Curious, MouthyMerc (Deadpool fan?)...

If Ahsoka is a Mary Sue, then you're claiming she's Filoni's wish fulfillment?

While he's admitted she's his favorite character to write, that still seems ... odd.

I'm claiming I don't like her. Never have. I understand why she is there (in Clone Wars) though. The same reason we have Ezra (in Rebels). To attract younger viewers. I just find it funny how people complain about Ezra but like Ahsoka. The young plucky kid is a constantly used trope that I understand even if I don't always like it.

I like them both.

I don't see how Ahsoka is a "Mary Sue", she makes plenty of mistakes she ends up paying for, and doesn't always succeed.

Yeah, MouthyMerc, you probably just didn't quite grasp the concept of a Mary Sue...

I think what you were going for was "entrypoint character." In the case of "Clone Wars," Ahsoka was indeed an entrypoint character for younger viewers, as Ezra is an entrypoint character in "Rebels."

BTW, I don't recall many people really liking Ahsoka when she first arrived on the scene in the Clone Wars film. It took at least a full season before I noticed attitudes and opinions were beginning to change. Hell, my own opinions began to change, and by the end of the series? I absolutely adored that character.

Unfortunately, Ezra is still ultra-annoying to me. Even after an entire season of "Rebels." (But to be fair, I find a lot of the cast to be either annoying or complete ciphers.)

Yeah, MouthyMerc, you probably just didn't quite grasp the concept of a Mary Sue...

I found her very much like Wesley Crusher. I will though admit to tuning her out because I found her so annoying so I may have missed some good points. Be that as it may I still don't care for her. I still enjoy the show.

There's a lot more to Ahsoka than just being there for youngster appeal. She ties into a lot of the thematic elements Lucas was delving into with the Saga which explains her mass appeal. She basically follows Campbell's Hero Journey:

https://onesaga.wordpress.com/2014/10/10/ahsoka-tano-on-the-path-of-the-heros-journey/

I, for one, rather liked Ahsoka. I think in part because she basically dished back a good bit of the cocky, self-assured and recklessness that everyone around Anakin always had to deal with from him. It was funny seeing him have to deal with that. I also liked seeing her progression that had many similar aspects to Anakin's own but didn't turn her into a whiny little tantrum child. She chooses to find her own path but she still sticks to her morals it would seem. And that's pretty cool.

She was, admittedly, really ******* terrible in season one. But then to be fair, season one of the clone wars was also ******* terrible. Once they got a handle on their character (and got her out of that slutty outfit), she wasnt so bad.

As far as the various TCW links, the sooner those are out of the way, the better. Frankly, I'm kind of hoping that by the end of the premiere that Ahsoka is either dead after a confrontation with Vader (due to sacrificing herself to save Ezra who's shown as being in pretty dire straits in the trailer) or so badly shaken at just how powerful this Sith Lord is that she decides the best thing she can do is to fade back into relative obscurity and operate separately from the crew of the Ghost. As for the clone troopers, the more clips I see, the more they're looking more like a Wacky Wayside Tribe than anything really constructive much less important to the show's overall narrative.

Hondo Ohnaka I don't mind at this point as his appearance is pointing to being very much like Lando's; a one-off appearance for what will likely be a light-hearted episode. That and Hondo was just so bizarre and unusual for a Star Wars character that he was pretty entertaining, being a fairly open opportunist and making no bones about it. He was one of those "shades of grey" characters like Han and Lando that helped make the original films interesting and the lack of such a "loveable rogue" type generally hurt the cast dynamic of the prequels.

Rebels as a pretty strong cast of characters, and I'd much rather the focus be kept on them and their growth, particularly those that need more fleshing out the backstories and motivations of Zeb, Sabine, and especially Hera (Kanan's already got his own comic book, and Ezra's been covered pretty thoroughly already), as opposed to habitually trotting out relics from a show that's long since had it's day.

The A-Wings could be R-22 Spearheads. I thought the B-Wing was an H-60 Tempest, but I saw the wings so maybe it's a prototype or modification that'll go on to be the B-Wing.

The A-wing like fighter being R-22 Spearheads I won't mind since the design is nearly exact to McQuarrie's concept art of the A-Wing.

And there is no way that is an H-60 Tempest..

They have outlined Zeb's motivation. His people were all but wiped out by the Empire, it is no wonder why he fights them.

As to Rex and the clones, I think that will be interesting. After all, did Kanan not see his master gunned down by clones? How he reacts to them will be full of conflict, I'm sure.

I was happy to see Ahsoka, and I think there is a chance she will recognize what is left of Anakin, and once again, I think that will be dramatic.

Well, saw a clip of a couple guys from IGN mentioning their thoughts after seeing the Season 2 premiere at Celebrations, as well as a couple tidbits from Dave Filoni that was asked at a press line before the premiere.

Seems that Rex and Ahsoka will be showing up throughout the season, but will be in comparatively minor roles, and not in every episode, particularly Rex. Whether Rex will be bringing along the other aged clone troopers is yet to be seen.

