Admiral Ackbar Confirmed To Appear In Ahsoka Season 2, Will Go Head-To-Head Against Grand Admiral Thrawn

Ahsoka season 2 is set to feature a major original trilogy character going head-to-head with Grand Admiral Thrawn: Admiral Ackbar. The ending of Ahsoka season 1 left many wanting for a continuation, which Dave Filoni has been hard at work on. At Star Wars Celebration 2025’s panel celebrating Ahsoka, Filoni offered several hints about what to expect, despite filming not beginning until a week later. Be it the confirmation of Rory McCann’s recasting as Baylan Skoll or the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka season 2’s cast is being teased.

At Star Wars Celebration 2025, which Screen Rant attended, the Ahsoka season 2 panel also confirmed the return of a beloved original trilogy Star Wars character known for his iconic “It’s a trap!” line: Admiral Ackbar. In Ahsoka season 2, Admiral Ackbar, likely now a representative of the New Republic, is expected to spearhead the battle against a resurgent Grand Admiral Thrawn​​​​​​, according to Filoni. Exactly how big a role Ackbar will play beyond this is unclear, yet Ahsoka season 2 will bring back to iconic hero to combat the rising Imperial threat in Star Wars‘ New Republic era.

Admiral Ackbar Versus Grand Admiral Thrawn Is An Iconic Match-Up

The Two Admirals Have Begrudging Respect For One Another

This news about Ahsoka season 2 is not only exciting due to the return of an iconic Star Wars character, but also what it adapts from the now-Star Wars Legends stories about Thrawn’s return. Ahsoka season 2, and the rest of the New Republic timeline focusing on Imperial remnants, is based on Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire books. In these stories, Thrawn returned to carry on the Empire’s legacy after the original trilogy, clashing with the heroes of the New Republic like Luke Skywalker.

Beyond the Jedi, though, Admiral Ackbar put up one heck of a fight against Grand Admiral Thrawn in these original books. Despite Star Wars canon’s various changes to Thrawn’s resurgent storyline, it seems Filoni wished to carry over this element in Ahsoka season 2. Thrawn respected Ackbar in the Legends books, which will hopefully be depicted in Ahsoka season 2’s story. Excitingly, the iconic match-up is making its way to Star Wars canon, with Filoni describing their face-off as a “head-to-head.”

Our Take On Admiral Ackbar’s Return

Ackbar Gets A New Chance To Shine

With Ackbar’s return in Ahsoka season 2, there is lots to be excited for. For one, the inclusion proves how big a threat Thrawn will pose to the core Star Wars galaxy. Ezra Bridger and Hera Syndulla will likely team-up with Ackbar and the other representatives of the New Republic’s military to face-off with Thrawn, escalating the conflict that was only teased in Ahsoka season 2. Moreover, it gives Ackbar a chance to shine in a way he has not gotten to since the original trilogy.

Although I am someone who loves Star Wars: The Last Jedi, his unceremonious death in that movie was certainly disappointing. Now, though, this blow could be lessened by giving Ackbar an integral role in the fight against Thrawn. Yes, he may be known for his iconic “It’s a trap!” line in Return of the Jedi, but there is no denying his military prowess has not been shown to its fullest extent on screen. That said, an adversary like Grand Admiral Thrawn is sure to bring that out of Admiral Ackbar, which Ahsoka season 2 looks set to showcase in a big way.