Natalie Portman as Padmé sitting on her throne in 'The Phantom Menace'
(20th Century Fox)

‘Anakin, you’re breaking my heart’: A ‘Star Wars’ icon may return to the universe in ‘Ahsoka’ season 2, but should she?

Dave Filoni’s Mandoverse is all about bringing the nostalgia factor, and if this Ahsoka season 2 report is true, it might just be his most obvious (and unnecessary) “member berry” yet.

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Remember Jar-Jar Binks? And Darth Maul? Oh, or what about The Clone Wars? Look, I love the Star Wars universe as much as the next guy, but even I can admit that the constant throwbacks to the days of Skywalker past are getting, perhaps, a bit excessive. So if these new Ahsoka season 2 rumors have any validity to them, I fear that Star Wars might never learn from its mistakes.

Conflicting reports about Natalie Portman’s return as Padmé Amidala

There’s been a lot of speculation surrounding Ahsoka season 2 since the Rosario Dawson-helmed spinoff wrapped up its first season in October 2023. For one, the tragic passing of Baylan Skoll actor Ray Stevenson led many to wonder if the character would be recast (it’s since been confirmed that Game of Thrones vet Rory McCann will take on the role). There’s also the matter of Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), whose live-action introduction sets the stage for Filoni’s Mandoverse crossover movie. How Ahsoka will lead us to that point remains a mystery, but apparently, it has to do with … the prequels?

According to Hollywood scooper Kristian Harloff, Natalie Portman is “close” to signing a deal with Lucasfilm to reprise her role as Padmé Amidala for what we can only assume is a cameo in Ahsoka season 2. Although the prospect of seeing Portman return to the galaxy far, far away 20 years after the release of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith came as somewhat of a surprise to fans, it’s not like Ahsoka hasn’t already pulled this card; Hayden Christensen appeared as Clone Wars-era Anakin Skywalker for the season 1 episode “Shadow Warrior,” and again as a Force ghost in the finale.

I say “conflicting” here because Star Wars insider Star Wars News Net has since countered the claim that Portman would appear in the new season of Ahsoka. “We don’t have any details to add but as of today, Natalie Portman is not in negotiations to return to Ahsoka season 2,” the outlet wrote.

Just because Padmé could play a role in Ahsoka, doesn’t mean she should

“The World Between Worlds,” a sort of liminal space first introduced in Star Wars Rebels, means pretty much anything is fair game. Ahsoka has already encountered one figure from her past in this mysterious realm, so maybe she’ll bump into her old friend Padmé, right? After all, Ewan McGregor is reportedly full-steam ahead on his return to Star Wars in Ahsoka season 2 as Obi-Wan Kenobi, so why not complete the prequels trio?

Still, I can’t help but feel like Star Wars is doing audiences a disservice by resurrecting these characters. Let Padmé rest! We don’t need to be spoon-fed answers. Any Star Wars fan worth their $700 Funko Pop collection can infer what happened to Padmé’s immortal soul after she died in Revenge of the Sith, whether through the comics, novels, or straight-up imagination. I don’t need to see Anakin and Padmé reconcile in the afterlife; I just want to see Ahsoka, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison), and our other faves from Rebels fight Thrawn, dammit.

At the same time, I am nothing if not a Clone Wars stan. Ahsoka and Padmé did share a close friendship during the war, with the former even attending Padmé’s funeral on Naboo post-Order 66, as seen in Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. Because of this, I do feel like the Ahsoka show needs to at least mention the Padmé of it all—she’s such a great character who didn’t get a very satisfying ending, IMO. My demand is this: if Padmé returns, it has to make sense. She wasn’t a Jedi, so does that rule out a reunion in the World Between Worlds? Or if we’re getting another Clone Wars flashback, what purpose will Padmé serve in driving Ahsoka’s story?

In any case, I’m extremely curious to see which familiar faces we’ll see when Ahsoka season 2 lands on Disney+ in (presumably) 2026.


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Image of Amanda Landwehr
Amanda Landwehr
Amanda is a Los Angeles-based entertainment writer who lives and breathes Star Wars, Marvel, and all things pop culture. She has worked in digital media since 2021, covering the latest movie/TV releases, casting updates, politics, fan theories, and so, so much more. When she's not rotting away behind her laptop screen, you can typically catch Amanda maxing out her AMC Stubs membership.