Could be that Vader is simply going to be the heavy on Lothal for the premiere, as apparently nothing was held back in terms of Vader being a serious threat to the Rebels. Given that they've got James Earl Jones, who's probably not cheap, I can't expect them to have Vader become a recurring foe to the group, since it would very much run the risk of reducing Vader's villain cred as an extreme threat if the crew of the Ghost is able to outwit him on a near-constant basis.

Samophlange,

As for Zeb, while we know his motivation, I'd like to see more of his backstory so as to not have him simply be the two-dimensional "belligerent thug/comic relief guy" that he was for Season 1. We've seen shades that there's more to the guy than that, and I doubt his story is a simple as "species nearly got wiped out, so now he's hanging out with a rag-tag group of resistance fighters on a galactic backwater."

Frankly, I'm kind of hoping that by the end of the premiere that Ahsoka is either dead after a confrontation with Vader (due to sacrificing herself to save Ezra who's shown as being in pretty dire straits in the trailer) or so badly shaken at just how powerful this Sith Lord is that she decides the best thing she can do is to fade back into relative obscurity and operate separately from the crew of the Ghost.

I bet she loses a hand in the confrontation. I doubt she would get killed and go force ghost since I doubt Vader was expecting that when Obi-Wan did it.

Hopefully it's Vader showing up and whooping ass the first couple of episodes and the rest of the season is the crew of the ghost recovering from their confrontation in whatever form that may take.

Hopefully it's Vader showing up and whooping ass the first couple of episodes and the rest of the season is the crew of the ghost recovering from their confrontation in whatever form that may take.

Well, there's a bit from the Season 2 trailer with Kanan and Ezra talking about abandoning Lothal, with the former mentioning how "they were lucky to escape." And given the creative team behind Rebels has been pretty clear in wanting to avoid the 80's Saturday morning cliche of the villain supposedly being a threat yet constantly loses to the heroes, I suspect that Vader is pretty much going to dominate in any direct confrontation. We already see him taking out a group of A-Wings in short order in the trailer, and with Kanan not fairing much better in a one-on-one duel, I think it's safe to say that we're going to see the Dark Lord of the Sith that was alluded to in the original films.

Hopefully it's Vader showing up and whooping ass the first couple of episodes and the rest of the season is the crew of the ghost recovering from their confrontation in whatever form that may take.

Well, there's a bit from the Season 2 trailer with Kanan and Ezra talking about abandoning Lothal, with the former mentioning how "they were lucky to escape." And given the creative team behind Rebels has been pretty clear in wanting to avoid the 80's Saturday morning cliche of the villain supposedly being a threat yet constantly loses to the heroes, I suspect that Vader is pretty much going to dominate in any direct confrontation. We already see him taking out a group of A-Wings in short order in the trailer, and with Kanan not fairing much better in a one-on-one duel, I think it's safe to say that we're going to see the Dark Lord of the Sith that was alluded to in the original films.

There's an interview with some of the voice actors for the series about the upcoming season and one of them remarks how several of them were worried that Vader would be messed up and not done justice. Followed by him saying: "and oh they so haven't! They so haven't!" and grinning like someone who knows a secret. I suspect Vader is going to be nightmare incarnate. Which will be good fodder for my games as I would kind of like my players to encounter him.

Seeing the interview before they sprang the Season 2 trailer at Celebrations made me really have a new liking for the actors they've chosen. They all seem to really like their characters and working together. Freddie Prinze Jr, in particular loves Star Wars and is quite the geek about it in many ways. I've heard he does twitter RP messaging with fans even, which I find most amusing.

She was, admittedly, really ******* terrible in season one. But then to be fair, season one of the clone wars was also ******* terrible. Once they got a handle on their character (and got her out of that slutty outfit), she wasnt so bad.

I have never understood this assertion.

Personally, I feel the film and first season were excellent. I mean, the first few episodes featuring Yoda and the three clones and then the Malevolence arc? That was great stuff. Then "Jedi Crash?" "Lair of Grievous?" The quality continued. (And, yes, the series just got better and better as it went on.)

Now, I will admit that I loathed the "Sky-guy" and "Snips" dialogue that peppered both the feature as well as Season One. But once that kinda died down? And I got used to Ahsoka? I came to really dig her.

Fact is, I was pretty crushed when she left at the end of Season 5...

I'd like to see more of [Zeb's] backstory so as to not have him simply be the two-dimensional "belligerent thug/comic relief guy" that he was for Season 1. We've seen shades that there's more to the guy than that, and I doubt his story is a simple as "species nearly got wiped out, so now he's hanging out with a rag-tag group of resistance fighters on a galactic backwater."

This was a serious problem with Season One that I am glad one of my (how to put this politely?) "opponents" is finally coming to grips with...

While many may complain that I laud "Clone Wars" and unfairly trash "Rebels," "Clone Wars" was dealing with known quantities in Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padme, Yoda, Artoo, Threepio, etc. So while that series accomplished a great deal with characterization (making the prequels, themselves, actually appear watchable), it had an advantage right off the bat.

