Admiral Ackbar Returns for Fleet Battles in ‘Ahsoka’ Season 2 — Filoni and Favreau Tease a “War Movie Vibe” at Star Wars Celebration Japan

Fans attending Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025 at Makuhari Messe were treated to exciting news from Ahsoka showrunners Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau. In a special interview at the event, the two revealed that Ahsoka Season 2 will feature the return of a legendary character from the original trilogy: Admiral Ackbar.

Best known for his iconic line — “It’s a trap!” — in Return of the Jedi, Admiral Ackbar was the brilliant Mon Calamari commander who led the Rebel fleet during the Battle of Endor. Now, decades later, he’s set to return to the spotlight in the next chapter of Ahsoka, playing a central role in a large-scale space conflict.

Filoni explained why now was the right moment to reintroduce Ackbar.

“Ackbar fits perfectly into the timeline of the show,” he said. “In the Legends stories, he played a major role in the war between the New Republic and the remnants of the Empire. So this felt like the perfect time to bring him back.”

But Filoni was clear that simply bringing Ackbar back wasn’t enough. The team wanted to capture the essence of what made the character so memorable.

“What really mattered was whether we could make him feel like Ackbar,” Filoni continued. “That movement, the texture, the fluidity he had in Return of the Jedi—we’ve worked hard to bring that into live action again. And I’m very happy with how it’s turning out.”

Jon Favreau shared his excitement about Ackbar’s return — and even a personal connection.

“I’m all for bringing Ackbar back,” he said. “I used to have a dog named ‘Emerald Ackbar.’ My kids misheard me saying ‘Admiral Ackbar’ and called him that, so the name stuck. That’s how much I love the character.”

Ackbar won’t be the only high-ranking officer in the spotlight. He’ll face off against none other than Grand Admiral Thrawn, who made his live-action debut in Ahsoka Season 1, played by Lars Mikkelsen.

Thrawn, a blue-skinned, red-eyed strategist originally created by author Timothy Zahn, has become a fan-favorite villain. Though he started as a “Legends” character, Thrawn officially became canon through the animated series Star Wars Rebels, and now plays a major role in the live-action timeline.

Filoni shared what Thrawn meant to him personally.

“Thrawn was a symbol of hope for Star Wars storytelling when there wasn’t much new material coming out,” Filoni said. “Timothy Zahn’s novels reignited fans’ passion and showed that Star Wars could keep going. Thrawn was at the heart of that.”

Bringing Legends characters like Thrawn into canon is a careful process, Filoni and Favreau explained.

“We always ask ourselves: does this character need to be in live-action?” Filoni said. “We don’t do fan service for the sake of it. If it’s not the right choice, it can do more harm than good.”

Still, Filoni believes that bringing Thrawn into the show was the right move.

“Now that he’s back, he’s going to do what Thrawn does — cause chaos in the galaxy and try to restore the Empire. That’s who he is.”

Season 2 of Ahsoka is shaping up to be something big — literally. Filoni described the new season as having the feel of a classic war film.

“I see Season 2 like a war movie,” he said. “We’re drawing inspiration from epic films like Tora! Tora! Tora! and The Battle of the Bulge. Ackbar is going to be a key figure in a massive galactic fleet battle.”

Favreau added that one of the things that makes Star Wars so powerful is how it treats its strange, alien characters seriously.

“Even when a character seems bizarre or funny at first, in Star Wars they’re treated with full respect,” he said. “No one in the galaxy thinks Ackbar is weird. He just is. And that lets the audience care deeply about a fish-like alien fighting a blue-skinned admiral — that’s the power of the world George Lucas created.”

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