It would make sense on a logical and canonical level for Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka Tano to appear in The Mandalorian and Grogu, but I also think it would be a huge mistake to include her in the upcoming Star Wars movie. Despite her being one of my favorite characters within the franchise, I'm convinced her presence in the space opera's big-screen comeback would do more harm than good.
Originating in 2008's The Clone Wars, the animated movie remains Ahsoka's only real appearance in a Star Wars movie. Although original voice actress Ashley Eckstein did deliver a brief voiceover cameo from Ahsoka in 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, these two instances are the character's main connections to the Star Wars movie franchise. Primarily, she's a TV character. For now, it's best she stays that way, especially given Star Wars' current transitional period.
Why it's a bad idea for Ahsoka to be in The Mandalorian and Grogu
Ahsoka is certainly still around during the era in which The Mandalorian and Grogu is set, but that shouldn't be enough for her to show up. Although I loved seeing her make the jump to live-action in The Mandalorian season 2 and her return in The Book of Boba Fett, she's still always felt like she exists on the fringes of the story. One of the only times she has truly made sense in recent years has been in Disney+'s Ahsoka spin-off.
So, it's logical to just let her exist in her own dedicated arc, which continues from the end of Star Wars Rebels season 4, which, in turn, adds to Ahsoka's story after The Clone Wars season 7. She is almost undeniably a Star Wars TV entity, and I by no means use that phrase in a pejorative way. A big part of the reason for her popularity is that fans have been able to spend so much time with her through the years, which isn't always the case for Star Wars characters who are more prolific in feature-length projects.
Because so much of her story has happened on the small screen, her inclusion in the upcoming Star Wars movie runs the risk of alienating casual fans. Witnessing Ahsoka's entire arc is a huge undertaking, and an unreasonable one to ask viewers to pull off ahead of The Mandalorian and Grogu. With the movie being the first feature-length Star Wars effort since The Rise of Skywalker, it's especially important that it lands with as broad an audience as possible. Otherwise, a series of flops could ensue.
The Mandalorian and Grogu is already more insular than a more generalized Star Wars movie would be. While I'm sure it'll try as hard as it reasonably can to appeal to those who have never seen its parent Disney+ series, there will invariably be elements of the title characters' backstories that will remain unclear to newcomers. Furthermore, including Ahsoka in The Mandalorian and Grogu would make her timeline an even more complex beast. With Ahsoka season 2 also expected to drop this year, it's probably best to keep the show's events as streamlined as possible. Folding a movie into the watch order is unnecessary.
Why Ahsoka is still likely to have a cameo in The Mandalorian and Grogu
At present, there's been no confirmation that Ahsoka will appear in the upcoming Star Wars movie. While this has surprised fans, including myself, that doesn't mean she definitely won't be showing up. In fact, it's highly likely she will rear her head at some point. For starters, the trailer revealed the presence of Zeb, a Star Wars Rebels character who, like Ahsoka, won't be known to fans who largely stick to the movies. It's unclear how big a role he'll have, but the fact he's going to be used at all is still important.
Additionally, when the minds behind The Mandalorian and Grogu are considered, Ashoka's live-action big-screen debut becomes something of a foregone conclusion. Ahsoka's creator and new Lucasfilm president, Dave Filoni, is one of the movie's writers, and he's already slotted Ahsoka into stories that would have worked perfectly well without her presence. It's clear he's proud of how iconic Ahsoka has become, but he also overuses the character when there's already enough going on with her.
The movie's director and co-writer, Jon Favreau, is also a Star Wars superfan who isn't afraid of a fan service cameo or two. Perhaps the biggest example of this was bringing Cad Bane into the mix in The Book of Boba Fett. It did make sense within the story's formula, but it made the failed Disney+ series even more unfocused and chaotic. As I say, Ahsoka's presence in The Mandalorian and Grogu hasn't been confirmed, but I think the Star Wars movie is primed for Dawson's version of the character to make her big-screen debut.
The Mandalorian and Grogu will hit cinema screens on May 22, 2026.