When Ahsoka Tano first joined the Star Wars franchise, the response from fans was a little mixed. There were those who rejected the idea of Anakin Skywalker having an "annoying" kid Padawan/sidekick, but as The Clone Wars continued, it became apparent that there was more to the young Jedi than met the eye and she quickly became a firm fan-favourite.
As the years passed, Ahsoka's popularity only continued to grow, and following live-action appearances in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, she's a bigger hit than ever before.
Ashley Eckstein has spent most of her career playing Ahsoka, and will continue to be the voice of the hero in any upcoming animated projects (such as Disney+'s Tales of the Jedi). Talking to us about the return of the Her Universe Fashion Show to Comic-Con, the actress opened up on seeing Ahsoka's popularity grow across generations of Star Wars fans.
"It’s amazing. I’ve been going to conventions now for the past year and a half, so I’ve had the privilege of meeting thousands of fans. It’s really just astounding to see that Ahsoka is more popular than ever. You have multiple generations of Star Wars fans that love Ahsoka," Eckstein tells us. "You have the original trilogy fans that have gone back and discovered The Clone Wars and Rebels, and they’ve fallen in love with Ahsoka and how she intertwines with the overall Skywalker Saga. "
"Then, you have the prequel fans that also grew up with The Clone Wars and love the prequels. Obviously, Anakin and Ahsoka are so integral to those between Episodes II and III, but then you have The Clone Wars fans," she continues. "That is their Star Wars or the first Star Wars they were introduced to, and they’re very proud and outspoken about that."
"Now, you have a new generation of Star Wars fans who watched The Mandalorian first and were like, ‘Wait a minute, who is this character? Let me go back and find out.’ They’re watching The Clone Wars for the first time and falling in love with Ahsoka, so it’s really just amazing."
"There are very few things that unite all Star Wars fans and I think part of the power of Ahsoka is that she universally unites Star Wars fans of all ages and generations. She’s such a positive force and it’s really just an honour to be the voice of Ahsoka and to be associated with her. It’s an honour I don’t take lightly."
It is pretty incredible to see how Ahsoka Tano's role in the Star Wars Universe has expanded in recent years, and thanks to The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, she is now an integral part of this Galaxy Far, Far Away. With a live-action series on the horizon, that only looks set to continue.
Weigh in with your future hopes for Ahsoka Tano in the comments section below.