https://blackgirlnerds.com/how-ahsoka-tano-taught-me-lessons-i-didnt-know-i-needed-to-learn/

To be completely transparent, I am not a Star Wars fan. Therefore, I’m not writing for people who can quote Luke Skywalker and have stormtrooper paraphernalia. I’m writing this article for women like me who have admired and needed strong female leads.

Although I’m not a fan of the franchise, that’s not to say that I won’t one day give it a chance and admire Anakin Skywalker like everyone else. However, for the sake of this article, I want to focus on Rosario Dawson’s character, Ahsoka Tano.

After all, she is why I continued watching the show, which just finished its first season that streamed on Disney+. Even though I only understood half of each character’s complex backstories in the first few episodes, I didn’t switch to another series. Ahsoka captured my attention and solidified my commitment to the show. 

Ahsoka was a character I knew very little about. I still don’t know if what is attached to her head is hair or an extra body part. Yet I was amazed by her talents. She wielded two lightsabers and destroyed her opponents with them. She is a multi-layered heroine who taught me about life and how to navigate through life’s challenges with grace and skill. 

Here are the lessons I took away from watching Ahsoka, and here’s why I think every woman should embody parts of this character.

Before you read on, there are some spoilers, so I continue at your own risk.

How to be a respectable rebel

I don’t know how often her robot partner, Huyang, told her she wasn’t following Jedi protocol. Yet she knew that sometimes following pre-dated regulations doesn’t always lead to the best outcome.

While she bent the rules occasionally, she still respected what it meant to be a Jedi. She trained, and she honored her teachings from her master. When she fought against her master, Anakin, she put up a good fight. Yet she respectfully disobeyed yet defeated Anakin during their fight sequence.

Life isn’t black and white. Often, rules are set to help us; sometimes, as women, we must live by our own rules and honor who we are. 

It’s okay to show both my hard and soft sides

As a Jedi, she is an exceptional fighter. Robots, stormtroopers, a powerful witch, you throw almost any opponent at her, and she can defeat them. The execution of these fight scenes is something I enjoy about the show. The way Ahsoka gracefully and fiercely maneuvered her lightsaber made me question why there’s the expression “you hit like a girl.”

Despite her toughness, her soft side came out when she wasn’t in fighter mode. Her words were often soft-spoken and chosen carefully. She was thoughtful and curious. 

Ahsoka’s actions are great reminders that women must be tough, but showing our soft side doesn’t mean we are weak. Yet if someone mistakes softness for weakness, like Ahsoka, it’s okay to show off some ass-kicking moves.

The importance of forgiveness and compassion

The show exhibited many disappointing moments between Ahsoka and her former apprentice, Sabine Wren. I know that Ahsoka was especially disappointed when Sabine went willingly with the enemy. Heck, I was mad at Sabine for giving up so easily.

Yet, as disappointing as the situation was, Ahsoka looked past it. She never questioned Sabine on why she did what she did. She didn’t scold her for her decisions. Instead, Ahsoka showed Sabine compassion, just as her master showed her. 

These scenes were great reminders that even when the ones we care about may frustrate us, showing them compassion is essential. 

The value of hard work and dedication

Ahsoka did not have a day off. When she wasn’t trying to get ahead of her enemy’s plans, she was training, meditating, and always staying on top of her game.

Thanks to Ahsoka, I’ll be hitting the gym more often. However, besides staying physically fit, I was reminded that it’s important to stay mentally fit. When you’re mentally strong, you leverage more power than with physical strength alone. No, I’m not talking about wielding the force.

Mental strength means having a clear mind to make the best decisions. Ahsoka taught me that life doesn’t always get easier, but I can overcome challenges with the right training. 

Whether we are a mentor or a mentee, we are all learning from each other 

Throughout the series, the theme of master and apprentice is seen with Ahsoka and Sabine, the crazy old guy, and the feisty blonde girl, Ahsoka and Anakin. There was always one person whose role was to listen to and follow the lead of the other. However, Ahsoka showed me that relationships are bi-lateral.

Although in a mentorship, one person is more skilled than the other and has knowledge and wisdom to bestow on the other, that doesn’t mean the teaching goes one way.

I watched Ahsoka be distrusting, doubtful, and perhaps even a little upset at her former apprentice. But in the end, she learned to trust her, even when she made decisions she disagreed with. 

Relationships, whether master and apprentice, best friends, parents, and children, aren’t always about what one person can teach the other. They are about how each other can grow from the relationship itself. 

The importance of trusting myself

During one episode, Ahsoka somehow communicated with a space whale and convinced it to carry her and her ship inside the whale’s mouth to another galaxy. It was quite the plot twist for me. What I admired at that moment was how calm she was in uncertainty. She had no way of knowing how things were going to turn out. When basic logic and Huyang dictated that something could go wrong, she trusted her instinct. 

In those moments of uncertainty, it wasn’t about making the right decision. Instead, Ahsoka focused on trusting that she could handle the outcome no matter where life led her.

Life is uncertain, and most of us, especially myself, often want some guarantee of a positive outcome. Someone, please tell me if I take this risk, everything will work out okay. Yet, instead of needing outside confirmation that I’ll be okay, I can take a page from Ahsoka and trust myself. I can remind myself that despite the outcome, I will be okay. 

Embraces new beginnings

Ultimately, Ahsoka became stranded in some random galaxy that looks like a desert wasteland. Instead of regretting her decision and trying to restrategize, she accepted that she was where she was supposed to be. 

Her peaceful acceptance reminded me that new beginnings aren’t always bad; instead, they are opportunities.