Making of ‘Ahsoka’ roundtable panel: Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, Dave Filoni on the emotional clash with Darth Vader [Exclusive video Interview]

“As a kid, I’d always imagined the Jedi as these wandering samurai,” reveals “Ahsoka” creator and executive producer Dave Filoni. So, it makes sense to introduce the adult Ahsoka Tano as mysterious “wandering ronin” in her live action debut on Disney+. We spoke to Filoni, along with series stars Rosario Dawson and Hayden Christensen as part of Gold Derby’s Making of “Ahsoka” roundtable panel discussion. “I just wanted that image of her walking up these stairs in this ancient temple as a way to introduce her and to show that she doesn’t have any real structure around her,” elaborates Filoni, “She’s just kind of doing good where she can find it. And then you wonder why is this person alone?” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

Dawson is quick to describe herself as a verbose person, but when she steps into the shoes of Ahsoka, the actress has to convey mountains of inner thought with just a look or gesture. “I think that she has such a robust internal world, and I like the idea that sometimes there’s a little bit of a mystery about where she’s at,” notes the actress. At this point in her journey, Ahsoka has become selective about the words she uses. “She’s become more stoic and she’s kind of become a bit more reserved and it gives us a place to go to with her that she’s still developing and maturing and evolving as a person,” Dawson elaborates, “as brilliant and capable, an expert she is, and disciplined she is, there’s still some place for her to grow.”

WATCH our exclusive video interview with Kevin Kiner: ‘Ahsoka’ composer

When Ahsoka’s trauma prevents her from growing on her own, none other than her old master Anakin Skywalker (aka Darth Vader) shows up to give her one last lesson. “It’s a version that I always kind wanted to tap into a little bit more, which is the more confident and wise version of Anakin,” explains Christensen of his epic return to the franchise. “Just to get to come back playing ‘Star Wars’ a little bit more and put a slightly different slant on the character was really rewarding for me.”

In a moment that had “Star Wars” fans geeking out, Anakin storms at Ahsoka bellowing “you lack conviction” as the image of Vader flashes across his figure. The two come to blows with their sabers, with Anakin presenting his former padawan an important choice: be trapped by the trauma of the past or choose a new path forward by opting for peace over conflict. “It was just a really fun line to say,” admits Christensen, “and effectively it’s just sort of a very Vader way of saying, you gotta get out of this rut.” Dawson is in agreement that it was a powerful scene to film, and one that marks an important shift for Ahsoka. “It’s so powerful to be haunted by things in your past and to also get another opportunity to fight with them, interact with them, to engage with it and maybe make a different choice,” she concludes.

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