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.

Related: Hayden Christensen and Ariana Greenblatt Discussed the Possibilities of a Live-Action Clone Wars Series

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.

Related: Ahsoka Star Mary Elizabeth Winstead Shares BTS Details About Her Hera Transformation

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.

Related: Ahsoka: Why Grand Admiral Thrawn Is One of the Most Terrifying Star Wars Villains

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.

“What I seek is the beginning, so I may finally bring this cycle to an end.”

Ahsoka‘s Baylan Skoll isn’t interested in ruling like Thrawn. The former Jedi Knight has a far more ambitious goal, one that will free the galaxy from war between Jedi and Sith. He believes the power he needs to achieve his plan can be found Peridea, but what exactly is “the beginning” he seeks on that ancient wasteland? If the old fairytales are true, Baylan Skoll might be looking for the very source of the Force itself.

Who Was Baylan Skoll Before Ahsoka?

Baylan Skoll was a young Jedi Knight and General in the Clone Wars. He was roughly the same age as Anakin Skywalker during the galactic conflict.

Somehow Baylan Skoll not only survived Order 66, he learned what became of Anakin. Few people ever discovered Anakin Skywalker was Darth Vader. Knowing what became of the most famous Jedi and Anakin’s role in destroying the Order changed Baylan Skoll’s entire outlook on life.

Why Did Anakin Skywalker Cause Baylan Skoll to Lose His Faith?

Baylan Skoll lost his “faith” in the Jedi. Their failures during the Clone Wars, combined with Anakin’s role in causing so much horror, destroyed Baylan’s entire belief system. But the former Jedi still misses “the idea” of what the Order was supposed to be as guardians of peace and justice. He wishes the Jedi had lived up to its best ideals, which he still sees as noble. It’s why on Ahsoka he’s shown an unexpected amount of reverence for the Jedi, including for Ahsoka Tano herself.

Still, he doesn’t miss “the truth” of what the Jedi became. Baylan said that “weakness” is the real Jedi legacy, one shared by Anakin and Ahsoka. It’s a legacy of arrogance and rigid dogma that resulted in death and destruction. He believes Jedi failure was so ingrained in the Order that when Baylan fought Ahsoka he called their battle “inevitable” because Jedi only know violence.

Baylan believed in the Jedi so much the pain over what they became still hurts. The only time he’s ever shown real emotion on Ahsoka is when he got angry while fighting Lady Tano and when he made clear he’s no longer a Jedi. However, his obvious hatred for Anakin Skywalker and comments about the Empire also indicates he has no love for Sith, either.

Would Baylan have lost his faith completely if he never learned Anakin Skywalker’s fate? We don’t know and probably never can. What is clear is that knowledge sent Baylan down a path few others have ever walked.

Is Baylan Skoll a Grey Jedi or Sith?

Baylan Skoll is “no Jedi.” But despite murdering people in cold blood, he’s not like a Sith Lord, either. He has ethics and is not seeking power for his own benefit. Baylan thinks war is “evil” even if necessary. He also keeps his word (to a point) with captured enemies and doesn’t kill unless he thinks he must. And he wants something better for the galaxy than what the Jedi and Sith have given it.

Baylan has his own moral compass that puts him somewhere between the Jedi and the Sith. He’s pragmatic rather than having a strict ideology. His approach is Machiavellian, where the ends justify the means, because he believes “one must destroy in order to create.”

What he wants to create is seemingly a future without the death and destruction that burned down everything he’s ever known.

Baylan Skoll would seem to stand along the proverbial middle point between light and dark. That, along with his orange lightsaber, has led to some to ask if he qualifies as a Gray Jedi. The concept of a Jedi who straddles the light and dark sides of the Force comes from Star Wars Legends. It’s not part of Disney canon, and some don’t even believe Gray Jedi ever existed and the term is meaningless.

Therefore, Baylan Skoll is not a Gray Jedi, because they aren’t a thing. He only shares a few similarities with that nebulous definition anyway. He’s something else entirely, something that makes him one of the most interesting and unique Force users in Star Wars history. He’s a powerful, practical warrior who believes it doesn’t matter whether Jedi or Sith rule the galaxy because the existence of both means war is always on the horizon. That is unless he can end the cycle forever.

