Ahsoka Star Opens Up About The Star Wars Fan Reaction That Left Her In Tears

Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) wasn't disliked by the masses quite like Jar Jar Binks when she made her debut in 2008's "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" movie, but it did take many fans some time to warm up to the Padawan of Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter). While some simply found her to be an annoying addition to the "Star Wars" universe, others felt she should've died a heroic death during her battle against Darth Vader in "Rebels."

It was difficult for Eckstein to learn how fans felt about her character in the "Clone Wars" film and subsequent animated series. At the 2023 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, she recounted her response to the fans' reaction. "When it came out, so many people hated Ahsoka," she recalled. "First, I sobbed into my cheesecake. But then I took a day to have a pity party. Then, I was like, 'No — this character is amazing. And everyone else is going to see what I see if they just give her time.'"

When the film was released, Eckstein was in the midst of working on Season 2 of "Clone Wars" and thus knew that Ahsoka would go through some major growth. "And so, I asked fans for their patience," she explained. "I said, 'Look, no character is perfect in the beginning, and if they were, then they'd be really boring. So please go on this journey with her.'"

When Ashley Eckstein was hired to voice Ahsoka in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," she was no stranger to the world of entertainment, having portrayed the villainous Muffy on "That's So Raven," among other projects. Still, there was something special about Ahsoka that separated the Jedi Padawan from these other roles, which is why Eckstein felt so strongly that fans should give her a chance.

In an interview with Better, she revealed how she quite literally poured herself into the character. "A lot of people don't know that I was cast as Ahsoka to be myself," she said. "Ahsoka Tano was a brand new character in the 'Star Wars' universe. They didn't really know what they wanted her to be ... [director] Dave Filoni said, 'We cast you because we want you to just be yourself, so bring your own voice, bring your own personality, bring your own humor and sarcasm and wit, and just basically bring your own heart and soul to the character.' That's what I did."

Though it took some time, audiences grew to love Ahsoka and appreciate Eckstein's work on the character. Her current relationship with fans, which includes convention appearances and an annual Ahsoka Lives meetup at Star Wars Celebration, is stronger than she ever could've imagined when crying into her cheesecake over a decade ago.