Ahsoka's Sadistic Villain Tease Sets Up A Huge Step For Star Wars Shows

For a while now, it seems as though Dave Filoni and the Lucasfilm team have been dead-set on getting characters who originated in "Star Wars" cartoons into live-action properties. Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) made her big leap in "The Mandalorian" Season 2, but things have been taken to a whole new level with her headlining series, "Ahsoka." It's obvious the new show will effectively function as "Star Wars Rebels" Season 5 with the inclusion of characters like Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). There's even an Easter egg in "Ahsoka" Episode 2 that mirrors the final scene of "Rebels," further setting up a clear link. 

But bringing cartoon characters into a new medium is only the beginning. The next step is clearly introducing comic book "Star Wars" characters to the masses, which we've already seen in "Ahsoka" Episode 1. The show's opening moments present a black-coated 3PO droid navigating a spaceship, which seems like a clear nod to the evil protocol droid Triple-Zero, who's only appeared in the comics. It's unlikely this particular droid will turn into Triple-Zero, but it does hint at how the live-action shows could draw influence from the comics going forward. They've already done this with Black Krrsantan in "The Book of Boba Fett," but plenty of other popular characters would be a treat for hardcore and casual "Star Wars" fans to see. 

There's an entire galaxy of "Star Wars" characters to pull from across all different mediums. While it's easy to see a path for characters who originated in "The Clone Wars" and "Star Wars Rebels" to appear in live-action TV shows and movies down the line, it should open the doors for lesser-known players. Many properties were uncanonized after Disney purchased Lucasfilm, but many comic books over the last few years could still be considered canon, allowing characters to make the leap. One who would be outstanding to see is Doctor Aphra, the first non-movie or TV character to lead her own comic. She first appeared in "Star Wars: Darth Vader" from 2015 to 2016, and she's a morally questionable archaeologist employed by Vader to work alongside Triple-Zero and BT-1. She's an intriguing foil as she works for the Empire but recognizes that it doesn't always do the right thing for the galaxy.

It only seems like a matter of time before Doctor Aphra enters the forefront, but if "Star Wars" shows wanted to get wild with canon, they would introduce Tag and Bink. These were comedic characters in their own comic series. They're bumbling fools who cause all of the pivotal moments within the franchise. The idea of making them canon has already been toyed with. They were supposed to have brief roles in "Solo: A Star Wars Story," but their parts were left on the cutting room floor. A more comedic "Star Wars" Disney+ series would be the perfect spot to include them. 

Numerous characters and storylines exist from the comics, and with fans getting more "Star Wars" than ever before, it would make sense for creatives to look toward comic books to find the next great hit.