Tales of the Jedi turns a Star Wars underdog into an A-lister

Ahsoka Tano’s first appearance was in Star Wars: The Clone WarsThe 2008 theatre premiere of the animated series with the same title was a hard-to-believe event. It would be the first of many. The early years of The Clone WarsAhsoka can be dismissed as a sidekick for kids, or a child who is inserted into the Star Wars saga in order to attract younger viewers. But, over the past decade, Ahsoka has been the heart of Star Wars Expanded Universe, making appearances on multiple live-action and animated television shows. She’s arguably the most important Star Wars character who doesn’t appear in the Skywalker Saga (though her voice can be heard among the choir offering encouragement to Rey at the climax of Episode IX).

Tales of the JediThe Star Wars Canon’s latest addition, releasing on Disney Plus this Week, features three animated shorts about Ahsoka Tanos, which fills in some gaps on her journey as a soldier, padawan, and outcast.

Tales doesn’t seem meant to stand on its own; it’s a series of vignettes that expand on the stories of both Ahsoka and the errant Count Dooku, using them as keyhole viewpoints into the turbulent years surrounding the fall of the Jedi Order. Where Dooku’s three episodes have a clear, coherent narrative thread running between them, documenting his disillusionment and separation from the Jedi, enjoying the Ahsoka-centered shorts depends more on the viewer’s ability to place them in the context of her life as documented throughout a wealth of other Star Wars works.

Ahsoka the Prodigy: Tales of the Jedi Episode 1

Image: Lucasfilm/Disney

Chapter 1 of Tales of the Jedi, entitled “Life and Death,” begins on the day of Ahsoka’s birth to hunter Pav-ti and her husband, Nak-il, on the Togruta homeworld of Shili. Pav-ti, a year later, takes her daughter with her to hunt. This is a village tradition. Pav-ti can use a gun well, but Ahsoka the large feline predator is too much to handle. Instead of becoming the beast’s next meal, however, the baby Ahsoka reaches out with the Force and telepathically influences it to return her home to her family. Ahsoka, riding on the big cat’s back into the village, is greeted by a village elder who recognizes her as a Jedi. This is the unseen beginning of Ashoka’s story, but also establishes the Jedi as something wondrous, an idea that is gradually eroded over the course of Tales of the Jedi and Ahsoka’s journey in the Star Wars canon.

“Life and Death” is the first Star Wars story to take place on Shili, in either the current canon or the Legends canon that preceded it. The season 1 flashback is our only glimpse at the other side of Star Wars. Clone Wars episode “Rising Malevolence,” in which we see a 3-year-old Ahsoka get recruited into the Jedi Order. Ahsoka becomes Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice at age 14, which places “Life and Death” in the years 36 and 35 BBY. (BBY is short for “Before the Battle of Yavin,” placing A New HopeStar Wars year 0 Refer to: The Phantom MenaceIt takes place at 32 BBY.

Ahsoka, the Fugitive: The Clone Wars Season 5

These are the three shorters. Tales of the JediFollow Count Dooku Of Serenno as he describes his disappointment with the Jedi Order, the Galactic Republic and other institutions in the years before the Clone Wars. This is it Tales juxtaposes Dooku’s fall from grace against Ahsoka’s trials is no coincidence, as she, too, eventually separates from the Order, though under different circumstances. The fifth and final season of The Clone Wars (beginning with “Sabotage”), promising padawan Ahsoka is framed for the bombing of the Jedi Temple and subsequent cover-up. She finds it shocking that her superiors, despite her many years of service to Jedi, turn against her. Rather than face conviction for a crime she didn’t commit, Ahsoka flees in the hope of proving her innocence.

Ahsoka was expelled from Jedi Order, and the true perpetrator is finally identified. Frustrated by the ordeal, the exonerated Ahsoka refuses the Jedi’s invitation to rejoin their ranks. Ahsoka would join the Jedi once more in the Clone Wars closing days to lead a Republic clone trooper company in the Siege of Mandalore. The Clone Wars’ fantastic four-part series finale).

