Tags
ahsoka tano, character design, character development, rebels, science, star wars, the clone wars, theoretical science
Back when Star Wars: The Clone Wars was still running, viewers who watched the supernatural-themed storyline known as “The Mortis Arc” to fans saw this version of Ahsoka:
Yet, in Star Wars: Rebels, we see this:
I think we can safely pass this off to a character redesign after Disney came in… or that version of Ahsoka on Mortis is still in the future… but seriously!? What gives?
It’s possible that the version of Ahsoka in the future we saw on Mortis was a version that belonged to a future where the Jedi Order was not destroyed and the Rebels version is the result of Anakin turning to the Dark Side.
Basically, Anakin’s turn destroyed the possibility of the future that that Ahsoka belonged to. (That theory is borne out by the appearance of Rebels Ahsoka: the shapes of her face are harsher and sharper, to fit a colder future.)
But if you look at Ahsoka, she really looks very different in between the two versions. Not only is the Rebels version less Shaak Ti, but her costume has changed as well; it now appears to be a close-fitting sheath dress with a chest piece and “kama”, or short kilt made of blast resistant fabric, as well as the central tabard that has remained a part of her look ever since the very beginning:
(That purple thing? That’s the tabard.)
You can see that they’ve been shifting towards a less-orange, more vital look for her skin, but her coloration seems paler in Rebels, even compared to the “Season Three Look”.
This leads me to think that Togruta (Ahsoka’s species) tend to grow as influenced by their outside surroundings, and that the Ahsoka we saw on Mortis belonged to a kinder future.
If you look closely at her, it’s clear she’s the same character, but her personality and appearance have been changed by the situations around her.
(Irisbloom5 has suggested that the Ahsokas we saw were at different points in their life span, which is hard to verify, since the vision version of Ahsoka has longer montrals (the blue and white part of her head; according to Wookiepedia, the montrals are a sensory organ that has to do with spatial awareness; a bit like echolocation, maybe an ultrasonic sense) but a body form that doesn’t look quite like an adult’s, unlike the Rebels version, which has shorter montrals, but a more adult body form. I’m not certain if this is true, though it is likely–Togruta are supposed to have a roughly 95-year life span, which is greater than the 72-year average for humans, so it’s possible that they age differently as well.)
Sorry this was less of a theoretical science post and more of a ramble on character design changes, but it made me curious. 😉 I’m a writer. My mind works like that. 😛
As always, thanks for reading, and God Bless!
The Upstairs Archives 
Hmm….bet she’s not powerful at all!
Oh, you’d be surprised. She’s a feisty little spark, and her appearance is deceiving. 😉 VERY deceiving.
Ooh, this was super interesting!! I really enjoyed this!! 🙂
Ok, I know this was an older post, but I have a little idea for why she may look so different. First off, just because of the basic difference in how characters are depicted in Clone Wars vs. Rebels. I mean, look at Cham Syndulla and Luminara. Even Obi-Wan (though he was purposefully changed up from the TCW version to look more like his ROTS version.)
But my theory was that it was because it was a vision. Even though it came through the Force, it had to be influenced by things Ahsoka had in her mind. The thing about visions is that they often are influenced based on who is seeing them. Even though the vision of her older self seemed to be bringing her previously unknown information about her future and relationship with Anakin, to me it seems more as if was confirming suspicions she was already beginning to form in the very back of her mind. She knew Anakin struggled with the Darkness, even though she never wanted to admit it.
But basically, by theory is that the vision version of her old self is somewhat influenced by how she expected herself to look, and that’s why it’s different than the Rebels version.
To be completely honest, I think I actually like her look in Rebels a little better…she just looks really graceful and feminine, similar to the Daughter from Mortis.
(And if I have to be honest again, I’m not a *huge* fan of how Ahsoka dresses throughout most of TCW….a little too ‘showy’ for me, if ya get my drift.) 🙂
That’s all true. I kind of assumed it was because the vision was what Ahsoka would have been if the Republic had lasted, but that ended up not happening.
I agree with that assumption as well. I think there’s quiet a few reasons that all led up to it….
Maybe the fact that I’m also a Whovian leads me to jump to the parallel-timeline theory a little too eagerly…. Still. I think it would make sense that that was the Ahsoka she would have been if Order 66 hadn’t been enacted.
Yeah, I agree. And I like that parallel-timeline theory too, though I’m not into Dr. Who.
Yet. Key word is yet. =D
X-D I will bring you around eventually! 😛