Star Wars fans delving into the new Disney Plus series Ahsoka have been thrilled to notice the return of two fan favourite droids in the first two episodes.

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Fans were delighted to see Huyang in the first episode, followed by Hera Syndulla's droid Chopper (voiced by Dave Filoni), from Star Wars: Rebels, in episode 2.

Many viewers were also pleasantly surprised to realise that Huyang is voiced by none other than David Tennant, who actually won a Daytime Emmy for his performance as Huyang in animated series The Clone Wars.

As is often the way with droids in Star Wars, Huyang provides some comic relief along the way, frequently giving his two cents on situations and providing gloriously biting remarks.

So, as Tennant returns to the world of Star Wars alongside a stacked cast including Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano, Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla and the late Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll, here's everything you need to know about Ahsoka's Huyang.

Who is Huyang in Ahsoka?

Huyang is a Mark IV architect droid professor who taught Jedi younglings how to construct lightsabers, something that could come in very handy in Ahsoka.

The droid guided students including iconic Star Wars figures like Yoda and Mace Windu for thousands of years on the Crucible. No one knows Huyang's exact origins but, very aptly, a rumour spread among the younglings that he arrived in a big blue box (Doctor Who fans, we see you).

Disaster struck when Huyang accompanied Ahsoka to Ilum with a group of younglings who were looking to become Padawans, with the droid being attacked when pirates boarded the ship.

While they knocked off his head and both arms, Ahsoka and the younglings who joined her on her journey were able to re-assemble him - a traumatic incident he might not have quite recovered from yet.

Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano and Huyang the droid, voiced by David Tennant, sitting in the cockpit of a space ship, looking at each other
Ahsoka, played by Rosario Dawson, and Huyang, voiced by David Tennant. LucasFilm/Disney Plus

Is David Tennant voicing Huyang in Ahsoka?

Oh, yes! The actor first played Huyang for two episodes in The Clone Wars, but is expected to feature more heavily in Ahsoka.

Announcing the news at Star Wars Celebration, Ahsoka showrunner Dave Filoni was visibly thrilled to have the actor back on board, delightedly declaring: "Oh, that’s the Doctor, that’s David Tennant. He makes it all work, what a joy, what a privilege to have him."

Meanwhile, star Rosario Dawson, who plays the titular character, commented that the relationship between Tennant and Filoni was "remarkable".

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Ahsoka premieres on Disney Plus on Wednesday 23rd August 2023. New episodes weekly. Sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 for a year.

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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Authors

Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.

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