Ahsoka Tano prepares for the return of the villainous Grand Admiral Thrawn in the Star Wars: Ahsoka trailer. And in the video (above), fans get the first clear look at Lars Mikkelsen as Thrawn.
Set after the fall of the Empire, Rosario Dawson stars as the titular former Jedi Knight as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. Joining Ahsoka on the crew of the Ghost are Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) — a Mandalorian and Ahsoka’s former Jedi trainee — and Hera Syndulla, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Sabine and Hera make their live-action Star Wars debuts in Ahsoka, premiering on Wednesday, August 23 with its first two episodes on Disney+.
Mikkelsen’s Thrawn is also making his live-action debut in the show. The actor voiced the character in the animated series Star Wars Rebels. The blue-skinned villain is seen head-on in the trailer, which starts with a group of evil Jedi making way for Thrawn’s return as Ahsoka gathers her crew to fight off the impending threat of war from the Dark Side.
The late Ray Stevenson is also seen in the trailer as Baylan Skoll. The former Jedi tells Ahsoka that Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen, who will reprise his role as Star Wars‘ most infamous villain in the new series) still speaks highly of her.
Anakin never got to complete her Jedi training, as Ahsoka says above, because she “walked away” from him, just like she did with Sabine, but that clearly didn’t permanently burn a bridge. Ivanna Sakhno, Diana Lee Inosanto, David Tennant, and Eman Esfandi also star.
The episodes are directed by Dave Filoni, Steph Green, Peter Ramsey, Jennifer Getzinger, Geeta Vasant Patel, and Rick Famuyiwa. Filoni is the head writer and executive produces along with Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Carrie Beck. Karen Gilchrist serves as co-executive producer.
Star Wars: Ahsoka, Series Premiere, Wednesday, August 23, Disney+