Star Wars: 10 Essential Ahsoka Tano Stories

Since her debut over 16 years ago, Ahsoka Tano has gradually become one of the most important Star Wars characters with many essential stories. Initially a young and reckless Padawan learner, Ahsoka quickly grew into a skilled Jedi, questioning the galaxy around her and gaining remarkable wisdom for her age. Ahsoka went on to appear in multiple Star Wars TV shows, and she even had a brief Jedi voice cameo in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

With so many fantastic stories chronicling Ahsoka's journey, it can be hard to keep track of the ones that defined her the most. Certain episodes, story arcs, books, and guest appearances stand out the most for their quality and contribution to Ahsoka's development. From the early days of the Clone Wars to the rise of the New Republic, 10 Star Wars stories are the most essential to understanding the character of Ahsoka Tano.

10 Ahsoka’s First Appearance

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Movie)

The first essential Ahsoka Tano story is the 2008 theatrical film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, in which she made her debut. When a new Padawan learner arrives at the Battle of Chistophsis, Obi-Wan Kenobi believes he will be her new master, but Anakin Skywalker is shocked to realize that Ahsoka has been assigned to him. Although Anakin is initially reluctant, he warms up to Ahsoka after she proves herself, realizing she has a better chance of making it as his Padawan. The two are then tasked with locating Jabba the Hutt's son, who has been kidnapped by the Separatists.

Many Star Wars fans were surprised that Anakin had a Padawan when The Clone Wars premiered, as Darth Vader said he "was but the learner" the last time he saw Obi-Wan. The original plan was to keep Ahsoka as Obi-Wan's Padawan, but George Lucas insisted she should train with Anakin. This decision ultimately paid off, pushing Anakin to become a teacher and kickstarting Ahsoka's Star Wars journey.

9 Ahsoka Framed For Murder

Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 5, episodes 17 – 20

While Ahsoka had several outstanding story arcs throughout Star Wars: The Clone Wars, one of the most defining came in season 5, episodes 17–20. Following an explosion at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Anakin and Ahsoka are tasked with finding the culprit, and they successfully bring the perpetrator to justice. However, just as the suspect is about to reveal the identity of the Jedi behind the bombing, she is choked to death through the Force, and Ahsoka is framed for the crime.

Ahsoka must go on the run to clear her name, and while she is eventually tried and exonerated, the damage has been done. She loses faith in the Jedi Order, choosing to walk away when offered the chance to return. Despite Anakin pleading with her to stay, Ahsoka commits to her decision and walks into the sunset. The Clone Wars was canceled shortly after season 5 ended, leaving Ahsoka's fate a mystery for two years until she returned in Star Wars Rebels.

8 Ahsoka And The Siege Of Mandalore

Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 7, episodes 9 – 12

One canceled Clone Wars arc was the Siege of Mandalore, which would have ended the series with Ahsoka teaming up with the Mandalorians to free their world from Darth Maul. Dave Filoni shared details about the planned finale at Star Wars Celebration Europe in July 2016, and most fans assumed that was the closest they would ever come to seeing it. However, The Clone Wars returned for a seventh and final season in 2020, bringing Ahsoka's Clone Wars story to a proper close.

The episodes show Anakin and Ahsoka's final scene together before he turns to the dark side, returning her old lightsabers with new blue kyber crystals. Ahsoka and Darth Maul have one of the most impressive lightsaber duels in the entire franchise, and Ray Park returned to perform Maul's motion capture as a reference for the animators. Most importantly, this arc shows how Ahsoka survived Order 66 and how having to fight her own men affected her going forward.

7 Crucial Moments Throughout Ahsoka’s Life

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi episode 1; episodes 5 – 6

Sporting the same animation style as The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi includes three episodes about Ahsoka at various points in her journey. Episode 1 "Life and Death" shows Ahsoka using the Force for the first time as a baby, while episode 5 "Practice Makes Perfect" reveals how Anakin trained her to deflect a barrage of laser bolts while surrounded. Episode 6 "Resolve" ends the season with Ahsoka trying to live a peaceful life after Order 66 before she is inevitably discovered by an Imperial Inquisitor.

Tales of the Jedi succeeds at showing Ahsoka's progression as a Jedi while expanding on key aspects of her development. A canceled Clone Wars episode would have featured a flashback of young Ahsoka being taken to the Jedi Temple, and now there's an episode about her first time connecting with the Force. It explains how she could have survived Order 66 when many Jedi could not and reveals her actions immediately after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

6 Ahsoka’s Life After Order 66

Star Wars: Ahsoka by E. K. Johnston

Star Wars: Ahsoka by E. K. Johnston has become a fascinating example of the same story being told in two different ways. The plot is essentially the same as Tales of the Jedi episode 6, with Ahsoka leaving her life as a Jedi behind to live a quiet life on a farm. However, there are a few key differences, aside from one story being a 17-minute episode and the other a 356-page young-adult novel. The Inquisitor who comes after Ahsoka in the book is the Sixth Brother, unlike the unnamed Inquisitor who she swiftly defeats in Tales of the Jedi.

