Summary
- Ahsoka demonstrates Dave Filoni’s respect for George Lucas’ vision while also challenging it, striking a balance between old and fresh ideas.
- Ahsoka expands the Star Wars universe beyond Lucas’ vision by introducing intriguing new concepts, even bringing back ideas from the animated TV shows.
- The introduction of a new galaxy in Ahsoka offers exciting storytelling opportunities, allowing the franchise to grow and evolve beyond its creator’s vision.
This article contains SPOILERS for Ahsoka episode 5. Ahsoka demonstrates Dave Filoni’s admiration and respect for George Lucas’ vision of Star Wars, but the show is also willing to turn that vision on its head. Striking a balance between old ideas and fresh ones is something that all long-running franchises suffer from, especially Star Wars in recent years. Many of the Disney era movies and TV shows have been criticized for rehashing worn-out ideas, while projects like Star Wars: The Last Jedi faced backlash for trying to do the opposite. Both instances demonstrate Star Wars‘ struggle to move on from its creator, but one aspect of Ahsoka has pulled it off remarkably well.
Filoni was mentored by Lucas during their time working together on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, so his projects have always respected the most important rules and themes laid out by Star Wars‘ creator. At the same time, Lucas always liked to experiment and try new ideas, and Filoni’s crew used the realm of animated television to do so. Even after transitioning to live-action, Filoni and the team continue to expand Star Wars beyond Lucas’ vision by introducing intriguing new ideas. One of Ahsoka‘s most fascinating concepts captures this goal perfectly while opening new storytelling opportunities for the Star Wars universe.
Star Wars’ Galaxy Is No Longer The One That’s “Far, Far Away” – Ezra & Thrawn’s Is
The Star Wars movies and TV shows have always been set “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….”, but in Ahsoka, this phrase applies to the distant galaxy where Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn are trapped. Jace Syndulla even talks about Ezra being taken “far, far away,” confirming that this phrase now applies to the other galaxy, at least from the characters’ perspective. This is something Star Wars has never done before, but it’s interesting to see the “far, far away” perspective shifted from that of the audience to the people of the galaxy. It’s a departure from traditional Star Wars with several exciting outcomes.
How Ahsoka’s New Galaxy Changes George Lucas’ Star Wars
George Lucas previously established one Star Wars galaxy, but now the characters can travel to other universes. It continues to be such a radical shift – even if we knew there had been intergalactic species before, opening Star Wars up to exploring other galaxies is one of the biggest twists in years. It demonstrates that Star Wars is willing to grow and evolve beyond the vision of its creator, which is actually the best way to honor Lucas’ legacy. Lucas felt that projects like Star Wars: The Force Awakens were too focused on being retro, whereas he always tried to create something new, so Ahsoka introducing other galaxies continues that sentiment.
Ahsoka’s New Galaxy Is Great For Star Wars
This new galaxy will be great for Ahsoka and the entire Star Wars franchise. The established rules and history of the main Star Wars galaxy means there’s only so much that new stories can do in the same setting, so allowing the characters to travel to other galaxies opens countless possibilities. The ancient people who once visited the Star Wars galaxy are sure to have their own unique history, and new stories across every medium can expand on the lore of this other galaxy. Ahsoka will also explore how the other galaxy affects Ahsoka and the others, and other movies and TV shows can do the same.
Perhaps Ahsoka will not be able to use the Force outside the Star Wars galaxy, or the mysterious “Pathway to Peridea” may have an even stronger connection to the Force. The ancient people Lady Morgan spoke of may not have expanded beyond their home planet, or they could be the only significant species in the other galaxy. Ahsoka could even include references to other Star Wars stories that have explored intergalactic travel, such as the Yuuzhan Vong from Star Wars: The New Jedi Order. Whatever Ahsoka does next, it’s clear that Star Wars has turned Lucas’ vision on its head by moving beyond the “galaxy far, far away.”
Ahsoka releases new episodes Tuesdays at 6 pm PT / 9 pm ET on Disney+.
