Why Ahsoka should add this beloved Star Wars animated character
Ahsoka has been a good show so far, adding more to the Star Wars lore and bringing back some beloved characters from the animated series. However, there's some hope that one notable past animated face could join in the live-action fun and make this Star Wars show even better.
One of the best things about the live-action Star Wars series has been seeing some popular animated characters come to live-action. It started with The Mandalorian as Katee Sackhoff reprised her Clone Wars role of Mandalorian warrior Bo-Katan. That led to Rosario Dawson playing the grown Ahsoka Tano in a fine job.
The Mandalorian also had the grand return of Boba Fett, the bounty hunter once more played by Temuera Morrison and got his own spin-off. A major highlight of that was the unexpected appearance of Clone Wars' recurring bounty hunter villain Cad Bane.
The Rebels show is being well-represented as pilot Zeb made a cameo in The Mandalorian Season 3. Besides Ahsoka, the series has also shown Hera and Sabine and even some appearances, such as Clancy Brown reprising his role as Ryder Azadi. And, of course, the series will soon have the return of the infamous Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn.
However, one past animated face could be a fantastic spark to Ahsoka: Hondo Ohnaka.
Who is Hondo?
Appearing in The Clone Wars series, Hondo Ohnaka describes himself as "a simple businessman." A more accurate description would be thief, smuggler, con artist, and pirate. The Weequay is notable for his style with huge goggles and pirate-like clothing, always about the money and little qualms stabbing someone in the back.
But the man's nice humor and charm won over fans, leading to him making several more appearances over the series. Rebels showed Hondo still up to his old tricks in handling life under the Empire, and while it's impossible to trust him, his (slight) code of ethics does keep him from being a villain.
A Hondo appearance on Ahsoka would be terrific to show he's still up to his old games under the New Republic. He might be selling himself as a "legit" businessman, but Ahsoka would see through it fast yet need him for information. Not to mention the sheer joy of seeing Hondo bantering with her again.
This would work well since Hondo is a key part of the Smugglers' Run attraction, showing he's still alive in the era of the later movies. Finding the right actor could be key, although having Jim Cummings somehow playing the role in live-action as well as voice would be amazing.
So far, there's no hint Hondo may appear in Ahsoka, but then, they kept the Cad Bane and other cameos secret until they aired. It would be a huge boost to Ahsoka for another popular animated Star Wars face to make the jump into live-action and delight fans.
Ahsoka is now streaming on Disney+.