That quest is what brought him to Peridea.

What Is “The Beginning” Baylan Skoll Seeks on Ahsoka?

Baylan Skoll did not go to a distant wasteland just to bring back Thrawn. Baylan Skoll went to Peridea, a “land of dreams and madness,” because it calls out to him. Something “stirs” in the Nightsisters’ original home. Whatever that is it is powerful enough the Great Mothers want to flee Peridea.

Baylan Skoll doesn’t fear what he hears. He wants to use that immense power to end the vicious, inevitable cycle of war Jedi and Sith have created in his own galaxy. To do that he seeks “the beginning,” and the Jedi and Sith began with the Force during a time when the Pathway to Peridea first opened.

Baylan’s plan—driven by a desire to end the Jedi, Sith, and possibly even other Force users and the galaxy they’ve created—raises monumental questions about all of Star Wars. Is Peridea where the Force began? The very center of it? Or is it simply where the future Jedi and Sith first discovered that immense power? And what would it mean for Baylan to find “the beginning” of the Force, which exists everywhere? How could someone even destroy something that powerful and omnipresent, something every living thing carries inside them? Or is it that the Great Mothers fleeing their planet because the Force is becoming too powerful for everyone? Something too dark even for them? Something that wild destroy Baylan if he locates it?

The future of the galaxy far, far away hangs in the balance on Peridea, but not because Thrawn is back. The Grand Admiral seeks a power that is fleeting. Baylan Skoll seeks something that predates the Jedi and the Sith, something that will put an end to both forever.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on  Twitter and  Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

Although The Flash had an intriguing opportunity to include the Joker, the villain’s absence did help the DC movie avoid one key criticism. In The Flash, Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) inadvertently alters the timeline after preventing his mother’s death in the past. Adapted from the iconic Flashpoint story from the original comics, this creates a massive chain reaction that could have included one of the most equally terrifying and fascinating Jokers of all time.

The Flash’s titular hero broke the universe by saving his mother, creating a far worse timeline where there weren’t any heroes to prevent the invasion of General Zod in 2013. Wonder Woman was missing, Aquaman was never born, Victor Stone had yet to become Cyborg, and Kal-El’s pod was intercepted by Zod who killed the young Kryptonian before he could land on Earth. Likewise, Ben Affleck’s Batman was replaced by Michael Keaton’s version who had retired as the Dark Knight. That being said, the comics’ original Flashpoint had a much darker timeline with one of its most tragic changes being a new version of the Joker.

Related: How To Watch DCEU Movies In Order (By Release Date & Chronologically)

Why The Flash Needed To Cut Flashpoint’s Joker Story

In 2011’s Flashpoint from Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert, one of the biggest changes in the alternate DC timeline was the death of young Bruce Wayne who was killed instead of his parents. In their grief, both Thomas and Martha Wayne were transformed. While Thomas became a much darker and more aggressive Dark Knight than the original version his son was meant to become, Martha went absolutely insane with a haunting transformation into the Flashpoint universe’s Joker.

Keeping that in mind, 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice saw Jeffery Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan being cast as the Thomas and Martha to Ben Affleck’s Batman. Naturally, this generated large amounts of excitement and speculation when it was confirmed that Flash’s solo movie would be adapting Flashpoint. However, multiple years of rewrites, different directors, and all kinds of delays led to a much different Flash film than was likely originally conceived. That being said, perhaps the lack of Joker was ultimately a good thing. After all, The Joker is one of the most prevalent and overused villains when it comes to the overall DC movie landscape.

The Flash’s Batman Plot Means The Flashpoint Joker Couldn’t Have Worked

It’s also worth noting that the return of Michael Keaton’s Batman in The Flash suggests that including Martha Wayne’s Joker wouldn’t have worked in the context of the movie’s greater narrative. Not only did Keaton’s Bruce Wayne have his own pre-established history as Batman, but he was also retired from his career as the Caped Crusader. As such, he’s already associated with the Clown Prince of Crime played by Jack Nicholson as seen in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989). Including Flashpoint’s Joker would have required a much different plot and altered timeline than was ultimately featured in The Flash. For one thing, it likely would have required Flashpoint Batman too.