Ahsoka, the newest Star Wars series on Disney+, is so thoroughly Star Wars. It’s got lightsabers, space battles, sassy droids, bureaucratic bickering, head tentacles, and training scenes. And just like pretty much every other Star Wars anything, from movies to cartoons to TV dramas, Ahsoka will leave you with lots of questions about when precisely all of this action is taking place.
Star Wars has never been one for linear storytelling. Remember how the very first movie was actually the fourth in a series of movies, but that first trilogy wouldn’t debut for another 22 years? And even then, the Star Wars franchise has stuffed a few more movies and TV shows in between the chapters of that trilogy. The Star Wars universe is ever-expanding, and that’s both why we love it and why we’re constantly confused by it.
When it comes to Ahsoka, we’re already having to deal with information overload (another hallmark of Star Wars storytelling) trying to keep up with the characters and plot. It’s very easy to forget where we are in the grand scheme of things with all the dogfights and interpersonal drama. That’s where we come in! Or, rather, that’s where Decider’s Star Wars timeline comes in. But if you’re looking for something more Ahsoka-focused, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading to learn more about where Ahsoka takes place in the Star Wars timeline.
Let’s start by defining the Star Wars timeline. Everything in the Star Wars universe is measured against the original Star Wars film from 1977. That movie ended with the destruction of the Death Star at the Battle of Yavin. Because of that Star Wars: A New Hope takes place in 0 BBY/ABY; BBY means “before the Battle of Yavin” and ABY means “after the battle of Yavin.” Got it?
Ahsoka takes place 5 years after the events of Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi. It takes place in the same time period as The Mandalorian (where Ahsoka made her live-action debut in Season 2) and The Book of Boba Fett. In fact, it’s likely that Ahsoka takes place concurrently with The Book of Boba Fett, considering that the premiere episode of Ahsoka seems to pick up where her Season 2 Mandalorian episode “The Jedi” left off.
So just to put all that in order…
To be clear, it is entirely possible that The Mandalorian or even Ahsoka has progressed to 10 ABY or even 11 ABY. Lucasfilm hasn’t gone into that much detail about this part of the timeline just yet. The important thing to know is that all of these shows, Mando and Boba and Ahsoka, are happening more or less at once.
Oh yeah — Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) shows up in this week’s Ahsoka. We last saw her in Andor in the Fall of 2022. How much time has passed since the events of Andor Season 1? A lot more than you might think! Andor Season 1 actually takes place 9 years before Return of the Jedi, which means that 14 years have passed between Andor Season 1 and Ahsoka. To put all that in order…
Ahsoka continues events that started in the animated series Star Wars Rebels. So, how much time has passed between then and now? Actually, Star Wars Rebels Season 1 takes place concurrently with Andor Season 1, as both shows tell the story of how the Rebel Alliance was forged. And Rebels runs all the way up to the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, so it ends in 0 BBY/0 ABY. Let’s add that into our mini-timeline here, along with the other original trilogy movies.
There is still one other Star Wars live-action show left, and while it doesn’t really connect to Ahsoka as directly as Andor or Rebels or The Mandalorian, we might as well toss it into the timeline too. After all, we fully expect Anakin Skywalker to show up in Ahsoka at some point.
And here’s the whole space enchilada:
All this talk of timelines might have you wondering how old all these characters are supposed to be, especially since some of their appearances have decades between them.
Got it? Now, carry this information with you as you continue your journey even deeper into the Star Wars canon. New episodes of Ahsoka premiere on Tuesday evenings at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+.