Summary

• Ahsoka’s sassy humor mirrored Anakin’s, showing their strong bond and similar personalities.
• Ahsoka defied orders like Anakin, challenging him in a positive way during their master-apprentice dynamic.
• Ahsoka’s ability to battle a Sith proved she was the perfect Padawan for Anakin.

Ahsoka Tano proved to be the perfect Jedi Padawan for Anakin Skywalker multiple times throughout Star Wars, but these 10 are the very best examples. Ahsoka and Anakin are some of Star Wars’ best characters, which is particularly impressive given that Ahsoka was a later addition to Star Wars movies and TV shows. Part of that has indeed been her ties to Anakin.

Although her introduction in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie had mixed reactions to say the least, over time, Ahsoka has absolutely become a fan-favorite, which is clear in her numerous returns in Star Wars Rebels, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka. While Ahsoka has plenty of wonderful traits in her own right—from her deep empathy to her wit—her relationship with Anakin has also improved her popularity considerably. In fact, Ahsoka has consistently proven she was the perfect Padawan for Anakin, and these 10 moments are the very best proof.

10 Every Time She Said Something A Bit Goofy

Ahsoka’s Dialogue Was Often Very Reminiscent Of Anakin’s

The prequels are now considered some of Star Wars’ best movies, but they received significant criticism when they were released. While backlash came in many forms, the dialogue was generally high on the list of audience complaints. Although Star Wars: The Clone Wars didn’t share this problem precisely, it is clear that many of Ahsoka’s lines felt reminiscent of Anakin’s in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

Ahsoka may never have reached the same level as Anakin’s speech on Mustafar to Obi-Wan, but she did say several things in The Clone Wars that were a bit silly. One of the most commonly referenced came during the arc when she had to pose as a slave. At one point, she very dramatically said, “Unhand me, brigand!” In this case, The Clone Wars was in on the joke (unlike in Revenge of the Sith), but this is in keeping with much of Ahsoka’s speech, from saying “You are beaten” to calling Anakin “Sky Guy.”

9 When She Developed A Crush

Ahsoka’s Lux Bonteri Plot Reflected Anakin’s Influence

The Clone Wars revealed that Jedi crushes evidently went far beyond just Anakin and Padmé, as, shockingly, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s love interest was revealed to be Satine Kryze, and Ahsoka developed a bit of a crush on Lux Bonteri. Clearly, Ahsoka didn’t learn this from just Anakin (not only because it was evidently somewhat common but also because it’s natural), but it’s likely she was more aware of and willing to engage in flirtations because of Anakin. In fact, The Clone Wars made it quite clear that Ahsoka knew about Anakin and Padmé.

The Clone Wars
made it quite clear that Ahsoka knew about Anakin and Padmé.

Undoubtedly, her decision to keep quiet was borne out of love for Anakin. However, seeing that type of relationship had to have influenced Ahsoka, perhaps making her more inclined than other Padawan learners to develop feelings. Even so, this is one area where Ahsoka was stronger than Anakin. Surely, she didn’t have the same level of feelings for Lux that Anakin ever did for Padmé (which bordered on obsession from the beginning), but she nevertheless avoided ever truly crossing that line.

8 When She Lost Her Lightsaber

Anakin Losing His Lightsaber Was An Ongoing Problem

One major Clone Wars plot involved Ahsoka losing her lightsaber to a pickpocket. While Anakin had certainly lost his saber in more creative ways, Ahsoka losing her lightsaber was essentially a signature Anakin move. After all, Obi-Wan had to repeatedly remind Anakin to take better care of his lightsaber, telling him that the weapon is his life; this is why Anakin says Obi-Wan is going to kill him when his lightsaber breaks in Attack of the Clones.

Ahsoka’s lost lightsaber plot was also interesting because it meant her working with Tera Sinube, a much older Jedi whom Ahsoka seemed to think was less capable because of his age. Throughout this arc, though, Ahsoka learned from Tera considerably and came to understand that she had been wrong. This, too, was somewhat reminiscent of Anakin, as she had jumped to a judgment only to learn over time that her initial perspective hadn’t been accurate.

7 When She Snuck Onto A Mission She’d Been Forbidden To Join

Ahsoka Clearly Inherited Anakin’s Defiance

In season 3, episode 18 of The Clone Wars, “The Citadel,” Ahsoka was directly told by Anakin that she was not permitted to go on a mission, but she did so anyway. Ahsoka even directly identified Anakin as the source of this behavior, telling him that through him, she had learned that following direct orders wasn’t always the best way. Clearly, Ahsoka’s defiance and willingness to break the rules came directly from Anakin.

In fact, even Obi-Wan further supported this, as he commented that this proved Anakin’s teaching style was “do as I say, not as I do.” However, this also revealed how perfect Ahsoka was as Anakin’s Padawan. In part, Padawans are meant to teach the master just as the master teaches them. Anakin was witnessing the other end of his stubborn, insubordinate behavior, and it no doubt caused him to reflect upon his own actions. Perhaps this is why Master Yoda decided to pair them; Ahsoka challenged Anakin in a positive way.

6 When She Saved Padmé’s Life

Ahsoka Did What Anakin Couldn’t

One of Ahsoka’s most fascinating Clone Wars arcs often goes overlooked, but it really solidified how well Anakin and Ahsoka fit as master and apprentice. Specifically, Ahsoka did exactly what Anakin could not in Revenge of the Sith: she saved Padmé’s life by listening to her Force visions. In Revenge of the Sith, the thing that finally pushed Anakin fully to the dark side was his desperation to save Padmé from dying, which he believed would happen because of his visions showing her dying in childbirth.

