What we learned from the first two Ahsoka episodes: What’s a Nightsister?

This show is unapologetically a sequel to Rebels. Depending on your level of fandom, that could be good or bad.

It didn’t take long into the first pair of episodes for viewers to realize something about Ahsoka, the newest live-action Star Wars show on Disney+: it is extremely apparent that this is very much a sequel to Rebels.

And if you’re a fan of the Star Wars cartoons created by Ahsoka showrunner Dave Filoni, then that’s good news. If you’re not a fan or haven’t seen them then, well, that’s on you.

If Andor was the Star Wars series that required no homework as it threw casual fans and diehards into a world with mostly unknown characters, Ahsoka is quite the opposite. It’s best to enter this with some working knowledge of the cartoons.

It seems that Filoni made a choice here to not hold the hand of anyone who hasn’t seen Rebels or The Clone Wars. It wasn’t explained to viewers who the Nightsisters were, or how a key scene with Sabine was a callback to one with Kanan, or why Clancy Brown’s Ryder Azadi is an important character. We didn’t get a download on Ezra and the significance of Lothal wasn’t spelled out.

Devoted fans of the cartoons likely appreciated this. Spare us the preambles and explanations and let’s go on an adventure with Ahsoka, Sabine and Hera.

But if you haven’t seen the cartoons, it might be easy to feel lost, disconnected or uninvested. Or, it’ll make you want to watch Rebels and The Clone Wars and learn more about these characters. The folks at Lucasfilm are more than likely rooting for the latter. Still, they’ve empowered Filoni here to continue to tell his stories about Ahsoka and the Ghost Crew on his terms.

In the first two episodes of Ahsoka, Filoni’s influences are also evident. When we first see our titular character, she is patiently and carefully searching for a map in an old ancient temple. It’s something that could have fit seamlessly into an Indiana Jones movie, if only Ahsoka was wearing a safari hat instead of montrals, and armed with a whip instead of two bright, white lightsabers. And the transitions used in Ahsoka – the swiping from scene to scene – can easily remind viewers of George Lucas’ touches on the original trilogy. There are also some scenes here that feel akin to westerns and samurai flicks.

The first two episodes provide a great showcase for Rosario Dawson to display just what kind of badass warrior she can be in the Star Wars’ universe. Viewers also meet Baylan Skoll, played by the late Ray Stevenson, who carries a commanding presence and seems to pull the camera’s focus his way whenever he appears. We also meet Sabine’s scene-stealing pet, a furry loth-cat.

Here’s what we learned from the first two episodes of Ahsoka.

SPOILERS FOR ALL STAR WARS CONTENT AHEAD.