The Mandalorian has wrapped its third season, but the Star Wars television train is still chugging along. Next up on the Disney+ side of the universe is Ahsoka, a series that picks up on a lot of threads from not only The Mandalorian but also from lingering threads from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. For fans of these series, it’s hard to not be looking forward to seeing these characters in live action. Once considered supplemental material, many characters and plots for these shows have become important to Star Wars, especially Ahsoka Tano.
But, what if you don’t want to consume 12 full seasons worth of cartoons to catch up? Both The Clone Wars and Rebels are about a lot more than just Ahsoka Tano, so what if you just need to cut the chaff and see what might actually be relevant? We’re here to help. Below is a trimmed down episode guide for both TCW and Rebels, designed to get you up to speed on where the galaxy around Ahsoka has been, and then you too can join us in being excited for what’s to come.
Please note: The Clone Wars episodes did not air in chronological order, though for the sake of clarity for this episode guide we’ve organized the episodes in original broadcast order. This guide will focus on Ahsoka Tano but look out for other characters from the cartoons that have appeared or been mentioned in The Mandalorian to appear, since they tie back to her.
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Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The animated movie from 2008. This can technically be skipped, but it is Ahsoka’s first appearance and begins her rapport building with her Jedi master Anakin Skywalker.
Season 1, Episodes 2-4: Centering around the powerful warship the Malevolence, Ahsoka assists the Jedi in taking down the dangerous weapon and attempting to capture General Grievous (the coughing one from Revenge of the Sith)
Season 1, Episode 9: Ahsoka assists another Jedi Master, Luminara Unduli, with the transport of Nute Gunray (the fish looking one from The Phantom Menace) to stand trial before the Republic.
Season 1, Episodes 13-14: Ahsoka must work with Jedi Master Aayla Secura to get assistance from the local people for their wounded battalion, including an incapacitated Anakin, after a violent sky battle. The local people believe in neutrality and must be persuaded to one side of the war or the other.
Season 1, Episode 19: After a mistake costs the lives of many of the clones under her command, Ahsoka must learn how to process loss in the fires of war while under the direction of Anakin.
Season 2, Episode 1-3: A three part show down with bounty hunters stealing a holocron containing the location of Force-sensitive children.
Season 2, Episode 17: Crash landing on Felucia, Ahsoka, Anakin, and Obi-Wan agree to defend a small village from invading bounty hunters, Seven Samurai style.
Season 2, Episodes 6-8: Ahsoka joins an operation on the planet Geonosis from Attack of the Clones to end the production of more weapons for the Separatists. She works as a team with Luminara Unduli’s apprentice, Barriss Offee.
Season 2, Episode 11: Ahsoka loses her lightsaber in the huge city of Coruscant.
Season 2, Episodes 12-14: While Ahsoka doesn’t factor directly into these episode’s events, it will serve as the precursor of events later on and ties back to things hinted at during The Mandalorian.
Season 3, Episodes 5-6: More Mandalorian intrigue, as a plot to maximize profits by selling tainted tea to Mandalorian schools is discovered, leading to Ahsoka posing as a teacher to investigate.
Season 3, Episode 7: Ahsoka volunteers to protect none other than Padmé Amidala while she’s on a political visit to Alderaan, and becomes inundated with visions of Amidala being murdered at the hands of a bounty hunter.
Season 3, Episode 4: Ahsoka attempts to rescue the kidnapped family of a senator that’s being blackmailed. Fun fact – this episode is one of many written by George Lucas’ daughter Katie, and the senator in question is Baron Papanoida, who was played in a cameo by George himself in Revenge of the Sith.
Season 3, Episode 8; Season 1, Episode 22; Season 3, Episode 9: These episodes aired entire seasons apart, and are a follow up to the events of The Clone Wars movie. Feel free to skip if you didn’t watch the film or don’t care about it.
Season 3, Episode 10: Ahsoka secretly joins Padmé on a journey to the Separatist capital to attempt to broker peace without more bloodshed. Sparks somewhat fly between Ahsoka and the son of Separatist senator, Lux Bonteri.
Season 3, Episodes 15-17: Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka find themselves lost on a mystery planet called Mortis. Feeling the extremely powerful Force, the three encounter what appear to be embodiments of the Force itself. These are some of the best episodes of the entire series and kicks off the exploration of the more mystical aspects of the Star Wars lore that appear through Clone Wars, Rebels, and even Rise of Skywalker.
Season 3, Episodes 21-22: Kidnapped during a battle, Ahsoka finds herself a part of a Most Dangerous Game style showdown alongside other young Jedi. In order to survive she’ll have to team up with a very recognizable Wookie warrior.
Season 4, Episodes 1-4: Participating in a battle for the planet Mon Calamari (home of Admiral Ackbar) that the Republic is losing, Ahsoka will have to show her skills in all new ways while teaming up with the young prince of Mon Calamari. Jar Jar Binks also shows up and, believe it or not, it’s worth it.
Season 4, Episodes 11-13: In a grim reminder that slavery is just a thing that happens in Star Wars, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan investigate the disappearance of an entire colony, discovering Zygerrian slavers. In order to rescue them, Ahsoka poses as a kidnapped heiress while Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Clone Commander Rex pose as slavers. This goes pretty badly for all involved.
