Summary

• Rosario Dawson stars as Ahsoka Tano in the live-action Disney+ TV show launching on August 22, 2023, continuing her story after Return of the Jedi.
• The Ahsoka TV show will have eight episodes, with the final episode releasing on October 4, 2023, providing uninterrupted popular original content on Disney+.
• The Ahsoka trailer teases Ahsoka's quest to find Grand Admiral Thrawn and introduces new characters from Star Wars Rebels, such as Sabine Wren, and the mystical World Between Worlds.

Rosario Dawson stars as Anakin Skywalker's former Padawan in the Ahsoka Disney+ TV show, which will launch on August 22, 2023. Introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Ahsoka Tano is a Togruta who served in the Clone Wars. Originally voiced by Ashley Eckstein, Ahsoka survived the Dark Times of the Empire's reign and is now played by Rosario Dawson in live-action.

Dawson made her debut in The Mandalorian season 2, and has since appeared in The Book of Boba Fett as well. These were essential setup for her own live-action Disney+ TV show, which continues her story roughly five year after the events of Return of the Jedi. This will also introduce live-action iterations of other characters from Star Wars Rebels, including Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Ahsoka Release Date

The first two episodes of the Ahsoka Disney+ TV show will launch on August 22, 2023, keeping the traditional Star Wars Wednesday release. There are eight episodes, meaning the final episode of Ahsoka will release on October 3. This means Disney+ will have an almost uninterrupted stream of popular original content throughout the summer into winter, with rumors Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will stream from November.

Ahsoka Trailers

The first Ahsoka trailer was released at the Ahsoka panel at Star Wars Celebration, although attendees there saw an extended version - one featuring a glimpse of the Disney+ TV show's primary antagonist, Grand Admiral Thrawn. The Ahsoka trailer offers a tantalizing glimpse of an ancient (presumably Jedi) temple marked with images evoking mystical aspects of the Force. It goes on to feature some stunning action shots involving Ahsoka, her allies, and the villains introduced in the series.

A second Ahsoka trailer gave viewers their first glimpse of the show's main villain - Lars Mikelsen's Grand Admiral Thrawn. This trailer focuses more on Natasha Liu Bordizzo Sabine Wren, exploring her relationship with Ahsoka Tano. It must be notoed this trailer features a previous release date; Ahsoka's first two episodes will now drop on August 22.

Ahsoka Story Details

Little is known for certain about the plot of Ahsoka, which appears to kick off with Ahsoka reuniting with other heroes from Star Wars Rebels as they head to the Unknown Regions in search of their lost friend Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn. The Mandalorian season 3 already set up Thrawn's return, hinting he is the one commanding an Imperial Shadow Council responsible for a resurgent Empire. Ahsoka's quest to find Thrawn means she will be competing with Imperial Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth, who has recruited Force-sensitive bounty hunters. Named Baylan and Shin, these mysterious Force-users wield distinctive orange lightsabers, and have an agenda of their own.

The font of the Ahsoka logo hints at a mystical realm called the World Between Worlds, a plane of existence outside time and space where history can be rewritten. It's unclear what role the World Between Worlds plays in this story, but this may well be tied to Baylan and Shin, rather than Thrawn. One shot in the Ahsoka trailer appeared to show Ahsoka confronting Baylan in the World Between Worlds itself.

One thing is certain; Ahsoka's story is a crucial step on the journey to an upcoming movie set during The Mandalorian era, which will draw all the threads from the various Disney+ TV shows together. Grand Admiral Thrawn is confirmed to be the major villain of this movie, fulfilling the same role he played in the old Star Wars Expanded Universe. Given that's the case, most viewers assume the film will be titled after the classic Timothy Zahn novel that introduced Thrawn, "Heir to the Empire."

Related: Ahsoka Villains Explained: Names, Identity, Weapons & More

Ahsoka Cast

Ahsoka features a star-studded cast bringing many beloved characters from Star Wars Rebels to life. There are also returning actors from other Star Wars projects, expected to play important roles. So far, the confirmed cast are:

• Rosario Dawson returns as the live-action Ahsoka, the role she previously played in The Mandalorian season 2 and The Book of Boba Fett.
• Natasha Liu Bordizzo will make her debut as the live-action Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian rebel who's on a personal quest to find her long-lost friend Ezra Bridger.
• Mary Elizabeth Winstead will play Hera Syndulla, a general from the New Republic who served alongside Princess Leia herself.
• Eman Esfandi is the live-action Ezra Bridger, an ally of the rebels who sacrificed himself when he used his Jedi powers to summon a flock of purrgil - spiriting Grand Admiral Thrawn's flagship, the Chimaera, into the vast unexplored sector of space known as the Unknown Regions.
• Steve Blum appeared as the live-action Zeb, a Lasat ally of the rebels, in The Mandalorian season 3; although he isn't confirmed for Ahsoka, it seems likely he will return.
• Lars Mikkelsen is confirmed to be playing the live-action Grand Admiral Thrawn, a ruthless Imperial strategist positioned as the "heir to the Empire" in the Ahsoka trailer.
• Diana Lee Inosanto was introduced as Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth in The Mandalorian season 2, and will make her return in Ahsoka as a warrior who's fiercely loyal to Grand Admiral Thrawn.
• The late Ray Stevenson appears in Ahsoka as a Jedi who survived Order 66 named Baylan Skoll. He's now become a bounty hunter, and has taken on an apprentice named Shin Hati, played by Ivanna Sakhno
• Genevieve O'Reilly will also appear in Ahsoka, reprising the role of Mon Mothma - one she previously played in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
• David Tennant will unexpectedly return to Star Wars as the voice of the droid Huyang. Constructed by the first Jedi, Huyang has served the Order for nearly 25,000 years and apparently survived the Dark Times.