Ahsoka Tano begins wielding two lightsabers starting in Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 3, and Dave Filoni believes the story behind this should not be told. Ahsoka Tano never became a true Jedi, having been a Padawan throughout the Clone Wars and leaving the Jedi Order before being knighted. Ahsoka’s signature green-bladed lightsaber is joined by a shoto with a green-yellow blade roughly halfway through season 3.
In a 2011 interview with IGN, The Clone Wars showrunner Dave Filoni answered a question about Ahsoka Tano’s second weapon, revealing that he has given its backstory plenty of thought.
It's usually a story we stay away from. It's something I learned from George. It's like Luke shows up in Jedi, with his new lightsaber. Now we know there was a deleted scene where we see him finishing it, but we don't explain where he got the crystal, we don't explain how he got the parts. And George just feels strongly that it's just there. We just go into it. We don't explain it. It just happens.
This raises a fascinating point about Star Wars storytelling in general, but in this case, it means even more for Ahsoka. For her to have a lightsaber rite of passage that's similar to Luke Skywalker himself proves that the decision to give Ahsoka a second saber wasn't made lightly - and now, it's become a hallmark of her character.
Star Wars Has Turned Ahsoka's Two Blades Into Her Trademark Weapons
Of course, the construction of Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber was already shown in Steve Perry’s Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, and while the story behind Ahsoka Tano’s shoto remains untold, part of her early Jar'Kai training would be shown in the Star Wars Forces of Destiny episode “Teach You, I Will.” Filoni would further explain in the interview that it was Anakin who suggested that Ahsoka take up Jar'Kai, as it would complement her already speedy fighting style and grant her additional offensive and defensive maneuvers. Jar'Kai would be especially useful against opponents like General Grievous.
Anakin would tinker with Ahsoka’s lightsabers following her departure from the Jedi Order, turning their kyber crystals – and thus blades – blue.
Sadly, the defensive capabilities of Ahsoka’s two lightsabers would be put to the ultimate test during Order 66, as shown in The Clone Wars’s multipart series finale. After leaving her weapons behind at the wreckage of the Tribunal, Ahsoka would continue to practice Jar'Kai with two new weapons – a lightsaber and a shoto, each with white blades. With Ahsoka’s shoto having been destroyed by Morgan Elsbeth, however, she is now seemingly forced to revert to her original Shien fighting style.
12 Years Later, Anakin Skywalker Explained Ahsoka's Training
Another glimpse at Ahsoka’s Clone Wars-era training is shown in the Ahsoka TV series, with Tano playing a holographic recording of Anakin Skywalker. While the training session does not explain why Ahsoka adopts the Jar'Kai fighting style, it does coincide with Dave Filoni’s stated reason for it. Anakin wanted Ahsoka to maximize her defensive and offensive abilities and utilize a fighting style that took advantage of her aptitudes during the events of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
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