Summary
- Rosario Dawson reprises her role as Ahsoka Tano in the spin-off show Ahsoka, receiving praise for her portrayal of the iconic Jedi.
- Natasha Liu Bordizzo joins the cast as Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian warrior and Imperial Academy dropout, showcasing her martial arts skills.
- Hayden Christensen returns as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, shedding light on the transition period after his fall to the dark side and his spirit’s whereabouts after the original trilogy.
Star Wars is a long-running sci-fi multimedia franchise set a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. Following multiple generations of characters through several spans of political changes and conflicts, Star Wars is jam-packed with content. Indeed, we’ve been gifted a total of 11 movies, with more to come, and a never-ending span of TV series arriving on Disney+. One such show that was released in August 2023 is the long-awaited spin-off of The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels, Ahsoka.
Ahsoka follows Ahsoka Tano, former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker after the fall of the Empire. Created by Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, Ahsoka investigates a new threat in a galaxy that believes it has been saved from the Empire. Ahsoka must team up with several faces from her past to find Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger before the Sith can. With so many new and returning characters, it can be hard to keep track of everyone. Here’s a complete cast and character guide to Ahsoka.
Updated on September 23rd, 2023 by Nikole Finger: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.
Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano
Reprising her role as the title character is Rosario Dawson. Dawson has starred in a variety of films including Kids, Men in Black II and Clerks III. Making her first live-action appearance as Ahsoka in The Mandalorian, Dawson was met with immediate praise for her portrayal of the iconic Jedi, who first appeared in the animated series The Clone Wars.
Fans were also excited to see Dawson dawning even more advanced technology for Ahsoka’s tendrils. Her first version in The Mandalorian was a little short and awkward, so it is nice to see her costuming given more care in the show.
Ariana Greenblatt as Young Ahsoka
In addition to Dawson, a younger Ahsoka was briefly portrayed by Ariana Greenblatt. This wasn’t Greenblatt’s first time playing the younger version of a character for Disney, as she also played young Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War.
It was an exciting moment for fans of the show to see moments from the Clone Wars series brought to life in live-action.
Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren
Similar to Ahsoka, Sabine, a Mandalorian warrior and Imperial Academy dropout, was first introduced in Rebels. The actress chosen to play Sabine in Ahsoka is Natasha Liu Bordizzo, who made her debut in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny in 2016 for which she went through extensive training, earning a black belt in taekwondo.
This training has come in handy for her portrayal of the Mandalorian Sabine, who knows her way around a fight. Not only does Sabine fight in hand-to-hand combat, but in the show, she wields Ezra’s lightsaber. Bordizzo can also be seen in The Greatest Showman, Hotel Mumbai and Day Shift.
David Tennant as Huyang
Huyang made his first appearance in the animated Clone Wars series. The droid traveled with Jedi younglings, helping them to build their very first lightsabers. One group of younglings in particular was being escorted by Ahsoka and Huyang during this ceremonious time when they were attacked by pirates.
Huyang proved himself to be much more than just a stuffy droid filled with knowledge about the Jedi. David Tennant, known for roles like Doctor Who, was the original voice actor for the character and has returned to lend his voice to the droid once again.
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker
Much like in Obi-Wan Kenobi, one of the most anticipated characters that appears in Ahsoka is Ahsoka’s former Master, Anakin Skywalker AKA Darth Vader. Reprising his role as in the prequels and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hayden Christensen was happy to come out of his quiet farming life to return to Star Wars with vengeance.
While much is known about Anakin before and after his fall to the dark side, very little is seen in the transition period after he first falls. Ahsoka gave some more insight into this, but also revealed where his spirit went after saying goodbye to his son at the end of the original trilogy.
Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger
Ezra Bridger was first introduced in Rebels as a former con artist who was taken in by Kanan Jarrus to be trained in the ways of the Jedi. Ezra disappeared with Thrawn by the end of the animated series, and Ahsoka is determined to find him, which many initially believed to be part of Ahsoka’s story when she appeared in The Mandalorian. This has turned out to be part of the story, but the person who is more desperate than anyone to find him is his good friend, Sabine.
The live-action Ezra is portrayed by actor and musician Eman Esfandi, whose limited filmography, including Red 11, I Am Mackenzie, and The Inspection, is bound to blow up after the release of the new series. With how much of Ezra’s signature charm he was able to put in for the minute or so he was first seen, it seems well deserved.
