Summary
Ariana Greenblatt’s appearance inStar Wars: Ahsokaset a new first for the franchise and gave fans of the animated projects an eye-opening look at one of the most impactful moments in theStar Warscontinuity.
Based on the eponymous character first created by Dave Filoni for 2008’sThe Clone Warsanimated feature and then as a main character in the resultantStar Wars: The Clone Warsanimated series,Star Wars: Ahsokafollows an older, wiser Ahsoka as she investigates new threats to the galaxy far, far, away after the fall of the first Galactic Empire and during the infancy of the New Republic. The series premiered on Disney Plus to an avalanche of positive reviews,surpassingThe Mandalorianseason 3 in viewershipwithin the first week. From the blast of the whistle,Ahsokahas given fans of the animated series that inspired it much-appreciated revisits of iconic people and places from those shows in live-action
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Ahsokaepisode 5 played in select theatersas a mid-season fan celebration and made sure it didn’t disappoint either, making many a fan’s wishes come to fruition by bringing the iconic Siege of Mandalore from the Clone Wars era to live action in an epic flashback. As a result, fans got to see the show’s titular character at the age she was portrayed in for most of theClone Warsanimated series in live action for the first time, an appearance thatThe Directhighlights as the first time in Star Wars history that a young version of a character created for an animated show has been portrayed in live action. Rather than special effects transforming lead star Rosario Dawson, the younger Ahsoka was played by the young and talented actress Greenblatt.
Greenblatt previously appeared in the hit filmBarbieas Sasha and as young Gamora in the MCU’sAvengers: Infinity War, which only fell to the position of third highest-grossing debut for the franchise afterbeing surpassed bySpider-Man: Far From Home. Her appearance as a younger Ahsoka adds to her already impressive credentials and puts her on the same stage as the legendary Hayden Christensen for the episode. Several viewers also took to social media to praise the performance, admitting that the portrayal had driven home the real tragedy of Ahsoka’s involvement in the Clone Wars as a child in a way that the highly celebrated animated shows couldn’t.
Greenblatt’s performance surprised fans and found itself in good company alongside other unexpected fan moments, such as theStar Warscharacter Captain Rex making his live-action debutin the same scene. Furthermore, the fan reaction to the moment proves the adaptation of animated shows and other media to live action can serve a purpose beyond gratuity.
Star Wars: Ahsokahas managed to keep an enviable amount of fan interest throughout its run so far, and the constant use of the live-action medium to breathe new life into iconic moments played a major part in that trend. As the series progresses, fans are getting closer to seeing Ezra Bridger appear, a momentteased by Sabine Wren actress Liu Bordizzo. The show’s stock is seemingly only set to rise as each new episode delivers exactly what longtime fans of the franchise are looking for.
