However, she creates many intriguing plot holes that are yet to be resolved. For one, how come Ahsoka Tano is never mentioned in the prequels? Why does she only appear in the Clone Wars and was rarely brought up elsewhere?
Let’s address these questions and see why such a major character suddenly disappeared from prequels, sequels, and many other projects.
Contents
Why wasn’t Ahsoka in the prequels?
Let’s start with technicalities. Ahsoka Tano as a character was introduced between Episode II and Episode III. In the Star Wars timeline, she appears when the Clone Wars are in full swing.
She becomes Anakin Skywalker‘s Padawan as well as a challenge.
To let go of his pupil a greater challenge it will be. Master this, Skywalker must.
Yoda from Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Her initial appearance was in the Clone Wars movie. Grand Master Yoda thought that giving Anakin Skywalker a padawan was a challenge. It would show whether the Chosen One was able to let go of his attachments.
His inability to do so was one of the main reasons for his becoming Darth Vader. We will not go into detail about why the Jedi Order failed Anakin Skywalker.
Let’s focus more on Ahsoka Tano!
The young Padawan was discovered by Plo Koon when she was only three years old. The master became a trusted friend and, in a way, a father figure.
Since she wasn’t introduced in canon before Episode II, we can’t expect her to appear any sooner.
Now, this is where things are getting interesting. If Episode I and Episode II can be easily explained, the next movie is slightly more complicated. But then Ahsoka Tano was a well-established and major character. She influenced countless events and even the development of Anakin Skywalker himself.
Why wasn’t she in The Revenge of the Sith?
There are two ways to answer this question.
Firstly, Ahsoka, as a character, was created decades after Episode III. She literally did not exist when it was brought to the theatres!
This fact definitely irritated many fans. Nevertheless, Dave Filoni, the producer behind the Clone Wars, ensured that there is a good explanation for this.
First and foremost, during the Clone Wars, she was initially convicted of the bombing she never committed. The trial and the failure of the Jedi Order to stand beside her made her rethink her position as a Jedi. Therefore, she wasn’t even a Jedi during Anakin’s fall.
If you were wondering where Ahsoka was at the time, I would have two answers for you.
She was either living on lower levels of Coruscant or helping Mandalore. During those final moments, Darth Maul told Ahsoka about the Sith’s plans. She didn’t believe him, of course. However, it was only a matter of moments before Anakin would fall and pledge allegiance to the Emperor and his new Galactic Empire.
The whole Mandalorian arc in season 7 was a perfect excuse for Ahsoka to be absent.
What definitely makes me happy is the fact that Season 7 perfectly ties into the Revenge of the Sith. It ends with Anakin and Obi-Wan leaving to catch General Grievous. Ahsoka, on the other hand, deals with the Mandalorian rebellion and Darth Maul.
Since she was not a part of the Jedi order, Ahsoka couldn’t be there for Anakin!
Why wasn’t Ahsoka in the original trilogy?
I will not use one excuse for everything. The fact that Ahsoka was created only several years ago shouldn’t explain everything.
Real-life aside, why isn’t Ahsoka in the sequels or original trilogy?
In Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka enters the World Between Worlds. This happened after Ezra Bridger pulled her there to escape her death since she fought Darth Vader.
During the episode, Ezra and the Rebels discovered the plans of the Empire to use an old Lothal Jedi Temple. It turns out that the old relic held power over the past, present, and future.
Ezra found the way to enter the Lothal Jedi Temple and discovered a painting of the Mortis family.
The fans encountered this family during Star Wars: The Clone Wars, “Altar of Mortis.” It was also the moment when Anakin was tested as the Chosen One. The family itself practically represents the Force and all its sides.
This world, in particular, is basically a timeless dimension where one would be able to change certain events. The Empire wanted to gain access to this world to gain ultimate power. However, Ezra Bridger, with his friends, was right on time to stop them.
It is safe to assume that a major part of the original trilogy she spends in the Lothal Jedi Temple Since she comes back in a whole new outfit with a new point of view, it must be true.
It seems like Ahsoka spent at least three movies embarking on her spiritual journey!
That’s the best explanation I can offer, apart from real-life events.
Later, of course, she comes back to Sabine Wren and offers her help in finding Ezra Bridger. Considering her appearance in the epilogue and her absence from the original series, these plot lines seem to work.
Why wasn’t Ahsoka in the sequels?
As for the sequels, there are more things to consider.
Let’s settle the timeline. During the events of the Clone Wars, Ahsoka was around 14 years old. I have to do a little bit of math, taking into consideration that Rey appears more than 30 years after the original trilogy. In short, Ahsoka would be around 70 years old during the era of the sequel.
She is definitely not too old to appear in Episode VIII or any other sequel. Besides, we don’t fully know how her species age.
However, the sequels suggest that Ahsoka died sometime before the new movies.
The Rise of the Skywalker, the last movie in the trilogy, features an epic scene between Rey and Palpatine.
I will not talk about Palpatine “somehow returning”!
In that scene, Rey receives support from many well-known Jedi.
Amongst them, we can clearly hear Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Luke Skywalker, and Ahsoka as well. By the way, the characters are voiced by the same people as before. Since it was made very clear that all the characters are a part of the Force, Ahsoka is presumed dead as well.
Do I wish to know how she died? Yes.
Do we get an actual explanation? No.
Nevertheless, even with her disappearance in these major movies, Ahsoka Tano is still one of the best and most well-developed characters out there. She not only carried Clone Wars but appeared multiple times in Star Wars Rebels.
It is safe to say that some plot holes were almost fixed!
Conclusion
Why wasn’t Ahsoka in the prequels?
She left the Jedi order and was more involved with the Mandalorians.
Why wasn’t she in the original trilogy?
She was hiding from the empire and embarking on a spiritual journey.
Why wasn’t the former Jedi in the sequels?
She died.
These are some of the basic answers you need to know to understand why Ahsoka Tano wasn’t there for your favourite movies.
Sure, it’s devastating not to see her interact with many of our beloved characters. However, she was a major character in Clone Wars and Rebels and even made her live-action debut in The Mandalorian.It is safe to say that she will definitely not disappear from our screens anytime soon. Besides, Ahsoka is getting her very own live-action series very soon on Disney+. Maybe her own show will address some of the questions the fans have about her disappearance or spiritual journey.
You can find out more about Ahsoka and her lightsabers in this article here.
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