Even though I’m a lifetime fan of the Star Wars universe, pre Disney Plus I’ve never dipped my toes into the television galaxy far, far away. So my only real exposure to Clone Wars cult favourite character Ahsoka, apart from mates of mine who are big fans, was when she appeared in The Mandalorian season two. In the first two episodes of Ahsoka we have a Star Wars series that doesn’t rely solely on nostalgia but continues to build not only established characters but a tale that is engrossing and stacked with action. 

Set around the same time as the third season of The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, a former Jedi, hears whispers around the galaxy of the imminent return of Thrawn, the last remaining Imperial Admiral. Following a lead from Morgan Elsbeth, Ahsoka sets off on a search for a map that will lead her to Thrawn. But Ahsoka will need help in her quest and seeks out the help of rebel Sabine Wren and Hera Syndulla, a Republican general.

From the get go it’s pretty clear that Ahsoka is its own kinda beast. It doesn’t hang its narrative on nostalgia as The Book of Boba Fett and the Obi-Wan Kenobi series tended to do but it isn’t nearly as gritty as Andor. It charts its own course and in doing so crafts a Star Wars tale that not only feels new and fresh but also really accessible too. 

The tale in and off itself is Star Wars fare through and through - put really simply, they’ve gotta go find a map which will lead them to someone - sound familiar? But what really grows this story and pulls you deep within it is the way in which the characters are developed. 

Even across the first two episodes, Ahsoka gives us intriguing dynamics between characters, especially between Ahsoka and Sabine, former Jedi and Padawan. The way in which our expectations of that kind of relationship is subverted brings with it a whole lot of freshness.

Action stacked scenes punctuate the space between the exposition, with a scene in which Ashoka faces off against a bunch of HK assassin droids is a blaze and flurry of lightsabre glory being an absolute highlight.

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A Star Wars series that doesn’t rely solely on nostalgia, Ahsoka continues to build not only established characters but a tale that is engrossing and stacked with action. 

★★★★