Ivanna Sakhno as Shin Hati
Shin Hati is the apprentice of Baylan Skoll, who wields a lightsaber and is a user of the dark side of the Force. Shin Hati is one of the antagonists, as she is ordered by her master to go after Ahsoka and Sabine.
She is also one of the few new characters never seen before and is portrayed by Ivanna Sakhno, a Ukrainian-American actress who is known for Pacific Rim Uprising and The Spy Who Dumped Me.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla
Hera Syndulla was first introduced to viewers through Rebels and Star Wars Forces of Destiny. She is a Twi’lek general of the New Republic, is the pilot of the ship, Ghost, and is also the mother of Jacen, who was fathered by Kanan Jarrus.
Horror actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, known for Wolf Lake, Smashed and 10 Cloverfield Lane, was cast as Hera. As one of the more well-known and acclaimed actors on the cast list, Winstead has now been added to the Star Wars universe as one of the most beloved characters from Rebels.
Evan Whitten as Jacen Syndulla
One character no one expected to see in the live-action show is Jacen Syndulla. As previously mentioned, he is the child of Hera and Kanan. The kid was introduced at the very end of Rebels, but not much was known about him.
In Ahsoka, he is not only a friend to Chopper, Hera’s trusted droid who also made the transition to live-action, but he was revealed to be Force-sensitive like his dad. The potential Jedi is played by Evan Whitten. Although the actor is young, he already has quite the filmography, including projects like Big Sky and Mr. Robot.
Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll
Baylan Skoll is another new addition to the Star Wars universe. A former Jedi, Baylan survived Order 66 by fleeing to unknown regions of the galaxy. Serving as a Master to Shin Hati and an ally to Grand Admiral Thrawn, he is a key player in the show.
The Sith was portrayed by Ray Stevenson, a Northern Irish actor known for playing Dragonet in King Arthur and Titus Pullo in the TV series Rome. While the character of Baylan is new to the Star Wars cinematic universe, Stevenson is not, having voiced Gar Saxon in Rebels and The Clone Wars. Unfortunately, Stevenson passed away shortly before the release of the series.
Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma
Genevieve O’Reilly is well-known for her portrayal of Mon Mothma in Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One, and Andor. She also starred in The Young Victoria and Forget Me Not, and iconically voiced Moira in Overwatch.
She has returned to her role in Ahsoka, as the Chancellor of the New Republic. It’s entirely possible that her actions will line up with what has been revealed about the character and her actions in Andor. Needless to say, Mon Mothma is an important part of the transition period between the Old Republic, the Imperial takeover, and the Rebellion.
Diana Lee Inosanto as Morgan Elsbeth
First making her appearance in The Mandalorian, Morgan Elsbeth was first seen as a horrific Imperial Magistrate and servant of Thrawn. Reprising her role as Morgan is Diana Lee Inosanto, a stuntwoman and martial artist who wrote and directed the film The Sensei.
Inosanto has acted as a stuntwoman since 1996, even starring in films like Blade, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and Team Knight Rider. While she hasn’t displayed her fighting talents much in Ahsoka, as her character relies more on her skills as a witch, she has given her character a chilling presence that elevates the show.
Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn
Grand Admiral Thrawn is a senior officer of the Galactic Empire known for his tactical attacks. He was taken into hyperspace by Ezra and Purrgil in the finale of Rebels. Reprising his role as the Chiss high-ranking Grand Admiral Thrawn is the actor who originally voiced him, Lars Mikkelsen.
The actor has a passion for the character, as Thrawn does not rely on The Force and instead uses his own cunning to strike back, always ahead of the game. On top of playing the iconic role of the Grand Admiral, Mikkelson is known for The Killing, Sherlock, and House of Cards.
Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Captain Carson Teva
While he may not have a very big role in the show, Captain Carson Teva has been making his presence known in the Star Wars universe. Paul Sun-Hyung Lee has played the New Republic pilot several times through the various Star Wars shows on Disney+.
He was seen talking with fellow rebel Zeb, who made his debut in Rebels. In Ahsoka, Captain Teva flies alongside Hera Syndulla and seems to be a trusted part of her squad. Teva continues to serve as the connective tissue between the live-action Star Wars series.
Paul Darnell as Marrok
Paul Darnell is a stunt actor who has worked on films like Baby Driver, Twilight, and Spiderman: Far from Home. He has done work on several Star Wars projects, but his most prominent role has been Marrok in Ahsoka.
Marrok didn’t really do much before being defeated by Ahsoka, but the Inquisitor put up one heck of a fight. It’s no wonder they hired such a skilled stuntman to play the role.