The book reveals that Ahsoka took the red kyber crystals from the Sixth Brother's lightsaber and purified them into the white crystals powering her twin blades. It also features flashbacks to Ahsoka's duel with Maul on Mandalore, which are very different from the Siege of Mandalore arc that would eventually premiere on Disney+. Regardless of how it contradicts the animated shows, it's interesting to see two different accounts of the same basic narrative.

5 Ahsoka Confronts Her Past

Star Wars Rebels season 2, episodes 21 – 22 “Twilight of the Apprentice”

Ahsoka also played an important role throughout Star Wars Rebels season 2, culminating in the two-part finale "Twilight of the Apprentice." Ezra Bridger, Kanan Jarrus, and Ahsoka go to the forbidden world of Malachor, where Jedi and Sith perished in an ancient battle. Along the way, they reluctantly team up with Maul, who has come to Malachor searching for the same Sith knowledge as him. Unfortunately, they are pursued by Imperial Inquisitors, who summon Darth Vader to the planet's Sith Temple.

Ever since Ahsoka was first introduced, Star Wars fans had speculated on what it would be like if she fought Vader. Their lightsaber duel on top of the Sith Temple is beyond what any fan could have dreamed, executed with breathtaking animation and packed with emotion. Ahsoka seeing under Anakin's mask was both a heartfelt and devastating resolution to their story as master and apprentice, and the episode left Ahsoka's fate ambiguous for another two years.

4 Ahsoka Arrives In The Future

Star Wars Rebels season 4, episode 13 “A World Between Worlds”

Viewers hoped Ahsoka would eventually return, but no one could have predicted how she would in Star Wars Rebels season 4. Aptly titled "A World Between Worlds," Ezra Bridger finds himself in a mysterious realm where crucial moments of the Star Wars saga are mysteriously connected through the Force. To his disbelief, he is led to a portal connecting to Ahsoka's duel with Vader, and the Sith Lord prepares to kill his former Padawan, Ezra pulls her into the World Between Worlds.

On top of introducing an entirely new aspect of the Force that drastically recontextualizes the Star Wars universe, this episode is crucial to Ahsoka's journey. It explains how she survived her duel with Vader, forces her to accept that she could not save him, and gives her new purpose. She promises Ezra that she will come and find him when she returns to her own time, setting up her quest in subsequent stories.

3 Ahsoka’s Live-Action Debut

The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5 “Chapter 13: The Jedi”

Having been defined as an animated Star Wars character, Ahsoka finally made her first live-action appearance in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5 "Chapter 13: The Jedi." Continuing her quest after Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka seeks to free a town from Morgan Elsbeth, a servant of Grand Admiral Thrawn. She is tracked down by the Mandalorian Din Djarin, who has been looking for a Jedi who can train young Grogu in the ways of the Force. The two team up to take down Elsbeth, and while Ahsoka doesn't become Grogu's teacher, she does guide them to their next destination.

While this episode successfully brings Ahsoka's design and combat style to live-action, it also shows how she has changed in the decade since the events of Star Wars Rebels. She has become a bit more reserved than she once was, and her experience with Anakin makes her fearful of training a student whose emotional attachments could make them turn to the dark side. This episode defined who Ahsoka would be going forward and set the stage for her journey in the Mandalorian era.

2 Ahsoka Finally Meets Luke Skywalker

The Book of Boba Fett season 1, episode 6 “Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger”

Another interaction Star Wars fans had long waited to see was Ahsoka meeting Luke Skywalker, which finally happened in The Book of Boba Fett. Din Djarin visits Grogu at Luke Skywalker's Jedi Temple on Ossus, only to discover Ahsoka waiting for him. Although Din Djarin is eager to see Grogu, Ahsoka makes him question if he's doing so for Grogu or himself. Ahsoka then talks with Luke as they observe Grogu's training, confirming that they have already met.

While only a brief appearance compared to her spotlight episode in The Mandalorian season 2, seeing Ahsoka talk with the son of her master is incredibly satisfying for longtime fans. It's also interesting how Ahsoka wouldn't train Grogu herself but accepts Luke's decision to do so because it was his choice. Hopefully, future Star Wars stories will have more interactions between them, possibly a flashback to when they first met.

1 Ahsoka Starring In Her Own Live-Action Series

Ahsoka season 1

After years of buildup across several TV shows, Ahsoka finally received her own live-action spinoff. Picking up where The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5 left off, Ahsoka races to track down Grand Admiral Thrawn before Morgan Elsbeth, hoping to find Ezra Bridger as well. She teams up with her former Padawan, the Mandalorian Sabine Wren from Star Wars Rebels, and the two set out on their mission. They are opposed at every turn by villains such as the former Jedi-turned-mercenary Baylan Skoll, his apprentice Shin Hati, and Marrok the Inquisitor.

Ahsoka season 1 is the long-awaited resolution to the cliffhanger ending of Star Wars Rebels and builds on Ahsoka's story from the animated shows. It works in elements of the other Mandalorian era shows, brings several characters and plotlines together, and sets the stage for several upcoming Star Wars projects. Ahsoka season 2 is expected to premiere in 2025, adding another essential chapter to the story of Ahsoka Tano.