WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Ahsoka episodes 1-3.
Summary
- Popular Star Wars animated characters are making the jump to live-action, with Ahsoka Tano leading the way in The Mandalorian and her own show.
- Characters like Saw Gerrera, Bo-Katan Kryze, and Hera Syndulla have also transitioned from animation to live-action in various Star Wars projects.
- Notable characters making their live-action debut also include Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger, Grand iral Thrawn, and the Inquisitors.
Several Star Wars animated characters have made the jump to live-action, especially after The Mandalorian. Animated series have always been part of Star Wars’ legacy, from Droids to Star Wars: Visions. Some of the best Star Wars stories have been told in the animation format, including classic television episodes such as “The Wrong Jedi” or “Twilight of the Apprentice.” Now, as the Star Wars universe continues to expand with live-action TV shows, even more characters from the animated shows are being brought to life.
The Ahsoka show alone includes several examples of characters who originated in animation and are now in live-action, starting with Ahsoka Tano herself. The Mandalorian has also included live-action cameos from popular Star Wars animated characters, not to mention Bo-Katan Kryze’s regular role on the show. This will not consider characters that were designed for live-action movies but for some reason debuted in animation first, namely Boba Fett and General Grievous. Here is every animated Star Wars character who now exists in live-action.
16 Saw Gerrera
From Star Wars: The Clone Wars to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Disney’s Star Wars has revisited many characters from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, starting with Saw Gerrera. Leading up to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars surprisingly announced that Forest Whitaker’s character in the film would be Saw Gerrera, a Clone Wars character. Saw Gerrera was once a resistance fighter whose group, which was on the side of the Republic, was trained by Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars. Rogue One then reinvented Saw Gerrera as a rebel extremist during the Galactic Civil War. Live-action Saw Gerrera would then return in Andor season 1.
15 Ahsoka Tano
From Star Wars: The Clone Wars to The Mandalorian season 2 & Ahsoka
Ahsoka Became Anakin's Padawan During The Clone Wars
Arguably the most important Star Wars character created for an animated show, Ahsoka Tano has an incredible legacy in the franchise. More than 12 years after her debut in Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie, Ahsoka Tano appeared in live-action for the first time in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5, “The Jedi.” Rosario Dawson brought Anakin Skywalker’s former Padawan to life in an episode directed by Dave Filoni, Ahsoka’s co-creator. Dawson has since reprised her role as live-action Ahsoka in The Book of Boba Fett and starred in her own show, Ahsoka. Ashley Eckstein has played Ahsoka Tano in all of her animated appearances.
14 Bo-Katan Kryze
From Star Wars: The Clone Wars & Star Wars Rebels to The Mandalorian
Some Star Wars: The Clone Wars were cast envisioning a future in which those characters would get to appear in a live-action movie. This includes Bo-Katan Kryze, who was designed after and played by Katee Sackhoff. More than a decade later, something similar to what George Lucas and Dave Filoni had imagined happened – Bo-Katan was brought into live-action. After returning for a few Star Wars Rebels episodes, Katee Sackhoff reprised her Star Wars role as Bo-Katan, now in live-action, in The Mandalorian.
13 Hera Syndulla
From Star Wars Rebels to Ahsoka
The Ahsoka series is Star Wars Rebels season 5 in many ways. This includes the returns of most of the crew of the Ghost, starting with Hera Syndulla. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays the live-action version of the rebellion’s best pilot, who is now a general of the New Republic. Live-action Twi’leks are nothing in Star Wars, as they go back to Return of the Jedi. However, having a Twi’lek as one of the main characters in a live-action Star Wars story had never been done before. Hera was played by Vanessa Marshall in Rebels.
12 Sabine Wren
From Star Wars Rebels to Ahsoka
Similar to Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren was originally a Star Wars Rebels character. Now, Natasha Liu Bordizzo brings the Mandalorian rebel to life in Ahsoka, which is reinventing Sabine as Ahsoka Tano’s Padawan. Some of Sabine’s scenes in the Star Wars Rebels finale were even recreated for the Ahsoka show. From the Mandalorian armor to the personality, Ahsoka’s Sabine Wren feels like an extension of the animated character, who is now expected to play a significant role in the Mandoverse. Sabine Wren was played by Tiya Sircar in Star Wars Rebels.
11 Zeb Orrelios
From Star Wars Rebels to The Mandalorian season 3
Unlike most Star Wars Rebels characters, Zeb Orrelios did not make his live-action debut in Ahsoka. Instead, Zeb appeared a few months earlier in The Mandalorian season 3. With a nonchalant cameo whose importance would likely go unnoticed by those who never watched Rebels, Zeb was shown as a ranger of the New Republic in a cantina for soldiers. Zeb was brought into live-action through CGi. Steve Blum, who voiced Zeb in Rebels, reprised his role in The Mandalorian and also did motion capture for the character.
10 Ezra Bridger
From Star Wars Rebels to Ahsoka
Ezra Bridger, originally voiced by Taylor Gray, was Star Wars Rebels’ main character. Ezra sacrificed himself to stop Grand iral Thrawn and disappeared into hyperspace, with his fate becoming one of Star Wars’ biggest mysteries. This mystery would only be addressed five years later in Ahsoka, which features the first live-action version of Ezra. Eman Esfandi plays Ezra Bridger in Ahsoka, and the character is expected to play a huge role in Star Wars’ future.
9 Grand iral Thrawn
From Star Wars Rebels to Ahsoka
Grand iral Thrawn did not debut in a Star Wars animated show. However, in of Disney’s Star Wars canon, Thrawn technically originates from Star Wars Rebels. Thrawn’s character was created by Timothy Zahn for the Heir to the Empire novel, one of the most important entries in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. However, after the Expanded Universe was labeled as Legends, Thrawn was no longer canon. This changed with Rebels season 3, during which Lars Mikkelsen voiced the villain. Mikkelsen is now reprising his role as Thrawn in live-action for Ahsoka. Two decades later, Grand iral Thrawn has finally received a live-action version.
8 Huyang
From Star Wars: The Clone Wars to Ahsoka
Star Wars Rebels is not the only animated Ahsoka is revisiting. Huyang, the Jedi professor droid from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, is now in live-action thanks to Ahsoka. David Tennant, who voiced Huyang in Clone Wars, is reprising his role in Ahsoka. Huyang now s Ahsoka Tano, Bo-Katan Kryze, and Cad Bane as Clone Wars characters that have been brought into live-action.
7 Chopper
From Star Wars Rebels to Ahsoka
Chopper, one of the most beloved and deadly Star Wars Rebels characters, made his live-action debut way before the other Ghost crew . Chopper briefly appeared as an Easter egg in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, when the rebels from Yavin-4 are getting ready for the Scarif mission. “General Syndulla” is also mentioned in the scene, although she does not appear. Live-action Chopper has now returned to the Ahsoka series, appearing alongside Hera Syndulla.
