Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Ahsoka episodes 1 & 2
Star Wars’ new Ahsoka show has brought back the opening crawl for a very good reason. Set during the New Republic Era in the wake of the original trilogy, Ahsoka stars Rosario Dawson as the titular former Jedi seeking to prevent the return of dark forces to the galaxy such as Grand Admiral Thrawn, a key Imperial leader who went missing before A New Hope and is set to become the new “Heir to the Empire”. Considering Ahsoka’s connections to the future of the Star Wars franchise at large, the classic staple of the opening crawl specifically proves the importance of this new show.
As seen at the beginning of Ahsoka episode 1, the opening crawl resembles the classic crawls featured in the Skywalker saga movies, albeit colored red rather than yellow. Likewise, it’s the first Star Wars show to have an opening crawl, making its inclusion rather surprising and quite significant. Laying out the state of the galaxy with the rise of the New Republic and attempts made to bring back the Empire, Ahsoka’s opening crawl also reminds viewers of Ahsoka’s capture of Thrawn’s ally Morgan Elsbeth as seen in The Mandalorian season 2. Here’s why this new opening crawl is so important for the Star Wars franchise.
Ahsoka Is The Buildup To A New Star Wars Movie
Previously, none of the Star Wars shows have ever had opening crawls, adhering to the “rule” that projects outside the main Skywalker saga would go without its inclusion. This also includes movies such as Rogue One and Solo. However, Ahsoka breaks the convention with its own unique version of the crawl, starting a new linear narrative that will continue into the movies, specifically the upcoming Mandalorian movie which is also coming from Ahsoka creator and writer Dave Filoni.
With Ahsoka setting up the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Mandalorian movie will likely serve as the culminating film that will bring all of Star Wars’ New Republic shows together in the face of the Empire’s attempted resurgence. As such, Ahsoka seems to be serving as the true origin point for Star Wars’ return to the big screen since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. To that end, the opening crawl is certainly warranted and most welcome, proving how important the show is concerning the overall plans in the works from Filoni and Lucasfilm.
Why Doesn’t The Mandalorian Have An Opening Crawl?
In terms of the greater narrative being told, The Mandalorian show essentially serves as a prologue to Ahsoka, introducing key concepts and ideas over its three seasons such as the New Republic, the Imperial Remnant, and more of this new period’s overall framework in the Star Wars canon. Now, an actual narrative is being built in Ahsoka toward this big new Star Wars movie in the works. As such, the opening crawl is more than justified, clearly conveying all that The Mandalorian set up and teased in support of the new Ahsoka show.
Ahsoka releases new episodes Tuesdays at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Disney+.
