The animated series during Star Wars' Clone Wars and takes a drastically different path upon leaving the Jedi Order. The show’s Ahsoka-focused episodes could easily enrich her Clone Wars-era story while preparing viewers for her live-action TV series, but they can just as easily weaken them.
Ahsoka Tano’s popularity has steadily grown since her debut in The Clone Wars. Despite bringing lighthearted heroism to The Clone Wars and having a positive effect on Anakin Skywalker’s characterization, Ahsoka was, unfortunately, not initially well-received by many viewers. As her character developed throughout the series, however, Ahsoka gradually became a fan-favorite character whose later appearances in Star Wars Rebels delighted viewers. Ahsoka finally made her live-action debut in The Mandalorian season 2 and, in addition to an appearance in The Book of Boba Fett, will star in the Star Wars: Ahsoka Disney+ series.
One episode of Tales of the Jedi, “Life and Death,” was shown at 2022’s Star Wars Celebration Anaheim, and it depicted Ahsoka in her early childhood on Shili before ing the Jedi Order. Ahsoka’s following two episodes are unknown for now, but they may explore her days as a Jedi initiate and perhaps an untold story from the early days of the Clone Wars. Tales of the Jedi’s Ahsoka stories can be used to set up Ahsoka’s characterization in the Ahsoka series. In an unlikely scenario, it could also have an adverse effect on her appearances.
How Tales Of The Jedi Can Make Ahsoka's Series Better
One of the most obvious ways that Tales of the Jedi can improve the story of Ahsoka Tano is by setting up her story in the Ahsoka series. It’s all but confirmed that Ahsoka will continue the search for Ezra Bridger in the series, likely facing off against Grand iral Thrawn as well, but Tales can further add to this by introducing new characters and concepts that will reappear in the Disney+ series while tying into Ahsoka’s Clone Wars-era story as well. A more subtle approach may be simply introducing thematic elements that will come into play later in Ahsoka’s Disney+ story.
The simplest way to add to Ahsoka’s story is to simply tell untold stories that harken back to her earlier days, reminding viewers why they like the character in the first place. While Ahsoka’s first Tales episode will tell a story from her time on Shili, one of her Clone Wars-era episodes may simply involve her fighting alongside Captain Rex and Anakin Skywalker, providing longtime The Clone Wars fans with a hefty bit of nostalgia for the show’s early episodes. Tales could even explore some untold stories shortly after Ahsoka’s departure from the Jedi Order, reusing concepts intended for The Clone Wars itself.
Why The Star Wars Animated Series Might Be Bad For Ahsoka
While it’s highly unlikely that Tales of the Jedi will be detrimental to Ahsoka Tano’s story, especially with Dave Filoni writing it, there are some pitfalls it will need to avoid. For instance, with foreknowledge of Ahsoka’s narrative in her Disney+ series, Tales might be tempted to say perhaps too much about her story beats, potentially spoiling elements of Ahsoka. Having concepts like Star Wars' World Between Worlds show up too early might also prove detrimental to Ahsoka’s appearances in both Rebels and her Disney+ series, so tying her episodes into Ahsoka must be done with great care.
Another issue to avoid is having Ahsoka Tano repeat character arcs, be they from The Clone Wars or the Ahsoka series. A large portion of Ahsoka’s appeal is the progression of her characterization from her The Clone Wars introduction to her latest appearances in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Although Star Wars characters will somewhat realistically have to learn the same lessons more than once, Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi will need to avoid backtracking Ahsoka Tano’s character, especially when revisiting her adventures in the Clone Wars era.