Perfect Young Ahsoka Casting Confirmed With BTS Details, Making Us Even More Eager For Live-Action Clone Wars

Dave Filoni recently confirmed why Ariana Greenblatt was the perfect choice for live-action Clone Wars-era Ahsoka Tano – and it makes the prospect of a live-action version of Star Wars: The Clone Wars even more exciting. Though Ahsoka Tano was originally introduced in animation in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie, her character has come a long way since. Portrayed as an adult by Rosario Dawson in live-action, Ahsoka continues to leave her mark on the Star Wars franchise as a compelling and complex character, a beacon of hope and light in a galaxy constantly marred by darkness.

Three actresses have now portrayed Anakin Skywalker’s Jedi Padawan. Ashley Eckstein voiced the character in all her animated appearances, Rosario Dawson debuted in The Mandalorian, and now Ariana Greenblatt has portrayed a younger version of the character in two Clone Wars-era flashbacks in Ahsoka episode 5. The flashbacks were essential for Ahsoka’s character development as they allowed her to finally make peace with her past and let go of her guilt and grief over Anakin’s fate. But, while much of the Clone Wars has been depicted in animation, there are still plenty of other stories and battles left to explore, and Ariana Greenblatt may be the key to making that happen in live-action.

Dave Filoni Confirms Perfect Young Ahsoka Casting

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly’s Dagobah Dispatch podcast, Ahsoka showrunner and Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni revealed why Greenblatt was such a great choice to play the character. He described seeing her on set in full costume for the first time as a “thunderbolt” moment because she was the spitting image of the very first character he’d made for Star Wars and Lucasfilm. As one of her two original creators – Star Wars creator George Lucas being the other – it’s understandable that seeing Ahsoka in real life, as she was originally imagined, must have been a thrilling and full-circle moment for Filoni.

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“That Was A Real Thunderbolt”: Ahsoka Showrunner On Working With Ariana Greenblatt’s Young Ahsoka

Lucasfilm’s Dave Filoni – who created Ahsoka Tano alongside George Lucas – reflects on an amazing moment with Ariana Greenblatt’s young Ahsoka.

But that’s not all – Greenblatt didn’t just look like Ahsoka, she acted like her, too. Filoni told Dagobah Dispatch about a behind-the-scenes moment in which Greenblatt embodied Ahsoka’s character while the cameras weren’t even rolling. Filoni said:

There was this awesome moment where Ariana was sitting there on the ground, kinda kneeling, and she was telling… I don’t know what she was talking about, but she was telling this story to a bunch of guys dressed as clones, and it was the most one-to-one real thing I’d ever seen. I just sat there and stared at it, and it was so… she wasn’t acting, she wasn’t being Ahsoka, but she was being so Ahsoka. I was like, wow, it’s exactly what it was, this young girl captivated all these soldiers, ‘cause she’s got that charisma, she was that thing. That was kind of really jaw-dropping for me. Those were very fun days. Those were the days where people would just filter onto the set that normally aren’t there, because they just wanted to stand there and watch it. We had planned that whole sequence to a T.”

What can be more captivating than an actress who embodies a role so perfectly that even her creator has a hard time distinguishing fact from fiction? It was easy to see that Greenblatt was perfect in the role; she allowed Ahsoka’s righteousness, empathy, and moral compass to shine through, all the while capturing that same playful banter and sibling dynamic with Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker. Seeing Clone Wars-era Ahsoka come to life in such a manner was both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. If ever there was a time to adapt a Clone Wars story in live-action, it would be now.

It Really Is Time For The Live-Action Clone Wars

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a vast series. There are seven seasons in total, which chronicle the beginning, middle, and inevitable end of the Republic vs. Separatist conflict, all of which was orchestrated by Darth Sidious. The show doesn’t just cover the battles but also the personal toll it took on the Jedi themselves, who were suddenly thrust into a war when they were only ever supposed to be peacekeepers, the lives of the clone troopers bred for war without knowing exactly why, as well as the political discussions that needed to take place, the clashing ideologies and crumbling governmental structures trying to keep the Republic afloat.

The show played a crucial role in understanding the fallout that occurs in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and why Palpatine was able to claim absolute authority in the Senate and destroy the Jedi in one fell swoop. Ahsoka’s flashbacks paid tribute to the series brilliantly. It is a vital piece of Star Wars storytelling and deserves more credit.

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Ahsoka’s Two Clone Wars Retcons Make Her Star Wars Story Even Better

The Ahsoka series features two key retcons for Ahsoka Tano’s character that only make her story in Star Wars: The Clone Wars even better.

But animation, even in a franchise as beloved as Star Wars, does not appeal to everyone. That’s okay – people can’t enjoy the same things all the time, and some simply prefer more grounded live-action storytelling. Creating a live-action Clone Wars series, movie, or one-off special now, however, could entice reluctant viewers to see what all the fuss is about and perhaps introduce an entirely new swathe of the Star Wars audience to a fantastically complex, funny, heartfelt, and terrifying period of the Star Wars timeline. The reaction to Ahsoka’s Clone Wars-era flashbacks would certainly suggest that a live-action version of this story would be most welcome, and Greenblatt is a massive part of the appeal.

It’s unlikely Disney and Lucasfilm will ever fully adapt the animated series into live-action – and why should they? The animated series already tells a beautiful and vital story on its own. But there’s certainly room for a live-action version of a battle that audiences haven’t yet seen. Ahsoka’s story hasn’t been fully told, either. A live-action version could depict more of Ahsoka’s training at the Jedi Temple, a mission gone awry with Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi, or dive deeper into her friendships with the clones, Padmé Amidala, or fellow Padawan Barriss Offee. Disney+ has made it easier than ever for Lucasfilm to study and explore its characters, and a live-action version of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, in any form, would certainly fit in with its current slate of stories.