Star Wars Rebels Writer Explains Why Making Sabine A ‘Jedi’ In Ahsoka Was A ‘Weak Retread,’ And I Completely Agree

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While Ahsoka is often seen as a continuation of The Mandalorian, it largely feels like a follow-up to Star Wars Rebels. The series brought characters like Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, and Grand Admiral Thrawn into live-action for the first time, after they were central figures in the animated Rebels. However, not everyone involved with Rebels is happy with how Ahsoka turned out. Writer and executive producer Henry Gilroy believes making Sabine a “Jedi” was a repetitive and uninspired choice, and I share that opinion.

I was really fascinated to hear Dave Filoni talk about this on the Pod of Rebellion podcast while discussing the Star Wars Rebels episode “The Protector of Concord.” He was chatting with the voices of some of my favorite characters – Vanessa Marshall (Sabine), Tiya Sircar (Hera), Taylor Gray (Ezra), and Jon Lee Brody – and he explained something I’d always wondered about. Apparently, the creative team never actually planned for Sabine Wren to develop any Force abilities. It was never on the table for her character arc, which is interesting to know!

This wasn’t what we intended at all. We were concerned it would overshadow Ezra’s storyline and felt like we’d already explored this idea before. We questioned why Sabine, who’s already a skilled and unique fighter, needed Jedi training – it seemed unnecessary.

The new series Ahsoka is set about ten years after the end of Star Wars Rebels (before the epilogue scenes). It shows that Ahsoka Tano briefly trained Sabine Wren in the ways of the Force during that time. However, Ahsoka stopped the training after Sabine experienced the destruction of Mandalore and the loss of her family, believing Sabine wasn’t prepared. Interestingly, writer Henry Gilroy originally didn’t want Sabine to begin Jedi training at all.

I wasn’t involved with the Ahsoka series at all, so I was really surprised when it happened. During Season 3, our writing team talked about it and generally agreed it wasn’t a good direction. We weighed the pros and cons, and ultimately felt it was a rehash of old ideas with no real benefit – we couldn’t understand why they would pursue it.

Before the series Ahsoka, Sabine Wren’s connection to the Jedi was limited. Aside from her friendships with Ezra and Kanan Jarrus, she briefly touched the Jedi world when she held the Darksaber. This ancient lightsaber, created by Tarre Vizsla – the first Mandalorian Jedi – was discovered by Sabine in Darth Maul’s hideout. She later gave it to Bo-Katan Kryze as a symbol of leadership for the Mandalorian people. According to Henry Gilroy, Sabine’s use of the Darksaber was intentionally meant to avoid having her follow Ezra down the path of becoming a Jedi.

What I find compelling about the Darksaber storyline is that you don’t need to be a Jedi to believe in Jedi principles or follow their way of life. That’s more significant than someone suddenly using Force powers they’ve never had before. It’s about embracing the philosophy, not just the abilities.

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While Sabine wasn’t officially a Jedi – she never finished her training, and only briefly demonstrated Force abilities when assisting Ezra – I understand the criticism. The show invested a lot in making Sabine’s story different from Ezra’s in Star Wars Rebels, but Ahsoka seemed to reverse that effort. I felt similarly when the first season aired, and this plot development feels repetitive.

The second season of Ahsoka is currently planned for release in 2026, but details are scarce beyond the casting of Rory McCann as Baylan Skoll. It’s possible that, given the time jump, Sabine Wren has improved her Force abilities while continuing to train with Ahsoka Tano on Peridea. While I generally like the show, I share Henry Gilroy’s reservations about certain creative choices.

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2025-11-20 05:09