Do we really need another Star Wars series? Interest has waned a bit on the last season of the hit The Mandalorian. And the two stand-alone series Obi-Wan and The Book of Boba Fett each landed with a thud, with only the more serious Andor really stoking renewed interest in the franchise.
On Tuesday evening (Aug. 22), Disney+ launches its fourth live-action Star Wars series, Ahsoka, giving the spotlight to Rosario Dawson's fan-favorite character. She's appeared in The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Rebels, and The Mandalorian, as well as comics, toys and novels based in that universe.
If you need a major deep dive, you probably already know more about Ahsoka than we do. But for those of you who aren't completely caught up, here are the basics.
Who the hell is Ahsoka?
If that's your main question going into this show, you're in luck! StarWars.com has a whole page devoted to the character. It's a lot of information, but here’s the one-sheet: She was a padawan, just like Anakin Skywalker (who will appear in the new show) and was actually mentored by him before he became an evil jerk.
"She had a tremendous spirit, was courageous, clever, and not easily intimidated," the aforementioned site reveals. At one point, she was framed for an explosion at a Jedi temple and expelled from The Order. She was part of the rebellion despite forging her own path outside the Jedi Order. While she didn't end up training Grogu (Baby Yoda), she did cross paths with The Mandalorian and, later, Luke Skywalker, who actually helped train the little creature.
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What's this show supposed to be about?
The official logline is: "Set after the fall of the Empire, Ahsoka will follow the former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy." The threat, it sounds like, is Grand Admiral Thrawn, who was a big baddie from Star Wars Rebels.
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Do I need to have watched all the live-action series and animated shows leading up to it to watch this one?
Probably not. One of the nice things about The Mandalorian was that it was a show that even casual fans could enjoy with stand-alone storylines that didn't rely on previous knowledge of lore. And if you do need some lore, well, lore help you, because there's more on the internet about these characters and universe than you will ever have time to read in one lifetime. May the foraging be with you!