Star Wars: Ashley Eckstein Urges Fans To Watch Animated Shows Ahead of Ahsoka

Star Wars: Ahsoka is debuting on Disney+ next month, and it will feature the return of Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano. Dawson first played the role in the second season of The Mandalorian, but before the former Jedi was brought into live-action, she was voiced by Ashley Eckstein in Star Wars: Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and more animated projects. Previously, Dawson said Eckstein gave her her “blessing” when she took over the role, and the two actors met last year for the first time. During a recent interview with CinemaBlend, Eckstein revealed she’s excited about the series, but she hopes fans will watch the animated shows first.

“I actually recommend to everyone who is excited about the upcoming Ahsoka series, I highly recommend that you take the time to watch Clone Wars, and watch Star Wars Rebels, and even Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. Because if you don’t, you’re going to miss out on crucial, crucial backstory that you really need to know to fully enjoy the Ahsoka series, which is so exciting,” Eckstein shared. 

She added, “We’re gonna get so many new and incredible stories, but without that backstory, and full understanding of who Ahsoka is and even who the other characters are, you’re not going to have as rich or in-depth of an understanding and appreciation of what’s going to happen in the series without the backstory, so I’m very grateful that Clone Wars and Rebels and Tales the Jedi are on Disney+. Any chance I get, I tell fans, ‘Go and watch it and binge it before you watch the Ahsoka series. It’s really gonna matter.’” 

Eckstein continued, “And then Clone Wars and Rebels and even Tales the Jedi in general… You know, at some point, most Star Wars fans go back and watch the movies. They watch Episodes IV, V, and VI, and I, II, and III. Well now, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, they’re a part of that timeline. It’s part of the story. It’s part of the overall trajectory and journey of these characters, so without watching those series, you’re kind of missing out. They’re all connected. I highly recommend that fans watch them.”

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 in August 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.