Ahsoka Season 1 (2023) Review

Ever since her live action debut in The Mandalorian Season 2, I have been hyped to see Ahsoka get her time to shine in her own show and yesterday the final episode of the first season of Ahsoka came to Disney+ so it is time to review it. The premise of the show sees Ahsoka on the hunt to locate Grand Admiral Thrawn and prevent his return, others are looking for him too both allies and enemies of the former Jedi. 

Main Character

Rosario Dawson is once again back as the titular character and she is really good. I have seen some people complaining about her stoic behaviour but I think that is all to do with where her character is during this story. Dawson, has that playful nature that we know Ahsoka has but it is fascinating seeing how she has grown over the years and where she is in terms of her faith in the Jedi. I really liked Rosario in the role and felt she encapsulated what Ahsoka is like for live action. 

Supporting Characters

This is a big cast and there are some characters that I am intentionally not going to talk about because of their roles in the show. A major surprise here was the use of Huyang with David Tennant reprising his role from The Clone Wars. I thought this was going to be a minor role but he is one of the most important characters on the show and he is brilliant. He is the perfect partner to Ahsoka and his use of sarcasm is really funny and I am really happy he was included here. 

Natasha Liu Bordizzo takes over the role of Sabine Wren and they do a lot with her character to show progression from her appearance in Rebels. There is more of a defined relationship between Sabine & Ashoka then there was in that show. Sabine has clearly struggled since the finale of Rebels and Bordizzo portrays that really well adding more depth to her character. 

Similarly, Mary Elizabeth Winstead takes over the role of Hera Syndulla and I thought this was a good representation of her. They give her a side story and it was actually pretty interesting and Winstead does a good job as Hera and is solid in continuing this characters legacy from Rebels. 

Unfortunately, before the show came out Ray Stevenson passed away. It was tragic then and after watching this show it feels even worse here as I think his portrayal of Baylon Skoll is the best part of this whole show and he is amazing. Baylon is one of the most interesting antagonists in any film or show in recent years. The way Stevenson carries himself makes himself believable and an intimidating presence but with that sense of calmness and understanding, it is a shame we won't see Stevenson get a chance to show his amazing ability on screen again. 

There are other characters here, especially ones seen in other Star Wars projects and all I will say is that they are all handled really well and I give credit to all the performers who nailed it here. 

Story

The story is really good. The show manages to balance the stories of older characters while bringing in new ones such as Baylon. It opens up new areas for Star Wars and does an excellent job in getting me invested in these characters and the time of Star Wars that we are in which is largely unexplored in canon. However, the only issue is that there isn't really much finality to this season, everybody is set up for the future and it kind of makes this feel like build up to future projects and I think at least a few story elements could have been completed here. 

Script

The show is really well written, I think it balances those who have watched Rebels and Clone Wars and those who haven't. It is funny at times but pretty serious and I like how these characters are developed and the ones who are now live action are as I would imagine from their animated counterparts. 

Style

The show looks fantastic. The action scenes feel new and fresh, there are a few lightsaber duels and they all feel different and all are awesome. It shows areas of Star Wars that we have never seen before and it is shown really well with a very clear big budget. It is also paced well and every episode feels slightly different with a solid structure. 

Overall

Overall, Disney gets plenty of criticism for its handling of Star Wars. But I have really enjoyed a lot of the stuff and Ahsoka is a top tier show that as a huge fan of the lore satisfied me for sure. For me, this is a must watch and one that will deliver for the fans. 

Rating - 9/10