In a surprise turn, Ahsoka has zeroed in on its place on the Star Wars timeline. Yes, Ahsoka episode 7 finally tips us off to the question we'd all been asking. With several eras of the franchise colliding in a big way, it was a little tough to pin down exactly what year Ahsoka was set in. To the casual eye, it's a mix-and-match of timelines and, with the World Between Worlds confusing matters further, it felt like we'd never get an answer.
But now we finally know everything about the Ahsoka timeline, including where it falls in comparison to The Mandalorian, Star Wars Rebels, The Clone Wars, and the live-action Star Wars movies. Be warned, though, that you'll find some spoilers for the opening seven episodes below.
When does Ahsoka take place on the Star Wars timeline?
Before we get into specifics, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page when it comes to the Star Wars calendar.
In-universe, everything revolves around the Battle of Yavin, AKA the assault on the Death Star in A New Hope. It was an event so climactic that it’s now the basis on which every date hinges: Before the Battle of Yavin (BBY) or After the Battle of Yavin (ABY). In real-world terms, think the Gregorian calendar and the BC/AD of Jesus Christ’s birth – just with more lightsabers.
For example, Empire Strikes Back takes place three years after A New Hope – meaning the year is 3 ABY.
Ahsoka takes place after The Mandalorian season 3 in around 11 ABY.
How do we know that? Ahsoka's adversary Morgan Elsbeth was captured by the Jedi Knight in The Mandalorian's second season episode 'The Jedi' and is still in captivity by the time of the Ahsoka series. A line from Carson Teva in Ahsoka references the events of The Mandalorian season 3 finale and a lone "warlord" (i.e. Moff Gideon) fighting a war on Mandalore. So Ahsoka is set a short while after The Mandalorian season 3.
That confirms Ahsoka takes place 11 years after A New Hope, 10-15 years after Star Wars Rebels (5 BBY-1 BBY), and over 30 years since the events of The Clone Wars (22 BBY-19 BBY). The reason why we see a de-aged Anakin in episodes 4 and 5 is due to the mystical qualities of the World Between Worlds, and it still takes place at the same time as the rest of the Ahsoka series. The message from Anakin in episode 7 was recorded around the beginning of The Clone Wars in 22 BBY.
If you're looking ahead, it's set about 25 years before the sequel trilogy, beginning with The Force Awakens.
That also means Ahsoka is in her late 40s by the time of her standalone series.
Need to prep more before continuing Ahsoka? Skip all the homework with everything you need to know about Star Wars Rebels, what to watch before Ahsoka, and how to watch The Clone Wars in order. For those who don’t yet know their Snips from their Skyguy, we also have character recaps and guides on:
- Who is Grand Admiral Thrawn?
- Who is Ezra Bridger?
- Who is Jacen Syndulla?
- The purrgil explained
- The history between Anakin and Ahsoka explained
- Everything you need to know about Star Wars Rebels
- The Ahsoka end-credits clues explained
- The Nightsisters of Dathomir explained
- Who is Clancy Brown playing in Ahsoka?
- Huyang explained
- Who is Inquisitor Marrok in Ahsoka?
- Where have we seen Morgan Elsbeth before?
- What to watch before Ahsoka
- How to watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars in order
- The Ahsoka timeline explained
- The Ahsoka release schedule
