Ahsoka Tano actress Rosario Dawson dropped a massive hint about reveals from Star Wars Celebration 2025 only made this anticipation all the greater.
Among those was the news that Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker is returning in Ahsoka season 2, and he will be ed by a host of returning characters, from Zeb Orrelios to iral Ackbar. Little else is known about the story, with Hayden Christensen, Rosario Dawson, and Dave Filoni confirming that the script is still undergoing regular changes. Yet, Rosario Dawson provided one significant detail about Thrawn's story in Ahsoka season 2, and it means a major retcon is coming.
Rosario Dawson Confirmed Thrawn Will Be A Major Threat
Evidently, Thrawn "Goes Big" In Ahsoka Season 2
The Ahsoka season 1 finale left some burning questions on the table, including what Thrawn's next steps would be. In the final episode of season 1, Thrawn made his way off Peridea and returned to the main Star Wars galaxy. It's clear that his intention is to bring together the Imperial remnants and attempt to re-establish the Empire (or, a new version with him at the helm), although that ittedly seemed a bit farfetched. Yes, there were Imperial sympathizers shown in season 1, but could Thrawn really do that much damage?
According to Rosario Dawson, Thrawn absolutely can become a significant threat—and he will. Speaking at Star Wars Celebration 2025, Dawson teased a war in Ahsoka season 2:
“It’s called Star Wars. And we’re going to have a pretty significant war… It’s so cinematic. Thrawn goes big.”
This is truly a shock, as it unexpectedly confirms that Ahsoka season 2 will see Thrawn waging "a pretty significant war" on the main Star Wars galaxy, escalating things massively from Ahsoka season 1.
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This War Doesn't Make Sense In Light Of The Sequel Trilogy
How Could Thrawn Go Big If The Sequels Don't Even Mention Him?
This is surprising not only because it is an unusually critical event to be depicted in a Star Wars TV show, but also because this information seems entirely incongruent with the sequel trilogy. That is, no such war was ever discussed in the sequel trilogy, and, presumably, were it truly significant, it would bear mentioning (more than once). In fact, one would think a significant war between Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens would have framed the sequel trilogy era considerably.
No such war was ever discussed in the sequel trilogy, and, presumably, were it truly significant, it would bear mentioning.
Given there had been no mention of a major event of this kind, many had assumed that the impact Thrawn could have in Ahsoka season 2 was minimal. At most, it seemed Thrawn would pose a serious threat to the show's main characters—especially Hera Syndulla and Ezra Bridger, who now seem primed to oppose him—but this is worlds apart from what Dawson described. A war of this magnitude would surely have affected many, especially the New Republic, begging the question: How can this story fit with the sequel trilogy?
Thrawn Beginning The First Order Would Fix This Confusion
This Would Be A Perfect Legacy For Thrawn
To be clear, I do not think Star Wars would ever retcon the sequel trilogy, try as some corners of the fanbase might to make that happen. While many continue to see the sequels as some of Star Wars: New Jedi Order. It is therefore essential that Star Wars finds some way to fit this story arc for Thrawn in Ahsoka season 2 with all that transpires in the sequels.
The perfect way for Star Wars to bridge a war waged by Thrawn in Ahsoka season 2 and the sequel trilogy is by revealing that Thrawn laid the groundwork for the First Order to be born. It's unclear how successful Thrawn will be in the short-term regarding his efforts to unite the Imperial remnant, but, by the sequel trilogy, Thrawn was evidently no longer in play. However, revealing that Thrawn's efforts led to the First Order would raise the stakes, allowing Thrawn to still be a significant adversary without making the sequel trilogy entirely nonsensical.
This would also give Thrawn a brilliant legacy in Star Wars, which this character has more than earned. Thrawn was first a fan-favorite Legends character, and there was plenty of fanfare about his re-canonization. While it's clear Thrawn isn't at the helm throughout the sequel trilogy, which may even suggest he dies before the sequels begin, making him the founder of the First Order would prove that his efforts weren't in vain, and it would give him a lasting impact worthy of his character.
Making him the founder of the First Order would prove that his efforts weren't in vain, and it would give him a lasting impact worthy of his character.
I Still Have Some Questions About This Era
Why Was This Era Referred To As A Period Of Peace?
While I think this would be a wise solution to this problem, I still have some major questions about how Thrawn's Ahsoka season 2 war could fit with what has been revealed in Star Wars movies and TV shows thus far. Specifically, the New Republic's narrative was that, prior to the years leading up to The Force Awakens, this had been a period of peace. If there was peace throughout this era, though, how could Thrawn's "pretty significant war" possibly make sense?
On the one hand, it's possible that this was simply what the New Republic, especially the New Republic's leadership, wanted the larger galaxy to believe. After all, Ahsoka season 1 already showed that the New Republic continued to struggle with Imperial sympathizers, and it even depicted in-fighting within the New Republic itself. It would make sense for them to want to sweep things under the rug or conceal them from the public, especially as the fall of the Empire would have left the state of the galaxy in a precarious place, to say the least.
Yet, some squabbles within the New Republic and lingering Imperials are very different from an outright war. It would be much more difficult to hide this truth from the galaxy, meaning that even this potential storyline would require a retcon. It will be interesting to see how that could possibly play out, but I am genuinely hoping Ahsoka season 2 confirms that Grand iral Thrawn was the one to create the First Order, as that would make this current plot hole make considerably more sense and would mean a brilliant legacy for this beloved Star Wars character.
Ahsoka
- Release Date
- August 22, 2023
- Network
- Disney+
- Showrunner
- Dave Filoni
Cast
Ahsoka Tano
Sabine Wren
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Steph Green, Jennifer Getzinger, Peter Ramsey, Rick Famuyiwa
- Writers
- Dave Filoni
- Franchise(s)
- Star Wars
- Creator(s)
- Dave Filoni
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