Ahsoka: Star Wars Rebels Voice Actor Reprises Role in Live-Action

The first two episodes of Star Wars: Ahsoka are now streaming on Disney+, and they feature the live-action debut of some fan-favorite animated characters such as Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). While those characters and the titular Ahoksa (Rosario Dawson) are being played by new actors, there have been some animated characters who have been brought to life in live-action by the same actors who voiced them. For example, Katee Sackhoff voiced Bo-Katan Kryze before playing the character in The Mandalorian, and Lars Mikkelsen is expected to show up in Ahsoka as Thrawn. The first episode of Ahsoka also featured the surprise appearance of Clancy Brown as Governor Ryder Azadi, a role he also played in Star Wars Rebels. 

In Ashoka‘s first episode, “Master and Apprentice,” Governor Azadi is seen at a celebration honoring the Rebels’ victory at the Battle of Lothal, which occurred in Star Wars Rebels. He goes to introduce Sabine to the crowd, but she’s nowhere to be found. Back in the days of Star Wars Rebels, Azadi was Governor before being imprisoned by the Empire. He eventually escaped and joined the Rebels in their fight to free Lothal. When they came out victorious, he resumed his position as Governor. You can check out a side-by-side of Governor Ryder Azadi in Rebels and Ahsoka below:

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Brown has shown up in a live-action Star Wars series. He also portrayed Burg in The Mandalorian episode, “Chapter 6: The Prisoner.” Considering the character was a Devaronian with red skin, it makes sense that Brown would be able to return to the role of Ryder Azadi without causing confusion. Of course, Brown is not the first actor to play multiple characters in the franchise. 

What Is Ahsoka About?

Fan-favorite Star Wars hero Ahsoka Tano returns in the brand new series on Disney+. Rosario Dawson stars in Star Wars: Ahsoka, premiering August 23rd on the streamer. The series picks up after the events of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, in which we saw the former Jedi searching for Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and helping Luke Skywalker train Grogu. Ahsoka will be joined on her new mission alongside longtime allies Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) as they attempt to track down Thrawn, who was last seen disappearing to the far reaches of space after a confrontation with Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi). Star Wars: Ahsoka is the latest live-action series from Lucasfilm’s creative duo of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni.