**Background:** The first six Star Wars movies were highly successful and a cultural phenomenon. Due to the success of Star Wars, an attempt was made to expand the series. This would be an animated cartoon set between Episodes 2 and Episodes 3 and focus on the clone wars. 

Many new things were added. For starters, Anakin would be given an apprentice in Ahsoka Tano. Star Wars fans were OUTRAGED. Ahsoka was NEVER mentioned in any of the movies and she wasn’t in Episode 3, so that means she would either have to die or leave! Ahsoka was despised, mocked and attacked in the early promotion for show and the hatred carried over in the first few episodes. People said she was annoying and lame. Ahsoka wasn’t the only new thing in the Star Wars cartoon, they also gave Count Dooku an apprentice in Ventress and brought back Darth Maul. But it was Ahsoka Tano that drew the most ire. Fans refused to accept her and refused to accept Clone Wars as canon

Despite this, Clone Wars slowly became more and more accepted. Fans still hated Ahsoka, but they appreciated the cartoon going into more depth with other Jedi that barely had any screentime in the movies. 

Clone Wars would go on to get more episodes and more seasons. The hatred towards Ahsoka ws getting less and less. People were bringing up Clone Wars cartoon material into general Star Wars discussion topics and threads meaning more people were starting to consider it canon. 

By the end of the cartoon series, Ahsoka was liked and when she left towards the end, people were sad. But it was understandable why she left and it didn’t affect Star Wars the third movie at all. Clone Wars cartoon was viewed as successful and was mostly accepted by the fans along with Ahsoka.

Another Star Wars cartoon series was later introduced. This was Star Wars Rebels and took place during the time between Episodes 3 and 4. For the most part, fans were excited about this cartoon. It would feature all new characters but when it was revealed Ahsoka Tano would have some cameo appearances (including an epic showdown with Darth Vader), fans were thrilled. Fans were also sad when it looked like she was killed at hands of Vader. At the very end of the series, Ahsoka returned and was now an adult, a badass, and a beloved character

A new real-life (not animated) spinoff series that took place after Episode 6 was announced and Ahsoka Tano was the main character (played by Rosario Dawson). Season 1 was a success and a season 2 is slated to come out in just a few months. Fans are excited to see Ahsoka return and she’s now an iconic and established Star Wars character.

So that brings us to **Nikki Baxter**. I see many parallels between her and Ahsoka. Stranger Things fans are suspicious of Tales From ’85 and even more suspicious of Nikki. But what if Nikki ends up helping to give the rest of the cast more development? What if Tales ends up as a fun cartoon? Nikki is going to be hated at first but I believe she can win over the hearts and minds of you all. Who knows, if she becomes popular enough, she might even get her own (real-life) spinoff like Ahsoka!



From Despised to Beloved - The Ahsoka Tano Case Study and how Nikki Baxter could become a celebrated and adored character