That said, "Rebels" should have spent more time developing a story in Season One as to WHY these 'heroes' have banded together to form this Rebel cell. Why should we, the audience, care? Where did the Ghost come from? Was that shuttle/fighter part of the stock package or did one of the crew put that together? What is the state of Mandalore and why is Sabine with them? For that matter, how old is Sabine? So Hera and Kanan seem close? How close? How did they meet? Is Zeb in it for Kanan? Hera? The money? Where did the crew dig up Chopper? And why in the name of Hades are they continuing to just mess around on Lothal? As opposed to exploring the galaxy or seeking job opportunities such as smuggling between systems?

Honestly, it's really hard to maintain that the cast of "Rebels" was not made up - entirely - of two-dimensional characters. At least in this first season.

From what we've seen in preview videos? It seems Filoni and company have realized they have to step up their game, as they've addressed the "getting off Lothal" issue as well as dealing with the characters' back-stories.

Good luck to 'em. I'll be crossing my fingers.

As far as the various TCW links, the sooner those are out of the way, the better. Frankly, I'm kind of hoping that by the end of the premiere that Ahsoka is either dead after a confrontation with Vader (due to sacrificing herself to save Ezra who's shown as being in pretty dire straits in the trailer) or so badly shaken at just how powerful this Sith Lord is that she decides the best thing she can do is to fade back into relative obscurity and operate separately from the crew of the Ghost.

You do realize Ahsoka was Anakin's padawan throughout the majority of the Clone Wars, right?

"This Sith Lord" was her longtime mentor, partner, and friend. I believe we'll probably be seeing a confrontation that's a lot more personal ... rather than Ahsoka just running away and then fading into obscurity.

At least, I sure as hell hope so!

Hondo Ohnaka I don't mind at this point as his appearance is pointing to being very much like Lando's; a one-off appearance for what will likely be a light-hearted episode. That and Hondo was just so bizarre and unusual for a Star Wars character that he was pretty entertaining, being a fairly open opportunist and making no bones about it. He was one of those "shades of grey" characters like Han and Lando that helped make the original films interesting and the lack of such a "loveable rogue" type generally hurt the cast dynamic of the prequels.

Absolutely agree. The seedier elements reintroduced into "Clone Wars" made up some of the best episodes in the series.

Hopefully Ahsoka be dead by the end of the season, or at the very least the series.

A personal confrontation with Vader may happen, but whether that's a good idea or not I'm not sure. The show isn't about her or Vader, so I hope the confrontation will be linked to more important stuff than their history, like the main characters and their plot(s).

Hopefully Ahsoka be dead by the end of the season, or at the very least the series.

A personal confrontation with Vader may happen, but whether that's a good idea or not I'm not sure. The show isn't about her or Vader, so I hope the confrontation will be linked to more important stuff than their history, like the main characters and their plot(s).

That's pretty much my big fear with bringing Ahsoka in even as a semi-regular character, is that she's going to draw attention away from what I feel is a very solid ensemble cast in the Ghost's crew.

Maybe it's just my own RPG experience, but introducing an adult Ahsoka to the series comes across as a new player that's good buddies with the GM that's rehashed their character from an older campaign and winds up hogging the spotlight away from the original members of the group. Besides, we've already got a "former Jedi padawan that survived the Purge" character in the form of Kanan, so in that respect Ahsoka doesn't really bring anything new to the table.

She brings experience of fighting a guerrilla war, Onderon.

She brings experience of fighting a guerrilla war, Onderon.

And who says that Kanan, Zeb, or even Hera can't bring that same thing to the table? What little we have on Zeb's background indicates that he's got military experience, which could be just as valid if not more so than what Ahsoka could allegedly offer.

In terms of character story-arc, the only thing Ahsoka offers is fan-service to fans of TCW that got all pissy that TCW got cancelled, when it was pretty much already on the way out (ratings had dropped compared to earlier seasons, so the audience was shrinking instead of growing). Even Filoni admitted at one point prior to the series' cancellation that they were reaching their end game on how much longer the series would go, with it being fairly likely that the sixth season would have been the finale that lead into the events of Revenge of the Sith, particularly since the primary kid-appeal character (Ahsoka) had largely been written out of the show with the conclusion of season five.

Ahsoka tramples too much onto the niches of over half the group, of whom the show was conceived and built around. She's a potential spot-light stealing squad unto herself, and if used too often will pull the focus off the crew of the Ghost. She's had her chance to shine as far as developing from a (excessively) bratty half-pint to a more mature individual in TCW, and part of Rebels' story is how Ezra grows from a (considerably less) bratty half-pint to a more mature individual; thus far he's doing better in one season than Ahsoka did in all but the last couple seasons of TCW.

I'm with Jegergryte on this, the sooner Ahsoka dies or is put on a bus, the better. I found the show quite enjoyable and entertaining without her, and I honestly think the show can do just fine without overdoing it on TCW-based fan-servicing.