Ahsoka proved to be an entertaining addition to the Star Wars canon, as it featured a number of compelling moments and even some surprises. A moment that fits into both of those boxes was a flashback that featured a glimpse of the main character’s past. During that sequence, she isn’t played by lead actress Rosario Dawson but by rising star Ariana Greenblatt. The tense scene also includes a lightsaber duel between Greenblatt’s young Jedi and her master, Anakin Skywalker, who’s played by the returning Hayden Christensen. The young actress has been geeking out about her role and just dropped a cool BTS video of her and Christensen prepping for their fight.
The lightsaber battles featured throughout the franchise’s shows and movies are impressive, and they’re the result of a considerable amount of training. Fight choreographers have to make their important contributions and, of course, the actors must do their work as well. Hayden Christensen and Ariana Greenblatt certainly weren’t messing around when it came to their own preparation. At least, that’s the feeling one gets when seeing the clip the actress posted to X (formerly known as Twitter). You can see it for yourself:
from the practice stage to the sound stage, early early walk through choreography with the chosen one⚔️ #Ahsoka pic.twitter.com/W7GPiuzMxADecember 9, 2023
This particular duel occurs during the fifth episode of Ahsoka, “Part Five: Shadow Warrior,” which sees the titular protagonist wandering the World Between Worlds. While there, she runs into an un-aged Anakin, who takes her on a journey through her past. Ahsoka is shocked when she relives the Battle of Ryloth and later the Siege of Mandalore (which were both flashbacks from The Clone Wars). Following the latter, the two characters get into a discussion about legacy, which initiates the tussle glimpsed above.
I don’t know about all of you, but this fan thought the actors truly crushed the choreography, and it’s not hard to see why based on how they seemingly trained. Their movements had to effectively convey the struggle between the two characters in the moment, and that shone through. And of course, their dialogue-driven moments were also impactful. Kudos to them for pulling it all off in tremendous fashion.
Rosario Dawson Is Great As Ahsoka, But The Future Of Star Wars Rests On These Three Actors
One of the most delightful elements of this era in Star Wars history has been the return of Hayden Christensen. The actor has been fully embraced by the franchise and has seemed incredibly enthusiastic about being back in the fold. Before this live-action show, he also appeared as both Anakin and Darth Vader on 2022’s Obi-Wan Kenobi. Ahead of his work on that, Christensen even prepared for the show by watching all of The Clone Wars, which fans likely appreciated. The joy he seems to have for the franchise that made him a star is palpable – even in through moment he says “blam” while fake kicking his co-star amid their prep.
Speaking of Ariana Greenblatt, she’s certainly been on the come up recently, and 2023 alone has been a major year for her. Aside from appearing in the sci-fi show, she starred in the critically acclaimed Barbie and co-lead 65 alongside Adam Driver. Greenblatt is certainly going places and, whether or not she appears as a young Tano again, I’m glad she appears to have relished her time playing the role.
A second season of the Rosario Dawson-headed series has yet to be confirmed for Disney+ subscribers, and many are anxiously awaiting an update on that front. I’m also curious as to whether Season 2 might happen, especially considering that ending and those conversation-starting statues. In the meantime though, I’ll just revel in all of the neat behind-the-scenes tidbits like Ariana Greenblatt’s video.
All eight episodes of Ahsoka can be streamed now, and be sure to stay in the know when it comes to upcoming Star Wars shows and movies. You can also plot out your future small screen-related engagements by reading over the 2024 TV schedule.
