season 7 to opposing a threat like Grand iral Thrawn, Ahsoka is everything the Jedi should stand for, rather than the dogmatic, militaristic regime of the prequels that she lost faith in. As a result, it is likely the Ahsoka series will explore this aspect of her character, with her leaving the Jedi Order all those years ago having ramifications on Star Wars' future.
Source: Empire
