Star Wars Celebration Anaheim delivered a lot of hype surrounding various upcoming Disney+ series, but the one that appeared to stand out the most was the briefest of them all. As The Mandalorian panel was winding down, Rosario Dawson was brought out as “a familiar face seen in The Mandalorian”. The mood at the Celebration Stage quickly shifted when the logo on the massive back screen changed to the brand new Ahsoka promo. Dave Filoni, the co-creator of the character, was asked to give us any information on the upcoming series. What followed was the vague cliche answer of “it’s going well” and talk of the excitement from working on the show. 

However, another shift took place when a fully functional Chopper, the beloved Rebels droid from the “Ghost” crew, was brought out on stage, singing The Mandalorian theme (in his classic Chopper garble) and dancing with Rosario Dawson. This led to a look at the upcoming series. What we saw were various shots of our lead, Ahsoka, as well as a few locations. However, the stand-outs were the back of the fearless leader of the “Ghost” crew, Hera, whose iconic look produced a cheer from the crowd and a shot of the mural of the “Ghost” crew (the very same one from the animated show) with Sabine coming into frame. There was also a small hand appearing to use the force to move an object, which gives a potential glimpse at Jacen Syndulla, the son of Hera and Kanan who was seen in the finale of Rebels.

This very brief look of Ahsoka gave us confirmation on a lot of rumors that have been spreading online. Ezra Bridger is all but confirmed with that glimpse of the mural, plus, the rest of “Ghost” crew appearing shows us that Ahsoka is giving us a lot more than just a solo adventure story⁠—it’s essentially a live-action Rebels. As a Rebels fan, it’s difficult to not feel blind elation at the idea of a full blown Rebels journey in live-action. The show is one of the most unique Star Wars properties, with wholly original characters and perspectives. The show gave us a found family drama within a Star Wars aesthetic. It shows us what it would be like to join the fight against the Empire while still maintaining your family and emotional stability. The idea of seeing that in live-action is thrilling. 

The series seems to be the search for Ezra, as well as the re-emergence of Thrawn (the legendary Imperial leader from Legends who was converted to canon in season three of Rebels). The line-up of Ahsoka, Hera and Sabine gives us three of the most well-written, fully fleshed out Star Wars characters. They also happen to be, three of the most developed and beloved female Star Wars characters. The possibilities are endless and the emotional investment in fans is already key in the show’s success. Fans of Rebels have been recommending the show left and right for years, and it’s addition to Disney+ early on, has allowed others to join the fandom and become fully-fledged members of the “Ghost” crew. This growing fanbase might play a role on whether or not the show becomes a hit. The addition of live-action Ahsoka in The Mandalorian also allows fans to easily transition from show to show. If you’re simply a fan of Mando, following Ashoka should be seamless. 

There is always going to be a level of concern on relying too heavily on animated characters to sell a live-action show. Not everyone watched Rebels and a lot of Star Wars fans themselves have yet to see it; so there will be a question mark hanging over this new addition to the Disney+ Star Wars line-up. Nevertheless, the jump to live-action for other characters has worked before, with non-animated fans still being able to follow along with the major story in shows like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.

Ultimately, the excitement outweighs the questions with characters that have become so treasured that it’s hard to not find a Star Wars fan that is not anticipating following these already legendary characters into live-action. Let’s hope it lives up to the hype. 

Published by Andres Cabrera

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