This piece was assigned during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist. As a company, we stand in solidarity with the writers and actors fighting for fair payment and wages.
Ahsoka Tano is a rare character who has existed throughout every time period of the live-action and animated Star Wars mythos. A soldier, a peacekeeper, a rebel, a farmer, and most famously, the Jedi apprentice to the one and only Anakin Skywalker. Standing the test of time, Ahsoka has many parallels to emo music, both needing to constantly adapt throughout the decades to survive and thrive. Propelling the titular character to a project that is fully her story, this is her jump from club tours to arena tours. Her time is now.
I’ll make my stand right here with my friends.
In this new adventure, Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) is on the hunt to find Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), a threat to the galaxy that will bring on another galactic war. Thrawn was cast away in the far unknown reaches of space at the end of the ‘Rebels’ series by their now-lost friend, Ezra Bridger. So, this hunt is also very personal. She can’t complete this journey alone. So, she seeks the help of Huyang (David Tennant), a droid who helped build lightsabers for Jedi younglings and members of her former crew from the animated series ‘Star Wars Rebels’: Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Sabine Wren (Nastasha Liu Bordizzo).
Hera is a New Republic General, and Sabine Wren is a Mandalorian and also Ahsoka’s former apprentice. Hera is comparable to former Hey Monday frontwoman and all-around incredible songwriter Cassadee Pope, paving the way for women to succeed in the Republic ranks. Pope started her journey in a band but ended up branching out solo and continuing to succeed throughout her career and even reigning in victorious on the third season of ‘The Voice.’ Sabine is similar to Avril Lavigne, punk rock at heart, and has a style that is completely her own. Ahsoka is like the Hayley Williams of this Rebel crew, the fearless leader who matured through life experiences and years on the road.
It’s time to begin again.
After Order 66 wiped out the majority of the Jedi Order, there hasn’t really been a place for Jedi in the galaxy far, far away since then, which happened almost 30 years ago. Since this newfound “peace” in the galaxy after the fall of the Empire in the Original Trilogy, there hasn’t been a need for the Jedi to rebuild. Just like the boom of emo bands such as Yellowcard and Fall Out Boy in the early 00s, they went away for a while but are back and bigger than ever.
There’s something that draws us back to music, as Ahsoka is drawn to the force. Even when the path before you isn’t the one of least resistance, you have the need to follow through. To do what is right and what truly speaks to your heart and soul. Ahsoka training Sabine in the ways of the Jedi has seemingly failed once, but it’s time to try again. To return to the stage and save the galaxy once again.
This is the Star Wars you’re looking for.
‘Star Wars’ TV series’ have been very up and down as far as critic and fan reaction as of late, but ‘Ahsoka’ is a shot of adrenaline to the franchise that was very much needed. A return to form, much like Story Of The Year and Paramore’s latest records ‘Tear Me To Pieces’ and ‘This Is Why.’ Mixing in the nostalgic callbacks with a modern twist. Elevating what made us fall in love in the first place and giving us, even more, to fall head over heels over. The cinematic look and mature tone of this series have the possibility of bringing balance to the ‘Star Wars’ fandom. ‘Ahsoka’ is ‘Star Wars’ releasing their 7th studio album and having the single chart No. 1 on the Billboard Charts.
The first two episodes of ‘Ahsoka’ are streaming now on Disney+.
