Preparing for Star Wars: Ahsoka? Stream these 5 Disney Plus shows before launch
The next Star Wars TV show is almost upon us – and it's a big one.
Launching with a two-episode premiere on Wednesday, August 23, Star Wars: Ahsoka, sees the fan-favorite Jedi lead a Lucasfilm-developed project for the first time. Not only that, but the Disney Plus series will see Star Wars: Rebels' beloved characters make their live-action debuts, too. In short: color us excited for the return of that galaxy far, far away.
Before the Ahsoka Tano-fronted TV show leaps onto screens worldwide, though, you've got some homework to do. Numerous Lucasfilm employees, including studio president Kathleen Kennedy, claim viewers don't need to watch other Star Wars films or TV shows Ahsoka has appeared in to enjoy the forthcoming series. However, we suspect most of you will want to learn more about her franchise history or rewatch her past outings for the umpteenth time before Star Wars: Ahsoka arrives.
Below, we've compiled a list of every series – some of the best Disney Plus shows, in fact – Ahsoka has previously been featured in. For each entry, we've highlighted how many episodes Ahsoka appears in, plus the names of those entries, so you know which ones are a must-see before streaming Star Wars: Ahsoka. May the Force be with you.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Episode count: too many to mention!
The TV show that started it all. The Twi'lek known as Ahsoka was first introduced to Star Wars' global fanbase as a teenager in The Clone Wars animated series. Well, the property technically began life on the big screen with the 2008 Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie, which served as a pilot project for the seven-season-long TV show.
But we're getting slightly off track. Ahsoka, who starts out of Anakin Skywalker's padawan and rises to become commander of the 501st legion, is one of The Clone Wars' primary protagonists. As such, she features heavily through its 133-episode run, so it's difficult to pinpoint which episodes you need to watch pre-Star Wars: Ahsoka.
With each season comprising 22 episodes apiece (except season 7, which contains 12) and each episode running around 25 minutes, that's a lot of Star Wars content to binge-watch between now and August 23. If you want to stream the most important entries before Star Wars: Ahsoka debuts, though, the below list will give you as much as you need to know:
Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie
Cloak of Darkness (season 1, episode 9)
Storm over Ryloth (season 1, episode 19)
Weapons Factory (season 2, episode 6)
Lightsaber Lost (season 2, episode 11)
Assassin (season 3, episode 7)
Altar of Mortis (season 3, episode 16)
Padawan Lost (season 3, episode 21)
Wookiee Hunt (season 3, episode 22)
A Friend in Need (season 4, episode 14)
The Onderon arc (season 5, episodes two through four)
The Jedi Who Knew Too Much (season 5, episode 18)
The Wrong Jedi (season 5, episode 20)
The Siege of Mandalore arc (season 5, episodes 9 through 12)
Star Wars: Rebels
Episode count: 9
Of the five shows on this list, Star Wars: Rebels is arguably the most important. It's the project that introduced iconic characters such as Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, Chopper, and Ezra Bridger – all of whom crossed paths with Ahsoka in the show and are set to play key supporting roles in Star Wars: Ahsoka.
Just like Star Wars: The Clone Wars, then, Rebels is necessary viewing for anyone wanting the full picture before the Twi'lek Jedi-starring series is released. Again, though, if you just want key storylines involving Ahsoka Tano, read the list below for Rebels' must-see episodes:
Fire Across the Galaxy (season 1, episode 15)
The Siege of Lothal (season 2, episodes 1 and 2)
Shroud of Darkness (season 2, episode 18)
Twilight of the Apprentice (season 2, episodes 21 and 22)
A World Between Worlds (season 4, episode 13)
Family Reunion (season 4, episode 15)
Farewell (season 4, episode 16)
The Mandalorian season 2
Episode count: 1
In an exciting turn of events that sent Star Wars fans into raptures, Ahsoka Tano made her live-action debut in The Mandalorian season 2. Rosario Dawson (Daredevil, Sin City), who had long advocated to play the beloved character in a live-action project, finally got her wish when she made a crowd-pleasing cameo in season 2 episode 5, aka The Mandalorian Chapter 13, aka 'The Jedi'.
In this entry, Ahsoka takes center stage as she continues her quest to track down a specific pair of individuals. Saying anything more than that spoils Rebels' last-ever episode, so that's all you'll get out of us.
Assuming the role from Ashley Eckstein, Ahsoka's voice actor in the animated shows, didn't prove too daunting for Dawson, based on her first turn as the iconic character. Her brief interactions with Din Djarin and Grogu/Baby Yoda are equal parts fun, fascinating, and insightful. Dawson gets to show off her impressive lightsaber skills in a one-on-one contest, too. Suffice it to say, The Mandalorian Chapter 13 proved Dawson was more than capable of bringing Ahsoka into the live-action space.
The Book of Boba Fett
Episode count: 1
As in The Mandalorian's second season, Ahsoka features in one episode of The Book of Boba Fett. That'll be episode 6, aka 'From the Desert Comes a Stranger'.
Here, Ahsoka makes a brief, whoop-inducing cameo when she meets up with none other than Luke Skywalker as – spoiler – he continues to try to train Grogu in the ways of the Force. Admittedly, this episode isn't a must-see, but it's nonetheless thrilling to see two of the most powerful Jedi ever actually meet (and chat!) on the screen. Okay, the artificially de-aged Luke is slightly garish but we're all secretly hoping to see Ahsoka fight alongside the son of her former Jedi Master (aka Anakin) at some point in the future, right?
Tales of the Jedi
Episode count: 3
The most recent Ahsoka-centric Star Wars series to be released, Tales of the Jedi, fills in more of the character's backstory.
A six-part anthology miniseries that also sheds light on Jedi-turned-Sith Lord Count Dooku, three of Tales of the Jedi's episodes focus on Ahsoka's childhood years, events that revealed her strong connection to the Force, gaps in her history set during Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and her nomadic lifestyle post-Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
With runtimes between 13 and 19 minutes, Tales of the Jedi's Ahsoka-focused episodes are easy to stream in a single sitting. Watch them between The Clone Wars and Rebels for the best viewing experience.
For more Star Wars-based coverage, you can see what other new Star Wars TV shows and movies are coming soon. Additionally, read up on how to watch the Star Wars movies in order and check out our guide on Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, the next series coming after Star Wars: Ahsoka.
