Ahsoka Tano was one of the breakout characters of the Star Wars expanded universe when she appeared in 2008’s Clone Wars tv show and later Star Wars Rebels. When plans for a Disney+ series centered around Ahsoka were announced there were a few main things Star Wars fans wanted to see. One of those things was an emphasis on the relationship between Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka. The two characters have such an intertwined history, with Ahsoka being the only Jedi trained by Anakin before he became Darth Vader. Ahsoka star Rosario Dawson spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the relationship between the two characters and the thought process that went into creating a special moment between the two.
She revealed a scene that was changed in episode seven of the series. Ashoka watches an old training hologram of Anakin and a lot of old feelings were brought back for the character and audiences alike. There was already a lot of anticipation for Anakin to come back more than once when it was announced Hayden Christensen was going to reprise his role and be a part of Ahsoka's cast list. When talking about it Dawson said,
We ended up tweaking that and playing with it a little bit. That moment with him coming out of the World Between Worlds was so significant, so it didn't make sense to necessarily have like another dialogue scene with him — because how could you really build on that in that way? So we transformed that.
The World Between Worlds played such an important role in Star Wars Rebels, and to Ashoka herself that it makes sense that trying to top it would almost diminish the scene. Even before the show aired there was already hype around the idea of a return to the World Between Worlds and Anakin’s involvement. Transforming the scene into something other than a Force Ghost made it different. The fact that her mentor turned to the dark side is a big development in the character’s journey. So any time the two crossed paths in this live-action setting the moment had to be just right. In the same interview Dawson went on to say,
We sort of shifted it a little bit so she was watching him as a hologram, rather than Force ghost conversation. It also makes that moment in the World Between Worlds more ephemeral, like, What was that? Is she just dreaming? Is she really talking to herself? It's nice to keep that as a question mark.
It goes to show the thought that Dawson and creator Dave Filoni had when writing the show and bringing the characters to life. The scenes between Anakin (in whatever form he was in) and Ahsoka were some of the best of the show. Fans can ponder those questions about the World Between Worlds scene and many others while they wait for Ahsoka season two. Of course they could also go back and watch Ahsoka or any other Star Wars show or movie since they are all streaming with a Disney+ subscription.
