Warrior FORCE

Rosario Dawson stars as formidable Jedi fighter Ahsoka Tano in the latest Star Wars spin-off

- STEVEN PERKINS

NEW SCI-FI Star Wars: Ahsoka From Wednesday 23 August, Disney+ (first two episodes from Wed 23 Aug, then weekly)

In a world as expansive as the Star Wars universe, it can take time for a character to get their moment in the spotlight. But after making her debut in animated form 15 years ago, Jedi warrior Ahsoka Tano finally takes centre stage in her very own series this week.

Ahsoka made her live-action debut, played by Sin City star Rosario Dawson, in a season-two episode of Star Wars spin-off series The Mandalorian, in which the eponymous bounty hunter was asked to kill her - although he ended up helping her instead.

"The Mandalorian was a definite one-off. The contract was solely for that episode,' explains Dawson, 44. 'But it was a test run for everyone involved, and an opportunity to explore what the viewers felt.

Fortunately, the reaction to the lightsaber-wielding character's appearance was positive, leading to a brief return in sister series The Book of Boba Fett last year, and the eventual announcement of Ahsoka's own spin-off.

The series is written and executive produced by Dave Filoni, who originally co-created the character of Ahsoka with George Lucas, and was delighted at the opportunity to fill in some of the gaps in the character's long history.

'She's an adult now, but her past gives us a look into her behaviour, and why she is the way she is,' says Filoni, 49. 'We wanted viewers to follow her character and see the choices she makes. She's not perfect, she's flawed - she has a lot to learn?