However, when Anakin began having the visions, he initially did the right thing; he sought the guidance of Master Yoda and was relatively honest about the situation without revealing his marriage. Unfortunately, Yoda was not all that helpful, and he effectively told Anakin to ignore the visions, only increasing Anakin’s anxieties. In contrast, in The Clone Wars, Yoda helped Ahsoka use her visions to identify the assassin who would try to kill Padmé, which, ultimately, stopped the assassination from happening. While this discrepancy is really Yoda’s fault, it does show how aligned Anakin and Ahsoka were.

5 Every Time She Sassed Someone

Ahsoka Had Not Only Anakin’s Defiant Nature But Also His Sense Of Humor

In addition to mirroring some of Anakin’s prequel trilogy dialogue, Ahsoka certainly inherited Anakin’s sassiness, which she exhibited not only in interactions with Anakin but also in incredibly dire situations, such as when she was battling Darth Maul on Mandalore. In that case, she cheekily told Maul that he was lucky Anakin didn’t show up. This was especially reminiscent of Anakin’s snarky comment to Count Dooku at the beginning of Revenge of the Sith, when he told Grievous that he was shorter than he expected.

Of course, not all of this developed from Anakin. Ahsoka clearly had a sassy attitude from the very beginning; this was even among the reasons some viewers didn’t like Ahsoka when she was introduced. Ultimately, though, this again made her an excellent match for Anakin. This was yet another example of Ahsoka showing Anakin what his behaviors looked and sounded like, but it also meant that their personalities were quite similar.

4 When She Left The Order

Although It Crushed Anakin, It Was Proof Of How He Taught Her

Ahsoka leaving the Jedi Order was one of the most painful moments not only for Anakin but also in the entirety of The Clone Wars (which is really saying something, given how much devastation took place in the show). Following on the heels of the Jedi Order abandoning her when she was falsely accused of murder, Ahsoka decided to walk away even when her name was cleared and she was welcomed back by the Council. This was undoubtedly one of the most difficult events in Anakin’s life, but it really does reveal that Ahsoka was an excellent Padawan for him.

Ahsoka proved that her convictions were stronger than Anakin’s.

When Ahsoka was leaving, Anakin directly told her that he understood wanting to leave. However, as with Lux Bonteri, Ahsoka proved that her convictions were stronger than Anakin’s. When she felt abandoned by the Jedi, she was able to walk away. Had Anakin been able to learn from his Padawan at that moment and see that leaving was possible, a substantial amount of pain and suffering throughout the galaxy could have been stopped.

3 During Her Time On Her Own

Ahsoka Survived On Her Own After A Life In The Temple

After leaving the Jedi Order, Ahsoka impressively survived on her own, which was particularly remarkable given that she had lived nearly her entire life in the Temple. Presumably, Ahsoka had very little understanding of how to survive on her own, yet she did so quite well. In fact, although she was eventually caught and stood trial, this began with Ahsoka being able to escape countless clones as they pursued her in an attempt to bring her in.

Once she was truly on her own and acquitted of murder, though, Ahsoka managed to continue the work of a Jedi, meeting sisters Rafa and Trace and helping them as a true Jedi would. Even in light of all that Anakin would become, both the ability to survive and the commitment to helping others even when she was not a Jedi reveal Ahsoka’s similarities to Anakin. It was no doubt partially due to Anakin’s training that Ahsoka had the fortitude to survive on her own, and her desire to help is reminiscent of how Anakin once was, before his fall.

2 When She Survived Order 66

Ahsoka Was One Of Very Few To Survive—Because Of Anakin’s Training

Of course, one of Ahsoka’s most impressive feats was being one of the few survivors of Order 66, which Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi revealed was explicitly because of Anakin’s training. Although a brutal sequence even just to watch, Tales of the Jedi showed that Anakin put Ahsoka through extreme training, where multiple clones would shoot at her at once and she would have to block them. When she inevitably collapsed, Anakin would get her to come to, and they would begin again.

During Order 66, Ahsoka used this exact training to block the onslaught of blaster bolts from the clones attempting to execute her.

Admittedly, this seemed quite harsh, but this training is precisely what saved Ahsoka’s life. During Order 66, Ahsoka used this exact training to block the onslaught of blaster bolts from the clones attempting to execute her. In that sense, because Ahsoka was able to keep up with Anakin’s very rigorous training, she was a survivor.

1 When She Held Her Own Against Darth Maul

Ahsoka Wasn’t Even A Jedi When She Battled A Sith

Ahsoka’s ability to fight Darth Maul is the best proof that she was an excellent Padawan for Anakin Skywalker. Anakin himself had also gone toe-to-toe with a Sith as a Padawan, taking on Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones. However, Ahsoka’s fight with Darth Maul proved that she was downright masterful with a lightsaber, and she wasn’t even a Jedi at the time. Not all of Ahsoka’s accomplishments can be chalked up to Anakin, as she certainly had power in her own right; however, only such a powerful Padawan could have been Anakin’s.

In the end, this only makes Anakin’s fall and the conclusion of their master and apprentice relationship all the more painful. While Ahsoka did see the two reunited, it remains devastating to remember how close they were before Anakin turned to the dark side. Even so, though, Ahsoka Tano frequently proved to be the perfect Padawan for Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars, most of all when she was able to take on a Sith in battle.