Original Ahsoka actor says you should watch the animated Star Wars shows for "crucial backstory"

Original Ahsoka voice actor Ashley Eckstein thinks you should watch The Clone Wars and Rebels before the live-action Disney Plus show arrives. 

"I actually recommend to everyone who is excited about the upcoming Ahsoka series, I highly recommend that you take the time to watch Clone Wars, and watch Star Wars Rebels, and even Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi," Eckstein told CinemaBlend. "Because if you don't, you're going to miss out on crucial, crucial backstory that you really need to know to fully enjoy the Ahsoka series, which is so exciting."

Ahsoka was introduced in the feature length, animated Clone Wars movie, and went on to feature as a main character in the TV show of the same name. She appeared again as a key character in Rebels – and three out of six of the Tales of the Jedi episodes are about her life. 

"We're gonna get so many new and incredible stories, but without that backstory, and full understanding of who Ahsoka is and even who the other characters are, you're not going to have as rich or in-depth of an understanding and appreciation of what's going to happen in the series without the backstory, so I'm very grateful that Clone Wars and Rebels and Tales the Jedi are on Disney Plus," Eckstein added. "Any chance I get, I tell fans, 'Go and watch it and binge it before you watch the Ahsoka series. It's really gonna matter.'"

Since Ahsoka is just weeks away, though, arriving on August 23, you might be pleased to know that the character's creator, Dave Filoni, has different advice. "We never want to create a situation where you feel like you have to have seen these things because then you're missing out," he told IGN. "I don't know how fans feel, but – do you have to have seen The Clone Wars to understand Ahsoka? No, you don't have to have seen that.

"Does it help, will you know more and understand more? Sure," he continued. "But it's not – if you haven't checked it out, but you can, thanks to Disney Plus, it's right there. We picked up A New Hope at Episode 4, right? So Star Wars, to us, we came in in the middle of it. So there is a kind of history in Star Wars of just diving right into the story. So I really do dive right into the story with Ahsoka, but I know more about it because of the work of The Mandalorian." 

If you are in the mood to get caught up on Ahsoka Tano, we have everything you need – see our guide on how to watch The Clone Wars in order for a deep dive, or for a streamlined watchlist, see our roundup of what to watch before Ahsoka.