Star Wars: The Clone Wars is doing more than introducing the names Obi-Wan and Skywalker to a new generation. It’s also bringing several new female role models into the Star Wars universe. Until the series, we’ve really only had Leia and Padmé on screen. Some other women have made appearances or even had small roles in the films, but The Clone Wars lets them have plenty of screen time.
Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan is Ahsoka Tano. She’s as stubborn as Anakin, and more than one episode has centered solely on her. The show is nearing the end of its third season, and Ahsoka has matured a lot in that time. She’s always been tough and skilled with a lightsaber, but as she grows up, she’s forced make decisions with wide-reaching implications. She’s come into her own. Besides the young Togruta, viewers can also look up to Jedis Aayla Secura, Barriss Offee, Shaak Ti, and Luminara Unduli. Outside of the Temple, there are senators like Padmé Amidala and leaders like Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore. You can’t discount bounty hunter Aurra Sing or Sith apprentice Asajj Ventress either. Those two may be evil, but they are forces to be reckoned with. They all are. They each have exceptional intelligence and for the most part, they have the strength and dexterity to match it.
I don’t even think I’ve listed all of the influential women in the series. That’s an accomplishment for a film that only featured one female prominently in its three original installments. Fans have responded positively to many of these characters in Expanded Universe stories, so I think it was a given to include them in the television show. Plus, it’s nice to see some balance. I always knew that there were kick-butt women wielding lightsabers. Now, kids get to see that every week. Young girls see that every week. They know the Force is with them, too.
