Ahsoka Series Review

The live-action TV series about Ahsoka, sadly, ended so here are my thoughts about the eight episodes of the show and my expectations for what is yet to come!

A Good Story Is Everything

I’ve always considered the story to be the most important part of any Star Wars series, game, movie, or book. Even if the other elements aren’t strong, a good story can carry the entire project.

We already knew a few things about the events that would transpire in this first season – the search for Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn, two fan-favorite characters from Star Wars Rebels. Obviously, the biggest plot points were unknown so there were still a lot of things that the show could cover.

Ahsoka and Sabine’s relationship was a central point in this first season. Ahsoka training Sabine to become a Jedi was all but expected, I never thought that Filoni would take this route but it worked pretty well.

Sabine suffered a lot after losing her entire family and the fact that she feels responsible for bringing Ezra back gives her character a lot of room to grow, especially if we consider her stubborn and impulsive nature.

On the other hand, Ahsoka hadn’t faced some of her biggest fears. What happened to Anakin left her marked and many of her actions were unconsciously affected by this.

While both characters are well defined at this point, both of them have a lot of room to grow so it’s perfect that they help each other in the process. Their relationship will surely not be like what we’re used to in terms of Master and Padawan, but it might be something very refreshing.

My favorite thing about this first season is that more of the “Star Wars mythology” is finally being explored in mainstream Star Wars media. The World Between Worlds, the origin of the Nightsisters, and the fact that the statues of the Mortis Gods appeared is a great indicator that those at the top of the company are not afraid to explore these complex themes.

Compelling Characters

Having well-written, complex, and compelling characters is the best way to connect with a new audience. Not everyone has watched the entirety of The Clone Wars and Rebels, for many people this is their first contact with characters like Thrawn, Sabine Hera, and Ezra.

It’s very exciting to see new people embrace these characters that many of us have loved for so long. All of these beloved characters can carry by themselves a show, which is why I think there’s a lot of merit in introducing brand-new characters that don’t have a legacy built yet.

Baylan Skoll is an amazing character, his motivations are a lot more complex than those of most villains we usually see in Star Wars. He’s not a Jedi for sure, and while Baylan isn’t afraid of hurting whoever is on his path, it doesn’t look like he’s been fully consumed by the dark side of the Force.

It’s not vengeance or hate that drives him but something more powerful. The idea of altering the Force itself is something very complex and powerful, I don’t recall anyone mentioning it (much less attempting such a feat) since Darth Traya in Knights of the Old Republic II.

This storyline had so much potential but with the tragic passing of Ray Stevenson, the future is very uncertain. His absence will surely be felt when the story continues, Baylan Skoll is one of my favorite things about this series and it’s so sad that he wasn’t able to see the praise that his acting has received. I’m really curious about what the showrunners will do with the character of Baylan Skoll.

Is The Volume Being Overused?

The Volume is an incredible tool that I’m sure helps a lot but sometimes it feels like other techniques would be better for some moments.

One of the best things about Andor was how they built a lot of the sets or used live locations to shoot many scenes.

This made everything feel a lot more immersive and “real”. In my opinion, the sweet spot will always be when both ground-breaking technology and practical effects are combined to provide the best experience for the viewer.

I don’t know if the use of The Volume is a matter of budget or practicality, maybe both but as cool as it is, it will never be a replacement for built sets. Ahsoka didn’t “suffer” as much as The Mandalorian but it’s starting to get a little frustrating to see that Disney relies so much on this technology.

During Star Wars Celebration 2023, it was confirmed that Dave Filoni would direct his own movie. The common assumption is that it will be the culmination of all the stories explored in The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka. If this is true I really hope that The Volume is used as little as possible.

A Healthy Amount Of Fan Service

It was so cool to see Anakin Skywalker wearing all his different costumes from the Clone Wars. As someone who grew up with the Clone Wars animated show, this was something very special to me. Anakin, Ahsoka, and Captain Rex together in the same scene, is a personal highlight of the show.

