Dave Filoni’s original plans for Star Wars: The Clone Wars would have had Ashley Eckstein’s Ahsoka Tano sounding very different. Making her debut in 2008’s The Clone Wars animated movie that served as a pilot episode for the show of the same name, Ahsoka was initially introduced as a young Togruta Padawan learner assigned to Anakin Skywalker in the early days of the Clone Wars conflict. Since then, her character has evolved to become one of the franchise’s most popular characters, even receiving her own live-action series in 2023, portrayed by Rosario Dawson.
During her appearance at this year’s FAN EXPO Philadelphia Clones & Rebels panel, moderated by Kevin Polowy for Screen Rant, Eckstein explained that Filoni originally told her that he wanted Ahsoka to have an Icelandic accent. Revealing that while she taught herself to reproduce an Icelandic accent per his wishes, it turns out that what Filoni really wanted was for a more generic European accent that sounded like singer-songwriter Björk. Eckstein also suggested that it was her pushing back on the request that ultimately landed her the role. Check out her comments below:
While Ahsoka may now enjoy a strong following among the Star Wars fanbase, her original introduction was met with some backlash among viewers and critics alike. Not only was she accused of being a “cute character” carefully constructed to appeal to a younger demographic, many felt that her addition to the franchise potentially contradicted established lore. With her character notably absent from 2005’s Revenge of the Sith, many commentators believed that saddling Anakin with his own Padawan during the Clone Wars undermined the themes of the final prequel movie.
However, these initial concerns were quickly swept aside, as both Filoni’s and Eckstein’s respective takes on the character saw her become one of the franchise’s most celebrated characters. Provided with a rich character arc that also deepened insight into the motivations of her reluctant Jedi master, Ahsoka’s newfound popularity became a central component of what made The Clone Wars such an important part of the wider Star Wars franchise.
Yet, had Filoni succeeded in his original plans in having her character sound like Björk, it is possible fans may have never made it beyond their initial hesitations. With the original Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie lambasted by critics, holding a 19% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, if Eckstein had not pushed back during her original audition process, it is possible the character would never have lasted long enough to become the wise and powerful Jedi she is today.