“Star Wars” fans who have also dived deep into the mythology beyond the movies have certainly heard of the Loth wolves. Now they are to make their live-action debut in “Ahoska”. We also have an anime classic to thank for that.
The giant Loth wolves are, in the opinion of the author of these lines, among the most fascinating creatures in the “Star Wars” universe. They are arguably highly intelligent and closely connected to the Force – and they were thought to be extinct, having been seen almost only on cave paintings until now, such as at the entrance to an ancient Jedi temple. But in the animated series “Star Wars Rebels”, Ezra Bridger and co. come across several still-living wolves. They even help Ezra get to the “World Between Worlds”, a special place of the Force that exists completely detached from space and time. In the animated series, we also see how strong they are in battle.
This is how they became favourites among fans of the saga. When the most popular creatures from “Star Wars Rebels” were chosen in a poll on StarWars.com in 2017, they landed in first place by a wide margin and with almost half of all votes. Now they are set to make their live-action debut as well.
hello?!-today is my two year anniversary of starting star wars rebels!!!
this show is so important to me. it’s silly and raw in the same breath, it’s coming home to a family you didn’t know you had. and i’m so grateful for this story starwars <33 pic.twitter.com/uUwV4RRWiF
– kris ✧ (@eveningjedi) January 14, 2023
As reported by the usually very well-informed insiders of Makingstarwars.net, they were able to confirm that in the upcoming Disney Plus series “Ahsoka” the title heroine, once again embodied by Rosario Dawson as in “The Mandalorian”, will ride such a loth-wolf. In the course of the production, horses were also used to act as doubles for the giant wolves. There will also be action scenes involving Ahsoka and her mount.
But it is likely that computers will have to be used. According to the major canon encyclopaedia “Star Wars: The Ultimate Book”, Loth wolves average 2.60 metres in height and almost six metres in length. They thus clearly tower over horses, as the above picture should also illustrate.
The direwolves from “Game Of Thrones” also look tiny in comparison and can certainly pack up immediately in a fictional direct duel. They’re probably only about half the size of their “Star Wars” counterparts (and sorry, as much as we love Ghost, only half as intelligent).
AHSOKA ON A WOLF: ANIME MASTERPIECE “PRINCESS MONONOKE” SENDS HER REGARDS
That at least one Loth wolf appears in “Ahsoka” makes perfect sense. The creatures were invented by Dave Filoni, who is now also the mastermind behind the “Ahsoka” series. We last saw the animals in connection with the disappearance of Ezra Bridger. The series will be about Ahsoka searching for just that. But there is another connection that involves the anime masterpiece “Princess Mononoke”:
When George Lucas set out to make “The Clone Wars” series, anime was a very big influence. Filoni, who made the series for him, used a lot of anime. In 2016, he revealed at Star Wars Celebration Europe that Ahsoka Tano’s template came from the anime “Princess Mononoke”. The main character San from the classic by Hayao Miyazaki inspired him to create Tano. Both characters have a few things in common – and anyone who has seen “Princess Mononoke” knows what San’s mount is: a giant wolf!
The MAJESTIC dire wolf has finally arrived in Star Wars: Rebels…. pic.twitter.com/Lg3phTjMGw
– ER Sawyíe (@Sawyieee) October 24, 2017
What now remains to be seen with excitement is how the implementation in “Ahsoka” turned out. We will have to be patient a little longer. Currently, “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” is still running on Disney+, after which it will continue with “The Mandalorian”, before “Ahsoka” will probably follow in summer 2023.