Watching so many of our favorite characters in a live-action series felt like a distant dream not too long ago. To be honest I still can’t fully believe that we got Ahsoka, Sabine, Hera, Chopper, Ezra, Thrawn, Anakin Skywalker, and Captain Rex all within just eight episodes.

For better or worse, there will always be a nostalgia factor in any modern Star Wars media. I’m completely fine with it, saying that I don’t enjoy fan service would be a lie but it still needs to be a healthy amount.

For me, it’s not easy to determine how much is “too much”. Some shows will inevitably rely more on it than others. The Obi-Wan Kenobi series is guilty of this, it is a show that I really enjoyed but it would be a lie to say that I consider it to be on the same level as Ahsoka.

I am pleased with the amount of nostalgia, easter eggs, and references that we got in this first season. Especially because there were so many other good things going on.

Eight Episodes Are Not Enough

Having only eight episodes per season is one of my biggest criticisms of most Star Wars series. The Book of Boba Fett had seven while Obi-Wan Kenobi had six, for those stand-alone shows it felt okay to have a small number of episodes but for series that connect multiple storylines and set up the future of the franchise, I always get the feeling that it’s too few.

The first half of the series had a slow but consistent pace, every piece of the story fell into place smoothly. My issue is with the last few episodes, everything feels rushed and that takes away the importance of some moments that should feel more meaningful.

A good example of this is when Ezra greets Hera after so many years. In my opinion, it should have felt like when Sabine found Ezra. Instead of an emotive and exciting moment, the scene cuts off almost immediately. The last episode of Season 3 of The Mandalorian made me feel the exact same way.

Perhaps it’s a matter of the guys in suits limiting the number of episodes that can be done within a single season but considering that the first season of Andor had twelve episodes this might not be the case.

Maybe I’m being a little too biased because I was expecting something big to happen in the season finale but having at least two more episodes would have been perfect. What do you think? Are eight episodes enough?

Kiner Music Does It Again

Every powerful scene in Star Wars is always accompanied by music that enhances the emotions of the moment. John Williams set the bar extremely high but we’re lucky to have Kiner Music (Kevin, Sean, and Deana Kiner). They wrote music for The Clone Wars, Rebels, The Bad Batch, and this first season of Ahsoka.

It’s so cool to see how many instruments can be used in different ways to tell the same story as the scene that we’re watching. This series is heavily influenced by the Samurai theme; many of the string and wind instruments used heavily resemble traditional Japanese music.

It’ll never cease to amaze me how certain chords can cause so many emotions and sensations: fear, joy, anger, peacefulness, pain, sadness, etc. I really like their previous work but they just outdid themselves.

Whether it was a character’s first appearance, a lightsaber duel, or a moment that would change the course of the story, the music matched every moment and that’s not something that can’t be praised enough.

What’s Next?

It’s probably going to take between one and three years before we get to see the next chapter of this story. The wait is going to be long so I’m going to briefly talk about my predictions. Revisiting this in the future to see how right or wrong I am will be very entertaining.

Grand Admiral Thrawn will use the Nightsister magic to unleash something that can truly endanger everyone in the galaxy.

The New Republic won’t be able to handle this “new” enemy so they will have to ask for help. Bo-Katan, Din Djarin, and the rest of the Mandalorians will come to the rescue.

While this conflict engulfs the galaxy, Ahsoka and Sabine will find out about Baylan’s plan to alter the Force. Their new task is going to be to prevent the alteration of the balance. We’ll learn more about the Mortis Gods, their origins, and their role in the never-ending cycle that Baylan wishes to break.

Eventually, they’ll find a way to return from the unknown regions and help their old friends in the war against Thrawn.

Unless their goals are extremely well aligned, the help that the Nightsisters provide to Thrawn will be temporary. They don’t give a damn about the Empire, their ultimate purpose is to restore the Nightsisters of Dathomir.

The idea of an undead army isn’t exciting to me, I’ve always thought that the White Walkers from Game of Thrones were a lame enemy, and having to repeat that experience in Star Wars isn’t something that I’m looking forward to.

Only time will tell, what are your thoughts regarding the first season of Ahsoka and the future of this storyline?

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