Ahsoka Finale Viewership Numbers Reveal A Significant Loss

The "Ahsoka" finale numbers are in ... and they're not promising. 

Star Wars has been reckoning with itself over the last few years. After the mixed-to-negative reception "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" received, Lucasfilm decided to pivot the direction it would take the galaxy far, far away. With the advent of Disney+, Lucasfilm dived deep into the world of serialized content, providing audiences with the likes of "The Mandalorian," "The Book of Boba Fett," and "Andor." 

Eventually, all eyes focused on "Ahsoka," a live-action series created by Dave Filoni, which continues the iconic Jedi's journey. The show, featuring Rosario Dawson in the titular role, debuted in late August to mostly positive reviews, with Looper critic Audrey Fox awarding the series a 7/10. While the long-awaited project, serving as a direct sequel to the acclaimed "Star Wars Rebels" animated series, was largely a hit among fans, it couldn't sustain viewership numbers for its jaw-dropping finale. Samba TV, which helps measure viewing metrics and ratings, says 863,000 U.S. households watched the "Ahsoka" finale over its first six days of availability on Disney+. 

While those mighty numbers are nothing to scoff at, the debut episode of "Ahsoka" raked in 1.2 million U.S. households during its first week on Disney+. Whip Media (via Media Play News), another company dabbling in viewership analysis, notes that the Star Wars series topped the streaming charts for the week of October 8 — which is when the "Ahsoka" finale premiered. In short, the show has its fans, but it's clear that a significant portion of viewers wasn't interested in seeing the conclusion. 

Like most of what comes out of Star Wars these days, the "Ahsoka" finale was nothing short of contentious. Some loved it, some hated it, while others were indifferent about the lead heroine's battle with Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto). Wherever fans stand, it's important to note just how sharp of a drop the "Ahsoka" finale had in terms of viewership, especially when compared to some of the other Star Wars shows. 

The most obvious project "Ahsoka" can be compared with is perhaps 2022's "Obi-Wan Kenobi," which saw Ewan McGregor return as the iconic Jedi. The series, which takes place between "Revenge of the Sith" and "A New Hope," received mostly positive reviews from fans and critics and drew a whopping 1.8 million households. That number makes sense, especially considering how highly-anticipated the series was.

No other Star Wars series has been able to reach the same heights as "Obi-Wan Kenobi," but some have been close. "The Book of Boba Fett" and "The Mandalorian" Season 3 finales were watched by 1.5 million and 1.4 million U.S. households, respectively. The lowest-performing series finale is "Andor" Season 1, which was only watched by 591,000 US households in its first six days. 

While Ahsoka Tano is a flagship Star Wars character, one that has dominated the franchise's animated front for over a decade, her story doesn't necessarily have the same widespread appeal as the likes of Obi-Wan Kenobi or Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal). Considering "Ahsoka" was marketed as a sequel to "Rebels," it stands to reason that it would garner less viewership. 

If you're not a fan of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," "Rebels," or have no interest in Ahsoka Tano, it's understandable why you would skip the character's live-action series. While the show premiered to a solid amount of U.S. households, the drop in viewership all but confirms that Ahsoka and her band of misfits aren't as popular as the likes of Din Djarin or Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison). Still, "Ahsoka" boasts a solid 70% audience reception score on Rotten Tomatoes and has a number of fans on the critical front. 

The benefit of streaming is that audiences can catch up on "Ahsoka" as time goes on. While many fans may have been intrigued by the show's premiere, some might have been overwhelmed with how deeply connected the live-action series is to "Rebels." As viewers continue to catch up on "The Clone Wars" and "Rebels," Lucasfilm might find some longevity with "Ahsoka." 

Seeing as the series ends on a dire note, leaving Ahsoka unable to stop Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), it's possible that a Season 2 could manifest, even with such low viewership. While nothing has been explicitly confirmed, Deadline suggests a sophomore outing is being discussed. Ashoka's story hasn't concluded, meaning the character will return ... we just don't know when.