Tales of the Jedi Episode 5: Ahsoka the Warriors

Image: Lucasfilm/Disney

The fifth episode Tales of the Jedi, “Practice Makes Perfect,” begins with Ahsoka undertaking a difficult test of her combat abilities, fending off a small swarm of floating droids with her lightsabers. Caleb Dume, also known as Kanan Jarrus is the Young Padawan. Star Wars RebelsYou can see her on the bleachers marveling at her abilities. Ahsoka’s master, Anakin Skywalker, is not impressed. As we can clearly see, anyone can defeat droids. The Clone WarsAnakin also wants Ahsoka ready for any challenge, which includes fighting organic, less predictable opponents. Anakin creates an exercise in which Ahsoka must defend herself against stun bombs coming from every direction. She is protected by her own clone troopers from the 501st Legion. Ahsoka’s performance on this test is monitored over many years using a series of montages.

“Practice Makes Perfect” appears to take place during the third season of The Clone Wars (21 BBY), during what we might consider Ahsoka’s “growth spurt.” Between her appearances in the episodes “Sphere of Influence” and “Heroes on Both Sides,” Ahsoka receives a new, aged-up character model, reflecting the year that has passed since the start of the war. Her appearance at the beginning of “Practice Makes Perfect” may reflect some missing link between those two looks. Also, we see her with Phase 1 Republic armor, which is Mandalorian-style, and a clone trooper wearing Phase 2 armor, at the beginning of the montage. This indicates that the time has passed throughout the war.

Though it’s impossible to precisely place most of the short on the Star Wars timeline, we know exactly when its closing moments take place: during “Victory and Death,” the final episode of The Clone Wars. (The final takes place simultaneously with Revenge of the SithIn 19 BBY. This is a brief and grim scene in which Ahsoka gets ready to test her skills against a whole company of clone troopers. Order 66 has arrived, and her soldiers who once fought alongside and trained with her are now brainwashed against Ahsoka. She has managed to free only one — Captain Rex, the trooper holding her at gunpoint as part of a ruse — and the rest will stop at nothing to kill her. Jesse, the very trooper seen supervising Ahsoka’s training in “Practice Makes Perfect,” will give the order to fire. Ahsoka will be buried after the battle ends.

“Ashla” the Outcast: Tales of the Jedi episode 6

Final episode Tales of the Jedi, “Resolve,” begins with the funeral procession of Senator Padmé Amidala. Ahsoka attends her friend’s memorial in secret, and meets briefly with Senator Bail Organa, who attempts to enlist her in his efforts to undermine the nascent Galactic Empire. Ahsoka declines after years of suffering and the loss of her fallen comrades. In her place, Ahsoka hides in an isolated world where she works for a small farm community, under the pseudonym Ashla. However, she saves a villager from near deathly injury by using the Force. One of her neighbours reports her to Empire who send one of their Jedi hunting Inquisitors to execute her. Ahsoka overcomes the Inquisitor. She then decides that she will join Bail Organa against the Empire.

Like “Practice Makes Perfect,” “Resolve” takes place over an extended period of time, in this case beginning in 19 BBY. Padmé’s funeral procession on Naboo can also be seen in the montage that closes Revenge of the Sith. The short adapts many chapters of the 2016 novel and condenses them. AhsokaE.K. Johnston, which chronicles the former Jedi’s life in exile. AhsokaThis event takes place one year later than the end of war in 18 BBBY on Raada’s moon. The friend she rescues from harm seems to be analogous to Miara Larte, Ahsoka’s companion in the novel who eventually joins the Rebel Alliance and is the subject of the short story “By Whatever Sun” in the collection From a certain point of view.

Ahsoka the Rebel Star Wars Rebels and Beyond

Lucasfilm

After the events of “Resolve,” Ahsoka begins functioning as a secret intelligence operative for the nascent rebellion, utilizing the alias Fulcrum. She returns in the second season. Star Wars RebelsThe story takes place in 4 and 3 BBY. Ahsoka plays the part of a friend/ally to resistance cells known as the Spectres. This role sets her up for a dangerous collision course with Darth Vader, her mentor. This, in turn, plants the seeds of Ahsoka’s forthcoming live-action miniseries, which will also feature the return of several main characters from Rebels. Ahsoka also makes guest appearances here and there. Mandalorian Boba Fett: The Book of Boba FettShe was established in 9 ABY or nine years following the Battle of Yavin, thereby establishing her as the central thread that ties most of Star Wars television.