Dave Filoni's live-action Star Wars series, Ahsoka, is known for giving popular animated characters their live-action debut. Season 2 is gearing up to take that creative direction to the next level, with one of the show's stars seemingly revealing a larger lineup of fan favorites. After the original and prequel trilogies, animated shows like Star Wars: The Clone Wars kept the franchise alive, and fans quickly grew attached to the characters they introduced. A handful have appeared in live-action decades after their debuts, and Ahsoka Season 2 looks ready to continue that trend with even more animated icons.
Ahsoka star Eman Esfandi, who plays Ezra Bridger, joined Rosario Dawson and Natasha Liu Bordizzo for a cast panel at LA Comic-Con on October 30. While the actors could not reveal plot details, Esfandi teased that there are "a lot of other well-beloved characters that we get to spend more time with in live action," adding, "I think everyone's going to be really happy with them." The comments are not a total surprise, as the Ghost crew's return from Rebels had already been confirmed. Beyond them, though, even bigger surprises could be in store when Season 2 premieres on Disney+ on January 20, 2027.
Animated Star Wars Characters Set to Play Bigger Roles in Ahsoka Season 2
Ezra Bridger
Esfandi will return as Ezra Bridger in Ahsoka Season 2. The Jedi was trapped for years in another galaxy before finally making it home in the Season 1 finale. The Season 2 teaser has already shown Ezra putting his Jedi skills to use, and the official synopsis places him on the front lines against Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Beyond Ahsoka herself, Ezra is arguably the show's biggest piece of connective tissue. He trained under Kanan Jarrus, fought alongside Hera and Sabine, and outsmarted Thrawn in the Rebels finale. Season 2 will mark the first time fans see him back in the main galaxy for a full season, fighting the war he sacrificed everything to prevent.
Interestingly, Esfandi revealed that he prepared for the role in an unusual way, choosing not to binge Rebels for fear he would simply mimic the animated version. Instead, Filoni hand-picked five episodes for him, ones that captured Ezra's relationships with Sabine, Ahsoka, Kanan, Hera, Chopper, Zeb, and Thrawn. The reveal further hints at which characters Ezra will connect with most in Season 2, and which animated faces could appear.
Chopper
Chopper, the cranky astromech droid, is another character fans will see more of in Season 2. Esfandi confirmed that C1-10P gets far more screen time this season, with a full team of puppeteers bringing him to life on set.
"But we get a lot of Chopper," Esfandi said, joking that the droid behaved like a diva during filming. "If you've ever heard of what a diva is on a movie set, Chopper defines it in a new way."
Chopper appeared only briefly in Season 1, mostly at Hera's side. A bigger role makes sense given where the story is headed. In Rebels, the war-hero astromech was a full member of the Ghost crew, and his violent streak and loyalty to Hera made him a fan favorite. Filoni voices the character, just as he did in animation. With the New Republic now pulled into a full-blown war, Chopper will help the heroes in every way he can, though it is likely to come with a good dose of chaos.
Thrawn
Lars Mikkelsen returns as Grand Admiral Thrawn, and Esfandi could barely hide his excitement. The actor told the Comic-Con crowd that the season offers "a lot more time with a very specific war criminal... that everybody really loves to see."
Thrawn escaped exile at the end of Season 1, returning to the main galaxy aboard the Eye of Sion. The Season 2 teaser showed him declaring war on the New Republic at the head of the Imperial remnant and his Nightsister allies. Filoni confirmed back at Star Wars Celebration Japan in April 2025 that Admiral Ackbar will lead the New Republic's forces against him, setting up a clash between two of the franchise's greatest military minds.
For Rebels fans, this is a payoff years in the making. Thrawn was the animated show's most chilling villain, a strategist who studied his enemies' art and culture before dismantling them.
Hera Syndulla
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is back as General Hera Syndulla, and this time she will not be stuck on the sidelines. Winstead confirmed the upgrade herself: "I think I can say that I get to be a little more part of the action this season, which is really, really fun. Other than that, it's very epic... it takes it to a whole other level."
This is welcome news as Season 1 drew criticism for sidelining Hera, the ace pilot and Rebel leader who played a major role in Rebels, and Season 2 appears to fix that. With Ahsoka and Sabine stranded in another galaxy, Hera will face Thrawn alongside Ezra, Zeb, and Chopper. She will likely lead the New Republic's defenses, and the Season 2 teaser already shows her in a commanding position aboard a New Republic ship as Thrawn declares war.
Asajj Ventress
Asajj Ventress is one animated Star Wars character fans have long wanted to see in live-action. She is still alive in current canon, which makes her return very possible. Tales of the Underworld revealed that Mother Talzin offered Ventress a choice after the events of the Dark Disciple novel to stay dead or return to the living at a cost, and she chose life.
Since then, the former Sith assassin turned bounty hunter has crossed paths with the wider galaxy in The Bad Batch. Her story remains deliberately unfinished, and Lucasfilm clearly plans to use her again.
Ahsoka seems like the natural place for her live-action debut, especially since Ventress and Ahsoka Tano share history from The Clone Wars. Ventress helped clear Ahsoka's name when the Jedi Order turned on her, one of that show's most memorable arcs. Season 2 also leans heavily into Dathomirian mysticism through the Nightsister storyline that began on Peridea. If Esfandi's tease is anything to go by, her return feels likely, although it's worth noting that it has not been officially confirmed.
Zeb
Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios returns in Ahsoka Season 2, making a memorable appearance in the season's teaser, which showed him hugging Ezra Bridger aboard a New Republic ship.
Steve Blum previously reprised the role in live-action in The Mandalorian, where the Lasat warrior appeared as a New Republic pilot. That cameo made his jump into Ahsoka feel inevitable, since he remains the only core Ghost crew member who did not appear in Season 1.
His return completes the reunion and gives the New Republic a better shot at taking down Thrawn and his forces. Zeb's bond with Ezra was one of the best parts of Rebels, and it looks like Filoni will bring that connection back. Zeb's history with the Empire also gives him every reason to fight Thrawn with everything he has.
Mortis Gods
Filoni has already confirmed that the Mortis gods are "definitely a thing" in Ahsoka Season 2. What he has not confirmed is whether the Father, the Son, and the Daughter will physically appear the way they did in The Clone Wars. Season 1 already set up their role: the finale ended with Baylan Skoll standing atop a massive statue of the Father on Peridea, flanked by statues of the Son and a headless Daughter.
Whatever Baylan is seeking, now played by Rory McCann following Ray Stevenson's death, ties directly to these ancient Force-wielders. In The Clone Wars, the Mortis gods embodied the Force itself. The Father represented balance, the Daughter the light side, and the Son the dark.
Their three-episode arc tested Anakin Skywalker as the Chosen One, and Ahsoka died and returned to life over the course of it. That history now comes to a head with Ahsoka stranded on Peridea, the world where those statues stand.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
