While Ahsoka delivered fan-favorite Star Wars moments, the Disney+ series also had a number of issues.
Following Ahsoka Tano's live-action debut in The Mandalorian and reprisal in The Book of Boba Fett, the former Jedi received her own eight-episode title series that also served as a "continuation" of Star Wars Rebels.
But with every live-action reveal or expertly crafted action sequence, certain issues were exposed that fans need Star Wars to address ahead of a potential Season 2, which Lucasfilm is reportedly having discussions about but has yet to greenlight.
Unlike Star Wars: The Clone Wars or Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka is the latest addition to Disney+ MandoVerse and takes place after the original trilogy.
While Lucasfilm has yet to confirm whether Ahsoka continues in a Season 2 or in Dave Filoni's MandoVerse movie, here's a breakdown of a few Ahsoka problems Star Wars needs to fix.
Stoic Characters & Dialogue
Bringing animated characters into live-action is no small feat; but in the case of Ahsoka, the live-action cast needed to be, well, more animated.
One of the issues was the show's dialogue which felt slow, dry, and banter-less. There was no evidence of a shared history between its characters.
At other times, there simply wasn't enough, such as when Sabine Wren finally found Ezra and opted not to tell him anything or when Ezra reunited with Hera Syndulla only for the scene to cut before Hera could reply.
The other problem was the portrayal of Ahsoka's characters who, overall, felt stoic, flat, and lacking their chemistry from animation.
It's almost as if Dave Filoni's penchant for samurai movies became his live-action direction, and it clashed with the personalities and relationships of his established animated characters.
Granted, there were moments where the charisma of his Star Wars Rebels characters surfaced. But the same can't be said of Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka Tano, who couldn't quite capture the established character's unique brand of warmth and charm.
Yes, Ahsoka Tano is older in her series than The Clone Wars or Rebels, and she's experienced considerable loss and trauma throughout her life.
Still, in a show titled Ahsoka, Ahsoka Tano needs to feel like the character instead of someone else entirely.
Reliance on Lore/Mythology
Not only was Ahsoka headlined by characters previously limited to animation, but the Disney+ series relied on some of the animated show's most ambitious mythology, like Purrgil, the World Between Worlds, and the Mortis Gods.
In addition to requiring casual fans to Google as part of their viewing experience, Ahsoka relied heavily upon its own lore, such as Ahsoka and Sabine's offscreen master and apprentice relationship and the reveal of a brand-new galaxy.
While die-hard Star Wars fans felt seen, general audiences felt lost and confused, especially since the show asked more questions than it answered instead of bringing those viewers on board.
Sabine's Jedi Storyline
Throughout Ahsoka's eight-episode run, fans were puzzled by Sabine's Jedi training, even as the show continuously reminded audiences that her "aptitude for the Force" falls short of other Padawans.
The problem is that this subplot lacked precedent both in terms of Jedi training and Sabine Wren herself.
In Star Wars Rebels, Sabine is an artist and Mandalorian weapons expert who, despite being in the constant company of two Jedi, has no interest in training and even gives up the Darksaber when it comes into her possession.
This heel-turn felt forced (no pun intended) for the sake of Ahsoka Tano's arc. And, while Sabine does use the Force by the season's end, the ease with which she Force throws Ezra onto Thrawn's ship wasn't believable and echoed the same issues fans had with Rey's abilities from the sequel trilogy.
If Ahsoka receives a Season 2, Dave Filoni and Co. need to show audiences why Sabine's Jedi status was necessary and believable.
Lack of Resolution
Like most Disney+ shows, the final episode of Ahsoka's first season, "The Jedi, the Witch, and the Warlord," had a lengthy to-do list.
But again, like most Disney+ shows and against fan hopes, the final episode opted to serve as more of a commercial for the studio's nebulous crossover plans or the first act of the Star Wars MandoVerse movie.
Now, in all fairness, Ahsoka completed Lady Tano's own (somewhat vague) personal journey and succeeded in bringing Ezra back to that galaxy far, far away. But overall, the season asked more questions than it provided answers.
For instance, why is Peridea "exactly where she [Ahsoka] is supposed to be"? Why was Thrawn's ship full of caskets, and would he unleash zombie Night Troopers on the New Republic? What was Baylan Skoll after and why are there statues of the Mortis gods on the planet? Did Ahsoka die after her duel with Baylan? And, lastly, since Shin Hati joined Peridea bandits, what was her purpose in the show?
Perhaps what makes the lack of resolutions all the worse is Lucasfilm's silence.
Fans have no idea whether these issues will be addressed in Ahsoka Season 2, the MandoVerse movie, or The Mandalorian Season 4, or how Lucasfilm intends to handle Baylan Skoll following Ray Stevenson's death.
And, due to the strikes, the gap between Ahsoka and answers could take years.
Yes, audiences should be left wanting more when a season cuts to black, but that feeling should come from enjoyment, not frustration.
Hopefully, potential future seasons won't just leave fans hanging but fulfilled.
All episodes of Ahsoka are streaming now on Disney+.
