The Future Is Here
We may earn a commission from links on this page

Dave Filoni Sees Hera Syndulla as Thrawn's Ultimate Foe

The Imperial mastermind returned on Star Wars: Ahsoka and now we might know what's next for him and the show.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera on Ahsoka.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera on Ahsoka.
Image: Lucasfilm

A second season of Ahsoka hasn’t been officially announced yet, but showrunner Dave Filoni has begun to share some of its possibilities.

The first season of the Disney+ Star Wars show ended with Grand Admiral Thrawn escaping a new galaxy far, far, away and returning to the prime Star Wars galaxy, leaving Ahsoka, Sabine, and a few dark siders behind. Stowed upon Thrawn’s ship though, and making the return with him, was long-time adversary Ezra Bridger. Then, in the show’s final moments, Bridger reunited with Hera Syndulla, a character he’s long considered almost a mother figure. Hera and Ezra being in the same galaxy as Thrawn, but not Sabine and Ahsoka, may have on the surface seemed like an issue—but in a new interview, Filoni mentions Hera, not Ahsoka, as Thrawn’s true adversary.

Advertisement

“[Thrawn’s] foil throughout Rebels was Hera,” Filoni told Empire. “Pitting the two generals against one another is something that I find interesting.” Filoni also mentioned another character he’d like to see with Thrawn. “We set up Captain Pellaeon in The Mandalorian, and that’s a character that goes with Thrawn, so I’d love to see the two of them together,” he said.

Advertisement

Here’s some good news for you Star Wars fans out there. Filoni saying that he finds the Hera and Thrawn dynamic “interesting” and that he’s hoping to see Pellaeon and Thrawn together is as good as an admission. He is, after all, not just the showrunner, writer, producer, and sometimes director of the show, he’s now the Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm. If he thinks something is interesting or he’d like to see it happen, he’s literally the person who can do that.

Advertisement

Plus, just from a story standpoint, it makes a lot of sense. Assuming Ahsoka season two does happen, Hera and Ezra battling Thrawn and Pellaeon in a main galaxy along with our well-known heroes, while Ahsoka, Sabine, Shin Hati, and Baylan Skoll are off doing weird Force shit so far away there’s no possible way they can come back and join that fight, is a clean way to separate the two. Then, maybe, they come together at the end of the season or in a movie—but each set of characters gets to explore their stories independently.

When might this happen? Well, that’s the issue. Even if Ahsoka season two was announced today—which it won’t be—2024 will only be bringing The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew, leaving 2025 for Andor season two and, maybe, The Mandalorian season four. Audiences might not see Ahsoka, Thrawn, and the crew again until 2026.

Advertisement

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.