Ahsoka Tano

Ahsoka "Snips" Tano is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, appearing in the 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the following series. She is depicted as a 14-year-old Togruta female. Ahsoka is voiced by Ashley Eckstein.

Development

George Lucas stated that the character of Ahsoka was developed for the series as a means of illustrating how Anakin Skywalker changes from the brash, undisciplined Padawan in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones to the more reserved Jedi Knight in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Giving Anakin his own Padawan would place the character into a paternal role where he would be forced to become more cautious. It would also give Anakin new insight into his relationship with his own mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and explain how their relationship matured. Lucas stated that, having raised two daughters, he "knew something about the subject," and decided to make Anakin's apprentice a young female.

Depiction

Main articles: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (film) and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series)

Ahsoka Tano is discovered by Master Plo Koon and raised in the Jedi Temple. She graduates to Padawan at an early age, both due to the ongoing Clone Wars and as an effort by Master Yoda to teach Anakin Skywalker a greater sense of responsibility. She wields a green lightsaber.

Ahsoka displays the same type of rash and rebellious behavior that Anakin is known for. She adopts a highly informal attitude towards her new Master and tends to address individuals by nicknames; for example, Anakin is dubbed "Sky Guy" and R2-D2 is referred to as "Artooey." Anakin in turn refers to her as "Snips," in reference to her "snippy" attitude when they first met.

She first appears in the Clone Wars film as a messenger sent by Yoda to Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Anakin initially believes that Ahsoka is to be Obi-Wan's new Padawan, but she claims that Yoda has in fact assigned her to Anakin, much to his chagrin. It is later revealed that Obi-Wan and Yoda engineered the confusion over who was to be Ahsoka's Master as a means of forcing her upon Anakin in order to make him look like a more responsible Jedi than in his previous recklessness as Obi-Wan's former padawan. After earning Anakin's respect on a dangerous mission to destroy a Separatist shield generator, Ahsoka accompanies him on a quest to rescue the infant son of Jabba the Hutt. Her impetuous nature both annoys and endears her to her Master, and by the end of the film, Anakin reveals a newfound affection for his new apprentice, abandoning a duel with Count Dooku when he believes her life to be in danger.

In the Clone Wars series, Ahsoka and Anakin fight against General Grievous' ship the Malevolence, a ship that has an ion cannon, which neutralizes the power of a ship, which would later be destroyed. They eventually destroy the Malevolence, but Grievous escapes. In another episode, Anakin and Ahsoka have to rescue R2-D2 from falling in the hands of the Separatists. Afterwards, Ahsoka and Luminara Unduli have to defend a Republic ship in which they have as prisoner Nute Gunray, viceroy of the Trade Federation. Asajj Ventress, Dooku's apprentice, fights against Ahsoka and ends up escaping with Gunray. In another episode, Ahsoka, Anakin and Aayla Secura end up shipwrecked in a far away planet habbited by the Lurmen people. This planet is to be a test for a Separatists' new weapon. The Jedi rescue the Lurmen people from dying. They take the Separatist leader back to Coruscant. In another episode, Ahsoka, Anakin and Obi-Wan discover a secret Separatist lab, controlled by Dr. Nuvo Vindi, on the planet of Naboo. In this lab, Vindi had planned to spread a deadly virus known as the Blue Shadow Virus across the galaxy. Ahsoka, Padme and Clone Commander Rex get trapped inside the lab, when a bomb with the virus explodes. Anakin and Obi-Wan have 48 hours to get the antidote, and arrive in time to save their lives.

External links

• Ahsoka Tano in the StarWars.com Databank
• Ahsoka Tano on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki