Original Ahsoka actress Ashley Eckstein has urged Star Wars fans to watch The Clone Wars and Rebels animated series ahead of the Ahsoka Disney+ show to ensure "crucial backstory" isn't missed.
Speaking to Cinema Blend, Eckstein disputed the official word from Disney that these shows, which tell the story of Ahsoka over the course of decades, are not essential viewing ahead of the live action series helmed by Rosario Dawson.
"I highly recommend that you take the time to watch Clone Wars, and watch Star Wars: Rebels, and even Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi," she said. "Because if you don't, you're going to miss out on crucial, crucial backstory that you really need to know to fully enjoy the Ahsoka series."
Eckstein continued: "We're gonna get so many new and incredible stories, but without that backstory, and full understanding of who Ahsoka is and even who the other characters are, you're not going to have as rich or in-depth of an understanding and appreciation of what's going to happen."
Disney has veered away from this idea though, not wanting fans to dismiss the Ahsoka show if they haven't watched seven seasons of The Clone Wars, four seasons of Rebels, and a season of Tales of the Jedi.
There are even several books and comics, not to mention a handful of episodes of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, that give important context to characters appearing in the new show like Ahsoka, Hera, Sabine, and Thrawn.
Dave Filoni, writer and director of Ahsoka and essentially the architect behind animated Star Wars, told IGN earlier this year that the upcoming show will stand up by itself.
"I wouldn't look at it that way. I think that as much as these shows are tangential to one another and in the same time period, I think it's important that you can watch them on their own," he said. "We never want to create a situation where you feel like you have to have seen these things because then you're missing out."
The first two episodes of Ahsoka will premiere on Disney+ on August 23, while the remaining six episodes will be released each week. A trailer released earlier in July finally gave fans a look at Lars Mikkelsen's Thrawn, alongside other characters like Baylan Skoll, played by the late Ray Stevenson who died aged 58 earlier this year.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
