Joining Star Wars And Playing Ahsoka Required An Entire Lifestyle Shift For Rosario Dawson

One of the many perks of telling “Star Wars” stories through animation is the freedom to stage lightsaber duels in just about any way you can imagine without having to worry too much about those pesky real-life laws of physics. This did, however, present a problem when it came time to adapt Ahsoka’s fighting style and techniques for live-action in “Ahsoka.” As Dawson told io9, there were some things she simply couldn’t train for:

“Our stunt coordinator, Ming Qiu, looked at Ahsoka’s fighting style, and said, ‘That’s not physically possible for a human, so let’s see what we can do to figure out how to do that move.’ We tried to do as many stunts as possible practically. We had ropes and pulleys and all kinds of things to make them work. There was a lot of experimentation, using technology that was developed while we were filming.”

Then there was the challenge of getting into Ahsoka’s mindset. All signs indicate Ahsoka hasn’t drastically overhauled her lifestyle in the years between leaving the Jedi Order and the point “Ahsoka” picks up. In fact, she undoubtedly had it harder having to maintain that way of living on the road, as opposed to the life she led back in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. (Those chairs the Jedi Council spend their days lounging around in look might comfy.) 

“I did everything I could to be physically prepared every day, trying to get a good night’s sleep and eating well,” Dawson explained. “I’ve mentioned it before, but Ahsoka is not some character I can just play and then dismiss when I take off the head montrals. It’s been a lifestyle shift in connecting to her and performing her. She’s in me.”

“Ahsoka” premieres August 23, 2023, on Disney+.