All the 'Star Wars' lore to know before watching 'Ahsoka'

Sabine who? Hera what? "Star Wars" fans who want to dive into the latest Disney+ series "Ahsoka" without being familiar with the franchise's animated shows are likely in for a world of confusion.

From the looks of it, although "Ahsoka" is technically a spin-off of "The Mandalorian," it's also effectively a sequel to the Disney XD series "Star Wars Rebels," and events from "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" are sure to come into play. So for those interested in following "Ahsoka" but who don't have time to binge over 200 animated episodes before the premiere, we've got you covered with the primer you need:

Who is Ahsoka Tano?

Introduced in the 2008 animated movie "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," Ahsoka Tano is the former apprentice of Anakin Skywalker, whom he was assigned to train between the events of "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith."

Ahsoka fought by Anakin's side throughout the Clone Wars until she was falsely accused of murder and expelled from the Jedi Order. Although she was subsequently cleared of the charges, this experience soured Ahsoka on the organization. So she walked away from the Jedi Order, contributing to Anakin's fall to the Dark Side. From then on out, Ahsoka was technically no longer a Jedi ever again, though she continued to use the Force.

After most of the Jedi were killed during the Order 66 massacre from "Revenge of the Sith," Ahsoka faked her death and went into hiding. She soon began secretly aiding the rebellion using the alias of Fulcrum, assisting a group of rebels that included Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, and Ezra Bridger. Eventually, Ahsoka faced Darth Vader, whom she discovered was really Anakin, in a lightsaber duel. Although she was initially believed to have died in this fight, Ezra Bridger, a Jedi Padawan, saved her after traveling through time and pulling her into the mystical dimension known as the World Between Worlds.

This all occurred before the events of "A New Hope." We most recently saw Ahsoka years later in "The Mandalorian," where she was seeking information about Grand Admiral Thrawn and, in turn, Ezra — more on that below. Ahsoka hasn't yet reunited with Anakin, her former master who is now a Force ghost, since he was redeemed in "Return of the Jedi," but that may take place in "Ahsoka." (And in case it comes up, Anakin's nickname for Ahsoka was "Snips" based on her snippy attitude.) We don't know much about Ahsoka's fate beyond the events "The Mandalorian" and "Ahsoka," although she was one of the voices guiding Rey in "The Rise of Skywalker," possibly suggesting she has died by then.

During the Clone Wars, Ahsoka was also good friends with a clone named Captain Rex, who may appear in "Ahsoka." His inhibitor chip was removed during Order 66, allowing him to ignore orders to kill the Jedi, and he went on to join the Rebel Alliance.

Who is Ezra Bridger?

"Ahsoka" will also bring several animated characters into live-action for the first time, including Ezra Bridger, who will be played by Eman Esfandi. Introduced in "Star Wars Rebels," Ezra grew up on the planet Lothal as an orphaned con artist — think of him as the Aladdin of the "Star Wars" universe — after his parents were arrested by the Empire. When he was 14, Ezra was recruited to join a crew of rebels and was ultimately trained in the Force by Kanan Jarrus, one of the few Jedi who survived Order 66.

Throughout "Rebels," Ezra, Kanan, Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, and Zeb Orrelios fought against the Empire as part of one of many rebel cells, and these disconnected cells later combined into the Rebel Alliance from the original "Star Wars" trilogy. Ezra and his fellow rebels traveled aboard a ship called the Ghost. But by the end of the series, Kanan died after sacrificing himself to save his friends.

Who is Sabine Wren?

Also making her live-action debut in "Ahsoka" is Sabine Wren, another member of the Ghost crew from "Rebels." She'll be played in "Ahsoka" by Natasha Liu Bordizzo.

Sabine is a Mandalorian, though not the kind that refuses to remove their helmets like Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal). When she was younger, Sabine helped build weapons for the Empire that were ultimately used against her people. After feeling guilty about what she had done, she spoke out against the Empire and left the Imperial Academy, but her family didn't have her back. Before joining the Ghost crew, she worked as a bounty hunter. Sabine is also a graffiti artist, and she even helped inspire the famous Rebel Alliance symbol.

"The Mandalorian" viewers will remember the Darksaber, and Sabine wielded that legendary blade before passing it to Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff).

Who is Hera Syndulla?

Hera Syndulla was yet another member of the Ghost crew from "Rebels," who will be portrayed in live-action by Mary Elizabeth Winstead in "Ahsoka."

Hera is a Twi'lek, the same species as Bib Fortuna from "Return of the Jedi," and was the pilot of the Ghost. She grew up on the planet Ryloth, where her father fought with the Jedi against the Separatists during the Clone Wars. He continued fighting after the Republic became the Empire, but Hera's mother was killed during the resistance. Hera was also the love interest of Kanan Jarrus, Ezra's master. In the series finale of "Rebels," it was revealed that Kanan and Hera had a child together named Jacen Syndulla. Hera also has an astromech droid named Chopper, who will appear in "Ahsoka."

After "Rebels," Hera continued fighting with the rebellion into the original trilogy. She fought in the Battle of Endor from "Return of the Jedi," and a ship that looks like the Ghost was present for the Battle of Exegol in "The Rise of Skywalker," presumably piloted by Hera or Jacen.

A Lasat named Zeb Orrelios, whose homeworld was devastated by the Empire, was also part of the Ghost crew. He hasn't been announced as part of the "Ahsoka" cast, but it's possible he'll show up after having a cameo in "The Mandalorian" season 3.

Why are Ahsoka and Sabine looking for Ezra and Thrawn?

"Rebels" culminated in a battle against Thrawn, grand admiral of the Imperial Navy under Palpatine. In the series finale, Ezra confronted Thrawn on a Star Destroyer while fighting to liberate Lothal from the Empire, and Thrawn was defeated after Ezra summoned a fleet of Purrgil — space whales, essentially — to attack his ship and send it off into hyperspace. But Ezra was still on the ship, so he disappeared into space with Thrawn, sacrificing himself to save the planet. Before he vanished, Ezra left a message for the Ghost crew, telling Sabine, "Don't forget, I'm counting on you."

So in the series' closing minutes set after "Return of the Jedi," Sabine vows to find Ezra, saying he's "out there somewhere, and it's time to bring him home." Ahsoka then enters, implying they'll search for him together. The next time we saw Ahsoka in "The Mandalorian," she was seeking information about Thrawn's whereabouts from Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto). This was presumably connected to the search for Ezra given he and Thrawn were last seen together. So "Ahsoka" is finally following up that "Rebels" cliffhanger, only in live-action instead of animation.

The last we heard about Thrawn was in the third season of "The Mandalorian," where we learned that since the fall of the Empire, the remaining Imperial warlords have been waiting for his return so he can herald in the re-emergence of their military. Thrawn seemingly hasn't been heard from since disappearing with Ezra in "Rebels," though he'll be back in "Ahsoka" and played in live-action by Lars Mikkelsen.

And those are the basics that should allow casual fans to understand "Ahsoka" on a fundamental level. For those interested in diving deeper, "Rebels" and "The Clone Wars" are both streaming on Disney+.

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