Anakin just namedropped a major Star Wars character who was supposed to appear in the prequels

In what could be his final live-action appearance, Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker left messages for his one-time Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. In Ahsoka episode 7, he namechecks a handful of villains she should be wary of in the then-upcoming war: Count Dooku, General Grievous, and Asajj Ventress.

While the first two will be familiar to most Star Wars fans, it’s Ventress who could raise a few eyebrows for those who bypassed The Clone Wars series.

Ventress, an assassin trained by Dooku in the ways of the Dark Side, is a hugely complex Star Wars character. A constant thorn in the side of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin, she longed to be considered a Sith, but was eventually betrayed by her master and later embraced her Nightsister past. Ventress then sided with the forces of good, sacrificing herself to save her lover Quinlan Vos.

Her history with the franchise, however, goes back even further – to Attack of the Clones. Previously-surfaced concept art from artist Dermot Power shows that Ventress – or someone resembling her – was supposed to play a significant role in Episode 2, potentially supplanting Count Dooku as that movie’s villain.

Never one to waste a good idea, Lucasfilm eventually took the character design, and her trademark curved lightsabers, and introduced the character in The Clone Wars. Despite Anakin’s warning, Ahsoka and Ventress clashed a handful of times – with the pair even teaming up on one occasion.

For more from Ahsoka, check out our guides, spoiler breakdowns, and explainers from the Disney Plus series.

• Explaining the mystical realm of the World Between Worlds 
• The history between Anakin and Ahsoka explained 
• Everything you need to know about Star Wars Rebels 
• The Ahsoka end-credits clues explained
• What to watch before Ahsoka 
• How to watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars in order
• The Ahsoka timeline explained
• The Ahsoka release schedule