Posted by Chuck | January 15, 2009 at 10:46 AM ET
Jedi Aayla Secura Makes Her Series Debut
Jedi General Aayla Secura makes her series debut in “Jedi Crash,” an all-new episode of the animated hit STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS that premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT Friday, Jan. 16, on Cartoon Network.
When Anakin is gravely injured in battle, General Secura must teach Ahsoka the Jedi philosophy of having no personal attachments, even as they brave an unfamiliar planet in search of medical help for their stricken leader.
A Twi’lek Jedi Knight, Aayla Secura first appeared in Dark Horse Comics’ “Star Wars: Republic” series, and most famously made brief but memorable appearances in both Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. But before this episode of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, she never had a speaking role.
“This was our opportunity to really find out what she was like,” says supervising director Dave Filoni. “When we were developing her, the original concept for her voice was street tough and recognizably American. Then we hit on the idea of giving her more of a French accent, and that really helped us define her personality. Jennifer Hale does a great job voicing Aayla, adding new dimensions to the character and making her into something like a tough, older sister to Ahsoka.”
He says Secura understands Ahsoka’s difficult position, but also wants Anakin’s Padawan to recognize the importance of the Jedi philosophy toward personal attachments. “She realizes Ahsoka cares for Anakin, but she takes an approach that’s almost like, ‘I don’t have time for these emotions, kid.’
“Jedi have a range of personalities and attitudes, and she’s very different from Kit Fisto and Anakin Skywalker. That’s such a huge aspect of this series,” Filoni says. “We are able to fully realize these characters as walking, talking individuals with great and different personalities, to show the entire galaxy of Jedi.”
Ahsoka Tano (left) and Jedi General Aayla Secura come
to the aid of a gravely injured Anakin Skywalker in “Jedi Crash,” an
all-new episode of STAR WARS:
THE CLONE WARS premiering at 9 p.m. ET/PT Friday, Jan. 16, on Cartoon Network.
The bond between Anakin and Ahsoka grows stronger
As Jedi Master and Padawan, the relationship between Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano is central to STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS – and it faces a difficult test.
With Anakin suffering from life-threatening injuries, Ahsoka needs to find medical aid for him on an unfamiliar planet. The task leads her to a village populated by friendly but devoutly pacifistic creatures. As she implores them for help, Ahsoka finds she needs to practice the Jedi philosophy that prohibits personal attachments.
The episode not only introduces a brand-new race of characters to the Star Wars galaxy – the Lurmen – but also brings a new dimension to the bond between Anakin and Ahsoka. Their relationship is one that Ashley Eckstein, who voices the young Padawan, says she understands.
“I wanted to be just like my big brother when I was growing up, and I really was just like Ahsoka – I was such a tomboy,” Eckstein recalls. She says she recalls remembers “playing Star Wars” with her brother in their living room. Back then, she took the role of R2-D2 to her brother’s C-3PO, and Eckstein says their relationship helped her define Ahsoka’s interactions with her Jedi master.
“I was the only girl on the baseball team and proud of it,” she says. “I may not have been the best hitter or the best fielder, but I was the fastest runner, and I would outrun any boy on the field. I was close in age with my brother, and we played in the same league, but my mom insisted that we not be on the same team because she wanted that sense of competitiveness, and she wanted me to be able to flourish in my own light and not be in my brother’s shadow.”
It’s a challenge similar to the one Ahsoka faces, particularly since Anakin accepted her only begrudgingly. “Being a girl, and a younger sister, made me strive that much harder because I wanted to prove to my brother that I could hang with him and his friends. I really loved having an older brother, learning from him and kind of being his Padawan, in a sense.”
While STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS is packed with thrills and action, Eckstein is most enthusiastic about the series’ exploration of her character’s emotions and humanity. She says Anakin and Ahsoka’s relationship helps form the emotional core of the series.
“There are some really touching moments in the series between Anakin and Ahsoka, and you definitely see their relationship grow and mature,” Eckstein says. “In the beginning of the series, they’re still learning about each other. But as the battles go on and they go through all these trials and tribulations, their relationship just grows and blossoms. They learn a lot from each other.”
Ahsoka Tano (left) keeps watch over a wounded Anakin Skywalker.
-Click HERE to return to the home page-