Summary
Ahsoka Tanoactress Rosario Dawson spoke about her struggle with learning Ahsoka’s unique lightsaber form inStar Wars’live-action TV shows at FAN EXPO Canada. Ahsoka is undoubtedly one ofStar Wars’best characters, and her role inStar Wars’movies and TV showshas only grown over the years. This thrillingly culminated in Ahsoka’s multiple live-action performances inThe Mandalorian,The Book of Boba Fett, andAhsoka. However, bringing a character from animation to live-action is no easy feat, and, evidently, Rosario Dawson experienced that first-hand when she took up the Ahsoka helm.
During a panel led by Jo Deckelmeier at FAN EXPO Canada, for whichScreen Rantis a media partner, Rosario Dawson spoke about the need to use her left hand, due to Ahsoka’s dual lightsaber form. Although this proved challenging, Dawson clearly mastered this style, as she explained how much her left-handed skills have grown since playing Ahsoka:
“So, what’s been really fun actually is doing more things with my left hand. It’s kind of been now, it’s been six years now since we started, and I’ve become very good with my left hand. I write pretty well with it… I was eating yesterday with my left hand. I ended up doing a lot more stuff with my left hand.”
While Dawson certainly rose to the challenge,her experience playing Ahsoka reveals just how difficult live-action work and lightsaber forms can be forStar Warsactors.
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Dual Lightsaber Blades Pose A Real Challenge For The Actors
Ahsoka is well-known for her brilliant lightsaber skills, which were readily apparent throughoutStar Wars: The Clone WarsandStar Wars Rebels. In fact, Ahsoka’s duel with Darth Maul in theClone Warsfinale is arguably one of the greatest animated lightsaber battles in the entirety ofStar Wars. However,taking those incredible skills from animation to live-action is a difficult task, particularly for theStar Warsactors and their stunt doubles, who must master lightsaber forms as flawlessly as the animated characters.
This is especially challenging for characters like Ahsoka, who do not use the traditional single-bladed lightsaber. Rather, Ahsoka’s lightsaber form has consistently employed the use of dual lightsaber blades, yet her movements remain graceful, and she wields both blades effortlessly. While animating such a fighting style is no doubt difficult, embodying that form in live-action is quite daunting.
Impressively, Rosario Dawson certainly pulled this off throughout her live-action appearances as Ahsoka. In fact,Ahsokaseason 1 demanded multiple lightsaber battles using both hands, and they were executed beautifully. This was especially true when Ahsoka thrillingly went toe-to-toe with her former Jedi Master, Anakin Skywalker, in the World Between Worlds.
Nevertheless, Dawson’s experience serves as a reminder of how difficult it can be forStar Warsactors to master lightsaber skills, particularly when their character doesn’t follow traditional lightsaber forms, and it proves how impressive the franchise and its actors are when it comes to transitioning characters from animation to live-action. After all, Ahsoka is far from the only character to make this jump, which requires casting, makeup, training, and so much more to be successful. It’s also delightful to know that Rosario Dawson’s role asAhsoka Tanohas bled into her daily life, reinforcing how dedicated she is.
Ahsoka
Cast
Ahsoka follows the journey of former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. Released in 2023, this series takes place within the Star Wars universe and features Ahsoka navigating through a complex political and cosmic landscape.
