The AHS°KA series is off to an amazing start

Spoilers ahead for the first two episodes of AHS°KA

The latest live-action Star Wars series has come to Disney+ and AHS°KA is off to an amazing start with a two episode premier that delivers everything it had to and more.

“General Syndulla. It’s good to see you”

While this is an original series, it’s tied in closely with other Star Wars titles, in particular Star Wars Rebels, and for anyone who is a fan of the animated series, the connection is clear. While it’s not necessary to have seen Rebels to enjoy Ahsoka, it certainly helps, as there are so many small Easter eggs and references that would be missed by casual viewers. Things like the cameos by Ryder Azadi and Jai Kell, both original characters from Rebels, and also the recreation of Sabine’s mural on Lothal, which are nice touches for any Rebels appreciator.

The most obvious connection between the two series is the characters of Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren. This is the first time they’ve appeared in live-action and they’re as well executed as you could want. They are kind of the same but different. You can see their animated personalities coming through, but the actors tweak them to make them their own and deliver something unique.

One character who hasn’t changed much is everyone’s favourite war criminal, C1-10P “Chopper”. I’m surprised he got through two episodes without blowing anything up, but there’s still plenty of time.

The Force is Strong With Them

This really seems like it will be a character driven show, both from the established characters, and from the new ones who made their first appearances in the premier. Both Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati are top characters and interesting villains, and it will be intriguing to find out more of their backstory as the series progresses. It’s clear that “they are no Jedi”, so what exacly are they? Baylan seemed sad at the thought of killing Ahsoka. Does he still hold on to some of his Jedi principles and what does he know of Ahsoka and Anakin?

There’s going to be a lot of the Force in this series, and it’s coming from a lot of different angles. Morgan Elsbeth is a Nightsister, which explains how she defended herself so well against Ahsoka in The Mandalorian. I wonder how much of this series Dave Filoni had in mind when he was writing the episode?

Certainly it looks like the Force will have a prominent role to play in the story, and not just in the usual Jedi/Sith way. There’s also the World Between Worlds, and the three figures on the starmap which look a lot like the Father, Daughter, and Son from the Mortis arc of The Clone Wars.

The question of Sabine’s Force-abilities is still open to interpretation. Huyang said her aptitude for the Force was the worst he’s seen in a padawan. Does this mean she isn’t able to wield the Force like a Jedi, or does it just mean she isn’t willing to give her full attention to it? Is there a disconnect between her sensitivity and her abilities? It would seem strange for her to be trained as a padawan if she couldn’t use the Force to guide her, and there has to be a reason why Kanan didn’t sense her connection.

The Mandoverse

While the series is closely connected to Rebels, it also ties in with The Mandalorian, or what’s now known as ‘The Mandoverse’. This was most obvious in the scenes on Corellia, which had the same vibes as the season three of Mando, with the Amnesty program and the problem of dealing with the old Imperial hangovers. As Myn Weaver said, an Empire doesn’t become a Republic overnight, which is something a lot of the New Republic politicians and military didn’t realise, allowing the Imperial remnant to grow and flourish, eventually reforming into the First Order.

---

These were two great opening episodes for what looks like a great series. They had action, drama, engaging characters, and opened up new plotlines, such as the search for Ezra and Thrawn, and the threat of this new Force alliance of Elsbeth, Baylan, Shin, and Marrok. They also had a lot of classic Star Wars themes and scenes, like the master and apprentice theme, and the hallway fight scenes, and the line, “Sometimes even the right reasons have the wrong consequences” could be the tagline for the entire saga. Whatever comes next should be just as exciting and intriguing.

Thanks for reading!