With Ahsoka Season 2 officially in development, Rosario Dawson is finally about to become synonymous with the fan-favorite Jedi.
The 45-year-old actress first played Ahsoka in The Mandalorian Season 2 episode, “Chapter 13: The Jedi” in late 2020. And while she only made one more appearance in the two years that followed, in The Book of Boba Fett (2021) episode, “Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger”, she ended up headlining her own Disney+ series, consisting of eight episodes.
But while Dawson is now becoming synonymous with the live-action version of the character, it was Ashley Eckstein who first brought Ahsoka to life in 2008, in the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars. And she has continued to play her ever since — not just in Star Wars‘ animated shows, but across all media, including audiobooks and video games.
Still, with Rosario Dawson returning to play the character in the second season of Ahsoka, and with a possible cameo planned in the upcoming film, The Mandalorian and Grogu (TBA), it’s plain to see that there’s not much room for Eckstein to show up in live action.
However, while Dawson may have “replaced” Eckstein as Ahsoka, the voice actress returned to play Ahsoka in one of the live-action Star Wars films. In 2019, Ahsoka made her second appearance on the silver screen, in Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
During the third act, where Rey (Daisy Ridley) is near death following her initial encounter with Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), she reaches out to several dead Jedi using the Force. Ashley Eckstein’s Ahsoka Tano is one of many voice cameos speaking to Rey in that scene, alongside Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Mace Windu (Samuel L Jackson).
Presumably, this means Ahsoka has died by this point in the film (although the end of her story in Star Wars is yet to be told).
Related: 13 Characters From the Original ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy Ranked
Naturally, this continues to cause some confusion among fans, who wonder why Rosario Dawson wasn’t asked to voice the character in The Rise of Skywalker instead of Ashley Eckstein, considering the film takes place some 30 years after the Ahsoka series.
However, Dawson hadn’t actually been cast as Ahsoka until 2020, which marked her first appearance in live action. This explains why Eckstein was the first choice. It’s just a shame we didn’t get to see Ahsoka appear with all the other Force Ghosts in that scene.
Another aspect about this voice cameo that confuses fans is the fact that Eckstein represents the younger version of Ahsoka.
As such, some believe that Ashoka isn’t even dead during this scene, and is speaking to Rey from a different point in time using the World Between Worlds, the mystical dimension where time and space don’t exist, as seen in Star Wars: Rebels (2014 — 2018) and Ahsoka.
But one could debunk this theory by pointing out that, in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 — 2020) Season 7 episode “”Shattered”, Ahsoka hears, through the Force, the voices of Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker), Samuel L Jackson (Mace Windu), and Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine), as opposed to their Clone Wars counterparts, during the scene in the Senate chambers where Anakin and Palpatine kill Windu in Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith (2005), courtesy of audio lifted from the film.
In other words, it’s nothing more than a voice cameo, so don’t think too much about it.
Related: ‘Snow White’s Rachel Zegler Could Join Live-Action ‘Clone Wars’ Movie as Ahsoka
Either way, while Dawson is the “new” Ahsoka, and will pick up the lightsabers again in Ahsoka Season 2, hopefully we’ll still get to Eckstein play the character in live action some day. This could cause even more confusion, of course, but there’s always room for more than one actor to play a beloved Star Wars character, which the live-action Disney+ series has already proven by casting Ariana Greenblatt (Barbie) as the young Clone Wars-era Ahsoka.
Until such a time, here are all the Ahsoka appearances from Ashley Eckstein and Rosario Dawson.
Ashley Eckstein’s Ahsoka Tano Appearances
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Movie)
Ashley Eckstein’s first appearance as Ahsoka Tano was in the theatrical animated film, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which was developed into the animated television series of the same name that year. In the film, the 14-year-old Togruta padawan is placed under the tutelage of Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter), who gives her the nickname “Snips.”
Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Television Series)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars spans the three years between Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith. Ashley Eckstein reprises her role as Ahsoka Tano, who appears in the majority of episodes as one of the lead characters, alongside the likes of Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter), Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), and Captain Rex (Dee Bradley Baker).
Star Wars: Rebels (2014 — 2018)
Ashley Eckstein returned to the faraway galaxy in the follow-up animated series, Star Wars: Rebels, alongside the titular characters, Hera Syndulla (Vanessa Marshall), Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray), Sabine Wren (Tiya Sircar), Zeb Orrelios (Steve Blum), and Chopper (Dave Filoni).
She made her debut in Season 1’s “Fire Across the Galaxy”, but disappears in the Season 2 finale, “Twilight of the Apprentice.” However, she makes an epic return in Season 4’s “A World Between Worlds.”
Rebels takes place 14 years after The Clone Wars Season 7 and spans four years.
Related: A Recap of Ahsoka Before You Watch the Live-Action Series
“Ahsoka” by EK Johnston
While Ashley Eckstein doesn’t “play” Ahsoka Tano in the novel, “Ahsoka” (2016), by EK Johnston, which takes place a few years after the events of The Clone Wars Season 7, she does lend her vocal talents to the audiobook version (although the story is told in third person, which makes Eckstein’s welcome presence sort of strange overall).
Star Wars Video Games
Ashley Eckstein is a voice actress who has certainly broken down many barriers when it comes to all the mediums of storytelling. Along with animated movies, animated shows, and audiobooks, she also voiced Ahsoka in four Star Wars video games: “Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Lightsaber Duels” (2008), “Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Republic Heroes” (2009), “Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars” (2011), and “Disney Infinity 3.0” (2015).
Star Wars: Forces of Destiny
Ashley Eckstein voiced Ahsoka Tano in a 2D animated web series Star Wars: Forces of Destiny (2017– 2018). Set across multiple eras of the Star Wars timeline, the animated shorts follow iconic female Star Wars characters such as Qi’ra (Olivia Hack), Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong’o), Rey (Daisy Ridley), Padmé Amidala (Catherine Taber), Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran), and Princess Leia Organa (Shelby Young).
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi
Eckstein’s most recent performance as Ahsoka Tano was in Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2022), which follows The Clone Wars‘ animation style, with three episodes spanning the character’s life from birth to her time training as a padawan with Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars.
The other three episodes in the limited series follow Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus (Corey Burton).
Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker
Ahsoka Tano doesn’t make a physical appearance in Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker, but we do hear Ashley Eckstein’s voice, along with the spirits of many other dead Jedi such as Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), Yoda (Frank Oz), and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), speak to Rey from within the Force, as she prepares to battle Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid). Ahsoka simply says, “Rey.”
Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano Appearances
The Mandalorian Season 2
Rosario Dawson first brought Ahsoka Tano to life in live action in The Mandalorian Season 2 episode, “Chapter 13: The Jedi”, in which Din Djarin/The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu find her on the forest planet of Corvus. So far, it’s her only appearance in the show, which takes place five years after Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983).
The Book of Boba Fett
Rosario Dawson returned as Ahsoka Tano for the second time in The Book of Boba Fett episode, “Chapter 6: From the Desert Comes a Stranger”, alongside Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Din Djarin, and Grogu. Her time in the episode is fleeting, and it’s really her episode in The Mandalorian that sets up her own live-action series on Disney+.
Ahsoka
Rosario Dawson returned as everyone’s favorite Togruta Jedi in Ahsoka, leading the live-action versions of the Rebels characters, such as Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), and Chopper (Dave Filoni), as they search for lost Jedi, Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) while trying to prevent the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen).
Ariana Greenblatt portrays the younger Ahsoka during flashback scenes.
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