Ahsoka is in ‘The Mandalorian’: Does this change the ‘Star Wars’ timeline?

The inevitable finally happened in chapter 13 of The Mandalorian. In the episode titled “The Jedi”, Disney treated fans to the first live-action portrayal of Ahsoka Tano played by Rosario Dawson. In March, Disney announced they had cast Dawson in The Mandalorian but hadn’t confirmed her part until last week when she appeared as Tano. 

Ahsoka Tano is a central figure throughout the prequels and leading up to the original trilogy. So her appearance in the show might confuse casual Star Wars fans or anyone whose introduction to the franchise is through The Mandalorian. Her entire story unfolds in both Star Wars: The Clone Wars & Star Wars Rebels, and if you haven’t watched either show, we highly recommend you do. 

While Ahsoka Tano’s inclusion in The Mandalorian makes sense, there are a few questions about the orders of events following the fall of the Empire. The gap between the original & sequels trilogy is a new frontier in Star Wars. Disney threw out all the original books detailing Luke & Leia Skywalker, Han Solo, and Lando Calrissian’s adventures. Before we continue spoilers ahead, you’ve been warned.

Does Ahsoka change the timeline?

Outside of a few canonical books & comics, there is still much to cover during the twenty-five-year gap between the Empire & First Order. However, we need to focus on the end Rebels all the way back in the prequel era. Thanks to Clone Wars & Rebels, we know Ahsoka survived Order 66 & through the original trilogy. So she isn’t out of place in The Mandalorian. 

Ahsoka’s appearance does question some of the events we know take place during the twenty-five-year gap between the fall of the Empire & the emergence of the First Order. Ahsoka Tano is a central character in Rebels, and the show’s epilogue alludes to her & another Mandalorian, Sabine Wren, searching for the Jedi Ezra Bridger. 

At the end of Rebels, Ezra Bridget defeated Grand Admiral Thrawn by using purrgil & the force to transport Thrawn & his Imperial ship to an unknown part of the galaxy. During the epilogue, Ashoka & Sabine set out to find Ezra. Here is the question: when Ashoka exclaims, “Where’s Thrawn?” had she found Ezra yet? We don’t know if Din Jarin & Ashoka’s meeting was during or after her quest. If it was: where is Sabine? 

How affected is the timeline?

The Star Wars timeline is not affected by Ahsoka Tano’s appearance in The Mandalorian – it only affects Tano’s storyline. We know she is on this quest with Sabine, but we don’t know anything about it. There is a massive chasm between her last appearance in Rebels & her appearance in The Rise of Skywalker. 

The Mandalorian still takes place after the fall of the empire. What we still need to figure out is Ahsoka & Sabine’s quest to find Ezra. It’ll be interesting to see how Din Jarin & Grogu’s (Baby Yoda) story intertwines with Ahsoka’s. Many fans believe Ahsoka’s inclusion in “The Jedi” is a backdoor pilot to a TV show or movie dedicated to finishing where Rebels left off. 

Furthering Ahsoka’s story

Outside of Rebels, Clone Wars, and now The Mandalorian, Ahsoka only has a book written about her detailing her life between Clone Wars & Rebels. We don’t have anything definitive following Rebels, and a movie would be perfect for Ahsoka & Sabine’s story. Here’s why.

First off, Dave Filoni has handled Ahsoka’s story since the very beginning and would be the best way to honor one of Star Wars’ most historic creators – he deserves it. Second, we could use another movie, not about a Skywalker. After the divisive sequel trilogy and how great Rogue One is with the minimal mention of Skywalker, Solo, or Vader, returning to original stories is what the doctor prescribed for Lucasfilm. 

Lastly, Ahsoka skyrocketed to fan-favorite status – she deserves her own film. We aren’t saying the TV shows are second fiddle to the movies because there are far more Star Wars movie duds than TV shows. However, it’s time she made the jump because, in Star Wars, characters are enshrined with a movie, solidifying their place in the fandom. 

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What do you think Ahsoka’s inclusion in “The Jedi” means for The Mandalorian & Star Wars going forward? Let us know in the comments.