Ahsoka is the first live-action Star Wars series to center characters we first met in various animated series. And it is the first live-action series to be a direct continuation of Star Wars Rebels‘ story. Ahsoka Tano, portrayed by Rosario Dawson, made her live-action debut in The Mandalorian season two episode “Chapter 13: The Jedi.” She’s the first Jedi we meet in the show, and the one to reveal Grogu’s real name. Ahsoka will be the first Star Wars animated character to lead in live-action. She will join a long list of animated characters who’ve made the jump.
Here are all the Star Wars characters who began in animation and later made cameos in live-action movies and TV shows.
Star Wars Animated Characters Who Appear in Live-Action Movies
Saw Gerrera
Voiced by Andrew Kishino, Saw Gererra made his first appearance in The Clone Wars‘ season five premiere “A War on Two Fronts.” Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and Rex are sent to Onderon by the Jedi High Council as advisors to the rebels fighting Separatist occupation of the planet. Saw, his sister Steela, and Ahsoka’s friend Lux are among the rebels being trained by the advisors in guerilla tactics. While they eventually succeed in driving Separatists out of Onderon, they lose their leader Steela in the process. Thus begins the long, ever-escalating path of rebellion that leads to the darker, grizzled version of the character. Played by Forest Whitaker, we meet—and say goodbye to—in the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. He goes on to appear in Andor (which takes place before Rogue One).
Note: Rogue One also features on-screen cameos of Chopper (C1-10P) and the Ghost from Star Wars: Rebels. Both can be seen on Yavin 4, with the Ghost showing up in the final battle. We don’t see her, but hear mention of Hera Syndulla, the Ghost‘s pilot.
The Pyke Syndicate
We met this collective in The Clone Wars, and they have appeared throughout the series as recurring antagonists and smugglers of drugs. The Pykes made their live-action debut in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Han and Chewbacca sneak into their mine on Kessel to steal coaxium and start a little droid and slave rebellion in the process. The Pykes appear again as the big bads of The Book of Boba Fett first season.
Star Wars Animated Characters Who Appear in Live-Action TV Series
Bo-Katan Kryze
Bo-Katan Kryze, voiced by Katee Sackhoff, first appears The Clone Wars‘ season four episode “A Friend In Need” as a member of Death Watch, a Mandalorian extremist group. She goes on to break away from Death Watch, ally with Jedi, fight with her Nite Owls against the Empire, and accept the Darksaber to become ruler of Mandalore. That’s before she appears in season two of The Mandalorian, saving Din Djarin, hitting a lick, and guiding him and The Child to Ahsoka. Sackhoff also portrays the character in live-action.
Cad Bane
The bounty hunter made his debut in The Clone Wars first season. The cowboy-esque gun-for-hire, voiced by Corey Burton, gathered up a gaggle of goons to break Ziro Hutt out of prison. He later pops up in The Bad Batch, unsuccessfully coming for Omega. Then he brought his particular brand of sinister to live-action in The Book of Boba Fett, where he (played by Dorian Kingi) is seemingly killed by Fett.
The Grand Inquisitor and the Fifth Brother
Inquisitors are Force-sensitive Imperial agents who hunt Jedi survivors of Order 66. Two Inquisitors introduced in Rebels entered live-action in Obi-Wan Kenobi, where they served as the baddies—second to the OG Darth Vader. The Grand Inquisitor (vocal performance by Jason Isaacs) first appeared in the first season episode “Rise of the Old Masters” using the remains of Jedi Master Luminara to lull other Jedi into a trap. The Grand Inquisitor ultimately died after Kanan bested him in a duel.
The Fifth Brother, voiced by Philip Anthony-Rodriguez, made his debut in the Rebels episode “Relics of the Old Republic.” He pursued Kanan and Ezra for months before Jedi frenemy Maul killed him in a brawl. The characters are portrayed in live-action by Rupert Friend and Sung Kang, respectively.
Tera Sinube
Gregory Baldwin lent his voice to this Jedi Master, whom we met in The Clone Wars. In the “Lightsaber Lost” episode, he aids Ahsoka in retrieving her stolen lightsaber. Sadly, Master Sinube is introduced to live-action as a corpse on display in the Inquisitor’s headquarters in ‘Part IV’ of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
If you are anything like me, you may have alarmed a neighbor by screeching at the top of your lungs around midnight when a certain Lasat appeared on-screen. (Then you frantically searched the scene for the other half of your favorite enemies-to-lovers OTP—but that’s a point for another day.)
Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios
Garazeb made his live-action debut in The Mandalorian episode “Chapter 21: The Pirate.” His scene is minor. He basically wishes Captain Teva and the people of Nevarro thoughts and prayers with the whole pirate occupation situation. But it’s a major moment for fans of Rebels who have been wanting to see the Ghost crew in the flesh.
Bonus Mention: Hondo Ohnaka
The prolific pirate, voiced by Jim Cummings, hasn’t been on-screen in live-action shows or films quite yet. However, one could say he is the most live a character can get! Hondo appears as an animatronic in the queue for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, an attraction inside Disney Parks’ Star Wars-themed Galaxy’s Edge. He’s also part of the ride experience!
Based on what we know, Ahsoka will have the largest assembly of animated Star Wars characters brought into live-action. There are new characters and the Ghost crew we’ve already seen in brief cameos. And we’ll be meeting Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, and Ezra Bridger! As well as notorious hater Admiral Thrawn. And while a Kanan Jarrus appearance is a stretch of armstrong proportions, we’re going to throw it out there that we’d love to see it!
Ahsoka arrives on Disney+ on August 23. The series will launch with two episodes on its premiere day.
