Why Ahsoka’s Lekku Were Smaller On The Mandalorian
Ahsoka Tano had a significant difference in her character design when she went to live-action.
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Ahsoka Tano has become quite a popular character since her appearance in The Mandalorian. The Togruta Jedi made the transition from animated series to live-action and has seen a huge increase in fan appreciation. However, some fans have noticed that the character had to undergo a major change in her design when she made her jump into live-action.
One of the most striking parts of Ahsoka’s design and the Togruta race are what’s known as their montrals and their lekku. These prominent horns and “head-tails” were noticeably much longer and larger when Tano appeared in the animated series Star Wars Rebels. With the sizable change to her design, some fans have been wondering why the filmmakers behind The Mandalorian decided to make this alteration.
Character concept designer Brian Matyas was asked about this change to Ahsoka’s look and he responded to it on Twitter. you can check out that exchange right below, and Matyas reveals why they had to change the size and length of the montrals and lekku:
Yes, it’s simply that the actresses who were going to play Ahsoka – Rosario Dawson and the stunt performers who took on the role for certain scenes – were going to find themselves under a far more cumbersome piece of costuming if they tried to remain true to the animated version’s design. Considering how energetic we saw Tano be in the most recent episode of The Mandalorian, it is tough to imagine her being able to realistically perform as well with such large montrals and lekku on top of her head.
However, some fans still are not happy with the design decision. In that same Twitter thread, another user decided to post their own concept art that features Ahsoka with more Star Wars rebels accurate montrals and lekku:
Now, there is an argument to be made that Ahsoka could have had her montrals and lekku extended through digital effects. But, that would require an increase in effects work for a decision that is honestly pretty minimal. Having to animate those horns and head-tails for every scene with Tano would be time-consuming in the extreme, and likely very difficult for the scenes where the Jedi is engaging in a number of acrobatic fights. And any time that practical effects can be used instead of digital ones, the practical route should be taken.
In all honesty, these complaints about Ahsoka’s montrals and lekku feels like the worst kind of nitpicking from fans looking for something to hate. The team behind The Mandalorian did a fantastic job bringing the Togrua Jedi to life in live-action. Rosario Dawson embodied her character perfectly, and it is going to be great seeing where she is going to pop next in the Star Wars universe. Getting bent out of shape because her fantasy head adornments aren’t big enough is making a mountain out of a molehill. Just enjoy that the Star Wars universe is continuing to bring incredible things to life on the screen and leave it at that.
