Ahsoka Tano is a Force-sensitive character in the Star Wars universe that was once a padawan to Anakin Skywalker. She is a phenomenal fighter, and although she never officially became a Jedi, Ahsoka is incredibly well-trained. One thing that seems to interest fans a lot is Ahsoka’s markings on her face. So, what are those markings, and what do they mean?
Ahsoka Tano’s markings on her face are a natural pattern that her species have. Ahsoka is a Togruta, born on the planet of Shili, and they all have markings on their faces, as well as their montrals (head protrusions) and lekku (head tails). They don’t really have a meaning, though – they are a natural occurrence among the Togrutas.
Now, if you followed Ahsoka Tano through different Star Wars shows and series, you might’ve noticed that the pattern of the markings on her face changed over time. If you want to learn more about Ahsoka’s face and head marking and her species in general, keep reading this article.
Who is Ahsoka Tano?
If you only watched the Star Wars movies and haven’t really dove into the expanded universe with TV shows, comics, and graphic novels, you might not be acquainted with Ahsoka Tano as a character. On that note, let’s briefly go over who the character is and why she is actually very important to the Star Wars lore.
Ahsoka Tano belongs to an alien species known as Togrutas. She was born on the planet of Shili but was soon discovered by Jedi Master Plo Koon due to her Force sensitivity and taken to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to receive training. That’s where she was eventually raised.
After her arrival, Jedi Grand Master Yoda assigned Ahsoka to become the padawan of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. It wasn’t standard practice for Jedi Knights to have padawans until they became Masters themselves, but Yoda thought Anakin was ready.
Their relationship was somewhat rocky initially, as both Ahsoka and Anakin had strong personalities. Soon, Anakin nicknamed Tano Snips due to her constant ‘snipping’ back at him. They grew closer over time and completed several missions together before Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side.
Soon after, Ahsoka left the Jedi Temple and then helped establish a network of numerous rebel cells fighting against the Galactic Empire. We saw her in The Mandalorian Season 2 when Din Djarin found her, asking her to train the Child. She told Mando that the Child’s real name was Grogu (not baby Yoda, guys).
Why does Ahsoka Tano have markings on her face?
Seeing that Ahsoka Tano has very visible markings on her face that aren’t really common among Star Wars characters and species, fans started to wonder why she has them in the first place.
Well, the answer is actually much simpler than you would think. Ahsoka has markings on her face because it’s a part of her species’ biology.
Ahsoka is a Togruta, an alien species from the planet of Shili, and they all have markings on their face. Their skin color varies from blue to red, green, or orange. Ahsoka’s skin color is orange, with white and light blue markings on her face.
The Togrutas also have other distinct features, such as montrals and lekku – the two being connected to one another. Montrals are head protrusions, and lekku are the head tails that all Togrutas have. That’s right – Ahsoka doesn’t wear a funny hat; it’s actually a part of her physiology.
The montrals and lekku are also of a different color from the rest of a Togruta’s skin. Ahsoka’s match the color of her facial markings, which is white and blue.
Essentially, Ahsoka has the markings on her face simply because it’s a part of her species’ biology – kind of like a tiger’s stripes. They aren’t symbols of any kind, as one might think. If anything, Ahsoka’s markings are quite subtle compared to some other members of her species.
Apart from their face and head, it seems that the Togrutas don’t have markings anywhere else on their bodies. Their skin colors vary, but there are no colorations or discolorations anywhere other than their heads and faces – at least as far as we’ve ever seen.
What do the markings on Ahsoka Tano’s face mean?
You might’ve noticed that the markings on Tano’s face change over time from Star Wars: Clone Wars to The Mandalorian and other shows where Ahsoka Tano appeared. So, what does that mean?
As we already established, the markings are a normal, unique physiological trait of her species that doesn’t carry any symbolic meaning. The markings may change as they age, similar to a tiger’s fur pattern changing slightly over the years.
Now, they don’t necessarily have a symbolic meaning, but perhaps the markings on a Togruta’s head and face have a purpose. Other species in the Star Wars lore – namely the Dathomirian Zabraks like Darth Maul and Savage Opress – have also developed blotted skin markings.
Their markings were likely an evolutionary trait to camouflage themselves to hide from the dangerous flora and fauna of their planet, Zabrak.
Perhaps the Togrutas developed their markings for a similar reason – to camouflage themselves into the environment on Shili easier. It is an unconfirmed theory, though, and it could just be a physiological trait with no particular meaning or purpose.
