Here’s Why Ahsoka’s Outfits Changed in ‘The Clone Wars’
The Star Wars universe is known for its recognizable and beloved characters. One that’s a favorite for fans is Ahsoka Tano from The Clone Wars. She appeared later on in Star Wars Rebels and has her own novel, and plays a massive role in the bigger canon as Anakin’s Padawan. She is a Togruta who Yoda sort of forced on Anakin as student, but the two formed a strong bond throughout the first season and then on.
Unlike a lot of characters in the show, she goes through a bit of an outfit change and evolution. Going into Season 7, which comes out in February, she goes through yet another. But why did she ditch her original outfit? It’s all about growth.
Ahsoka Tano’s outfit changed midway through Season 3
Ahsoka comes into play in the 2008 movie The Clone Wars that jumpstarted the series. She wore leggings and a tube top up until Episode 10 of Season 3. Her new clothing includes a top with cutouts in the front and back and matching leggings. She also starts wielding two lightsabers here, but no one mentions the changes in the show.
According to Dave Filoni, the long-lasting war spurred her switch. “Over the course of the series so far, our characters have been affected by the conflict, so the changes we are seeing are a reflection of what they’ve gone through and how they’ve changed,” Filoni, the supervising director and showrunner for the series told IGN in 2010. “We’re getting closer to the events of Episode III, and the look of the series is moving toward that look and those designs.” As the outlet also noted, Anakin is rocking a longer hairstyle as well, closer to Hayden Christensen’s in Revenge of the Sith.
Ahsoka’s look is growing with her
It was also about the fact that Ahsoka is getting older. She started the show as a 14-year-old Padawan. By Season 3, she’s a bit more mature, wiser, and has been through a lot. The outfit change was a way to denote age without being obvious about it, considering there isn’t a live-action human playing the role and growing season to season.
“She’s been changed by the things she’s seen and done, and now we’re seeing that reflected in her look,” Filoni said. “In this episode [“Heroes on Both Sides], we see a significant step for her emotional development, in addition to her aesthetic development. Coming face to face with the enemy is going to be an eye-opening experience for her.”
‘The Clone Wars’ improved animation affected her outfits too
Lastly, the change was a way for the animation to evolve also. “Our production keeps getting better; as we move forward, we’re able to incorporate new techniques and improved animation,” the director said. “As a weekly series, we’ve been pushing ourselves to do things that haven’t been done in TV animation, and it’s always a struggle just to get it done at all. But we are learning tricks that help to streamline the process, and we continue to build our asset library.”
He said that because of their growth as an animation team, it made them want to experiment and change things up, including Ahsoka’s outfit. He shared that the characters are a little more emotive as well.
Does her look change again for the upcoming Season 7?
Season 7 is coming back after nearly six years since Season 6 ended. Thanks to fans’ support for the show to finish what it started, Lucasfilm brought it back for one final go. In the trailer for the new season, Ahsoka is wearing a similar top to the one she ended the show with — the one from Season 3 onward — but it has more detailing and no cutouts.
The outfit is a grayish-blue color, which is different from the browns and earth tones she’s been wearing up until now. Her lightsabers are now blue instead of green, which mirrors Anakin’s color. Her clothing in Star Wars Rebels, which is about 14 years after Revenge of the Sith, is similar to the Season 7 look, but with a different neckline.
Season 7 is going to be a doozy for fans. Not only is it the end and reunites the team again, bringing Ahsoka back into the fight, it also will lead straight into Revenge of the Sith. Fans will see Anakin’s turn to the Dark Side again in animation form. You’ll also get a first-hand look at what happened on Mandalore when the Clone troopers executed Order 66, with Ahsoka there. To put it simply: it’s gonna be good.