Season 4, Episode 14: Following up on Episode 10 of Season 3, Ahsoka becomes embroiled in a dangerous hunt for those responsible for breaking up peace talks, thanks to a returning Lux Bonteri. Inadvertently, this again puts her in the middle of some Mandalorian intrigue.
Season 5, Episodes 2-5: Ahsoka, Anakin, and Obi-Wan are called to Separatist-controlled Onderon to assist a growing rebellion there, including Lux Bonteri. When it’s determined the Republic can’t afford resources being wasted there, Ahsoka chooses to stay behind and train the rebellion for war herself. This is one of her longest solo arcs in the series, and also introduces Saw Gerrera, played by Forest Whitaker in Rogue One and the first character to make the jump from animation to live action.
Season 5, Episodes 6-9: Ahsoka joins Master Yoda on his escort of young padawans as they quest for their first kyber crystals to build their lightsabers. When the children are put in danger thanks to pirates, Ahsoka is captured and must find a way to escape.
Season 5, Episodes 17-20: The last episodes featuring her until this year, Ahsoka is framed for murdering someone suspected of bombing the Jedi Temple and must flee from her friends and even ally herself with a former Sith apprentice in order to clear her name. These events will leave her forever changed.
Season 4, Episodes 21-22; Season 5, Episode 1, Episodes 14-16: These episodes do not feature Ahsoka, however they do pay off the Mandalorian story that has been running in the background, and serve as set up for the rest of Ahsoka’s journey. Consider these optional recommendations, though they also explain that one cameo in Solo.
Season 7, Episodes 6-8: These episodes show what happens to Ahsoka immediately after the events of Season 5, including meeting new friends and getting a different perspective on what it means to live in a galaxy always at war.
Season 7, Episodes 9-12: The final episodes of the entire series show Ahsoka joining the battle to free the Mandalorian home world as the events of Revenge of the Sith play out in parallel—including the fateful Order 66.
Star Wars Rebels
Season 1, Episodes 8-9: While Ahsoka doesn’t appear (in the flesh anyway), these two episodes are a perfect introduction to the new cast she’ll be interacting with and establishing where exactly in the timeline the story now is.
Season 1, Episodes 13-15: The first season finale of Rebels exists to do two things: raise the stakes for the main cast and introduce a now grown Ahsoka Tano.
Season 2, Episodes 1-2: A new threat arrives to face the main characters, forcing them to retreat and fully join Ahsoka’s rebel cell. In helping them escape, Ahsoka senses something familiar about the black-clad Sith Lord now hunting them.
Season 2, Episodes 3-4: Ahsoka doesn’t appear much but does send the Ghost crew to pick up some old friends—including her old Clone Commander, Rex.
Season 2, Episode 10: Ahsoka assists the Ghost crew with protecting newborn Force-sensitive children, and isn’t afraid to use her lightsabers to do it. Additionally, she reveals she’s investigating to find out more about the mysterious Darth Vader.
Season 2, Episode 18: Ahsoka journeys to a hidden Jedi temple and learns the horrifying truth about her former master. Very fun easter egg for fans of the Knights of the Old Republic video game here too.
Season 2, Episodes 21-22: Not one, but two Sith Lords appear as Ahsoka and the Ghost crew attempt to obtain a Sith holocron. This is one of if not the best episodes of Rebels and it’s absolutely because Ahsoka meets Darth Vader face to face.
Season 4, Episode 13: In a callback to the Mortis trilogy, Ahsoka’s disappearance after Season 2 is finally addressed, and Star Wars goes to a place it’s never been before. By this point of Rebels, you’re going to hit some heavy spoilers, so if you’ve liked the show at all before watching these episodes, I recommend stopping now and going back to enjoy the rest.
Season 4, Episode 16: In the second part of the two-part finale, we get to see Ahsoka closest to the moment we see her in The Mandalorian, though exactly which of these comes first is still unclear. This episode also sets up what appears to be some things we’ll see play out in that series.
The Mandalorian
Season 2, Episode 5: The search for a Jedi on The Child’s behalf leads the Mandalorian to ex-Jedi Ahsoka Tano following a tip from Bo-Katan. We find Ahsoka on her own but she is searching for Thrawn, the final threat from Star Wars Rebels and iconic Legends canon villain. This is the backdoor pilot for the upcoming series, though it is still not clear how it fits in to that series and how Ahsoka appears at the end of Rebels.
The Book of Boba Fett
Season 1, Episode 6: Ahsoka makes a surprise appearance during this show’s “Mandalorian Season 2.5” arc. She serves as a go between for Luke Skywalker and Din Djarin so as to not disrupt Grogu (The Child)’s training. Here, Ahsoka is much more casual than her Mandalorian appearance with Din. Most notable here though is the confirmation that Ahsoka did indeed connect with the son of her former master at some point. This may serve as the kick off point for Ahsoka.
Ahsoka surprisingly did not appear in Season 3 of The Mandalorian, so once you’ve reached this point, you’re all caught up! However, if you want to know what the current state of the galaxy is when that show airs, you should at least take a look at our reviews of that season.
Ahsoka will debut exclusively on Disney+ in August 2023.
Featured image © Disney © & ™ Lucasfilm LTD
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