Fans of the jedi’s character in ‘The Clone Wars’ animated series are puzzled at her shortened head-tails in the live-action series, but the change is for good reason.
Ahsoka Tano’s highly anticipated appearance in Chapter 13: The Jedi of The Mandalorian was not her first foray onto the small screen. The badass orange jedi’s animated form can be found in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Star Wars Rebels. Throughout both 2D series, Tano’s head-tails, also referred to as montrals and lekku, grew longer as she aged.
In her live-action debut, however, her lekku were short once again despite the time that had passed in her previously established timeline. This has confused die-hard fans that have followed her journey. But, the change is for very practical reasons.
Thankfully, Tano’s concept designer Brian Matyas took to Twitter to explain the confusion. Jack Kennedy asked, “Can you share at all the conversations you had regarding the size of her montrals/lekku? Theres some confusion among fans as they were much bigger in Rebels around this same time period. Figured it was just impractical for the actors but wondering if there's anything else to it?” Matyas briefly replied, “Yea pretty much that was the chief concern. From animation to live-action I did a ton of design exploration for her and their appropriate size for the actor with consideration for stunts and movement. I'm sure I'll get to discuss at greater length in the near future!”
Yea pretty much that was the chief concern. From animation to live action I did a ton of design exploration for her and their appropriate size for the actor with consideration for stunts and movement. I'm sure I'll get to discuss at greater length in the near future!
— Brian Matyas (@brianmatyasart) November 27, 2020
There you have it! Larger head accoutrement could have affected Rosario Dawson’s movements during combat. If Tano’s appearance remains a problem, they can always digitally alter her lekku with CGI just like that time they completely erased the Jeans Guy.