Anna Daniels
Tano is one of the more complex (and badass) characters in all of Star Wars lore, being a Force user and ex-Padawan who is not, in fact, a Jedi Knight. As seen in Clone Wars (which is not technically canon, having been created before Lucasfilm was purchased by Disney), she was the Padawan learner of Anakin Skywalker, assigned to him by none other than Master Yoda himself. The two went on many adventures together despite frequently butting heads, the result of a touch of hotheadedness on the part of them both.
The key event in the life of Tano: the bombing of the Jedi Temple, for which she was framed and cast out of the Jedi Order. Although Anakin eventually cleared her name, Tano declined an offer to rejoin the Order, instead striking out on her own path. The character was noteworthy for being a strong female presence in Star Wars before Rey was even a twinkle in Mickey Mouse — er, J.J. Abrams’ eye, and for serving as an excellent foil for Anakin over the course of Clone Wars‘ run.
The character resurfaced in the Disney XD animated series Star Wars Rebels, cementing her place in the franchise’s post-Disney canon and adding an interesting new wrinkle to her characterization. She is the only Force user known to wield a white lightsaber, which she chose specifically to broadcast her non-affiliation with the Jedi or the Sith.
While Tano’s Rise of Skywalker cameo seemed to suggest that there might be a place for the character in future Star Wars films, it’s important to note that the “voices of Jedi past” all had one important thing in common: they belong to characters who are, you know, dead. This implies that at some point between the events of Rebels (which takes place five years before the original trilogy) and Rise of Skywalker, Tano must have met her end… although, as we know, nobody’s ever really gone.
Perhaps super-producer Kevin Feige, who oversees the Marvel Cinematic Universe and who has been tasked with producing at least one future Star Wars flick, will do what he does best and find an awesome way to include the character that tons of fans want to see in the feature that he has cooking. For now, though, said fans will just have to be content with knowing that Tano actually existed in the main Star Wars continuity; heck, for all we know, it was her vibrant, rebellious energy that gave Rey that last little push that she needed to rise up and defeat Emperor Palpatine once and for all. You know what? Until somebody tells us otherwise, we’re going to go ahead and roll with that.
Written by: Looper
