One of Ahsoka's stars has confirmed why they won't be back in their villainous role in Season 2 of the show. The Disney+ series is a live-action continuation of the Star Wars animated series The Clone Wars and Rebels, with Rosario Dawson in the lead as the titular Ahsoka Tano. Ahsoka's mission in the series is to put a stop to the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), but the evil mastermind had help during his time on Peridea.
After Ezra Bridger (Iman Esfandi) sent Thrawn into the far reaches of space in the final season of Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka and Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) tracked them down on the faraway planet of Peridea. While trapped there, Thrawn had been conspiring with the Nighstsisters and the Dathomiri Great Mothers to plot his return. One of these Nightsisters, Klathow, won't be back in Season 2 of Ahsoka, according to star Claudia Black.
After portraying Great Mother Klathow in three episodes of Ahsoka Season 1, Black confirmed to Bleeding Cool that she would not be reprising her role in Season 2, despite there being plans to include her. Black said that the reason came down to pay, revealing that "[Disney] is structuring things differently these days," and that she could not afford to relocate from Los Angeles to London for Season 2:
Claudia Black: "Well, I'm going to be transparent. They picked up season two, picked me up with it, and then Disney, which is structuring things differently these days, could not pay me what I needed to be paid as a single mother to keep all my responsibilities going at home in Los Angeles, because they were filming in London. It was not something that they could make happen, and therefore, I had to bow out for season two."
Black said that leaving her Star Wars role was "very sad" and she praised the Star Wars universe for being a "very playful environment to work in:"
"It was very sad for me. I sent an email to Dave Filoni thanking him, and I said, 'What a ride!' Everyone like me who grew up in the 70s and 80s has always been into the Star Wars universe, and it's a very playful environment to work in.
Having Black, a star known for working on sci-fi franchises like Farscape and Stargate SG1 (and the upcoming Spartacus: House of Ashur), enter the Star Wars world was a wish come true for many fans, and it's sad news for many hoping she'd be back in Season 2. It's unclear how much Black's character, Klathow, was expected to feature in Season 2, and that may determine whether she's been quietly recast in the role.
Ahsoka Season 2 also stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Hera), Ivanna Sakhno (Shin Hati), Rory McCann (taking over Ray Stevenson's role of Baylan Skoll), and Davide Tennant (Huyang). The Disney+ series is expected to return in 2026.
What's Next for the Nightsisters in Ahsoka Season 2?
The Nightsisters were one of Ahsoka's main enemies in the first season, particularly Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto), who has been a villain to the Togruta since their encounter in The Mandalorian Season 2. Elsbeth and Ahsoka had a rematch in the Season 1 finale of Ahsoka, which ended with the Jedi killing the Nightsister, which angered the Great Mothers aboard Thrawn's ship.
Despite Elsbeth's demise, the Great Mothers escaped with Thrawn from Peridea and are seen arriving on Dathomir in the final moments of the season. It can be assumed then that Ahsoka Season 2 will pick up with Thrawn on Dathomir, the home of the Nightsisters, and likely dig further into the lore of the mysterious witch coven.
Dathomir has been explored in various Star Wars media, notably in The Clone Wars and the video game Jedi: Fallen Order. However, Ahsoka Season 2 will be the first live-action setting where the planet is featured, which is an exciting prospect for Star Wars fans. Unfortunately, the series will be lacking the presence of Black as Great Mother Klathow, but it seems the Disney+ show will continue to utilize the Nightsisters in the future.
