Who Plays Young Ahsoka Tano In Episode 5 & Why Does She Look So Familiar?

This article contains spoilers for "Ahsoka" Episode 5, "Shadow Warrior"

"Ahsoka" Episode 5 sees the titular character get trapped in the World Between Worlds, where she catches up with some blasts from the past and gets into some lightsaber battles. During her time in the cosmic plane, she also travels back in time and relives one of her missions from the Clone Wars. The teenage Jedi spends time with her old master, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), who gives her more training and reminds her that war has casualties. Ahsoka Tano still has her present-day thoughts and wisdom, but she isn't the grown-up version of the character that Rosario Dawson portrays on the Disney+ series.

Of course, some viewers might remember the young version of Ahsoka from shows and movies outside of the "Star Wars" franchise. The character is played by Ariana Greenblatt, a rising star who's appeared in everything from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to recent blockbusters about dinosaurs. Despite only being 16 years old, she's starting to build up a resume that some veteran actors would be proud to call their own. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of Greenblatt's other credits.

Like many young actors before her, Ariana Greenblatt got her start working on the small screen and became one of the faces of the Disney Channel in the process. Her early roles include shows such as "Liv and Maddie" and "Legendary Dudas," but her big break came courtesy of the sitcom "Stuck in the Middle," which ran for three seasons between 2016 and 2018.

"Stuck in the Middle" sees her play Daphne Diaz, the youngest sibling in a family with six children. The character is known for vandalizing her dolls and her unique sense of style, and she displays a lot of intelligence for someone her age. While speaking to J-14, Greenblatt said that she imagines Daphne will grow up to start her own business, and it'll probably involve dolls. This is a great concept for a spin-off series centered around the youngest Diaz sibling, but it remains to be seen if it'll ever come to fruition.

While "Stuck in the Middle" boasts an all-star cast that includes Jenna Ortega, Greenblatt's character and performances allow her to stand out from the pack. She was always destined for big things, however, and it didn't take long for the actress to get offered movie roles after the Disney sitcom.

Shortly after catching her big break on the small screen, Ariana Greenblatt landed her first feature film role in the 2017 comedy "A Bad Moms Christmas." The sequel to 2016's "Bad Moms" follows a group of overburdened mothers who are forced to contend with their own parents during the holiday season, which leads to some entertaining hijinx.

In the movie, Greenblatt plays Lori Harkness, who's the daughter of Jay Hernandez's and Mila Kunis' characters. In one of the film's funniest scenes, Lori confronts her mother about the strange noises and foul language that she hears coming out of her parent's bedroom, which results in an awkward exchange between the pair. That said, it's one of many moments that allows the rising star to showcase her comedic chops.

In an interview with Bionic Buzz, Greenblatt said that she loved working with her co-stars, and collaborating with them was the highlight of the entire shoot. Furthermore, "A Bad Moms Christmas" isn't the only comedy film that sees Greenblatt shine among a predominantly grown-up ensemble, but more on that later.

Ariana Greenblatt's outing as Ahsoka Tano isn't the first time that she's played a younger version of a formidable hero in a massively popular franchise. Prior to starring on "Ahsoka" and becoming part of the "Star Wars" universe, she portrayed young Gamora in "Avengers: Infinity War," and she gets a moment to shine alongside Thanos (Josh Brolin) in the hit blockbuster.

Greenblatt's big moment occurs when Thanos and his forces invade Gamora's home planet. Despite her best efforts to fight off some of the villain's minions with her tiny fists, she can't resist his offer to help her out. Thus begins a dysfunctional father-daughter relationship that ultimately ends in tragedy when Gamora grows up.

Most actors would do anything to be part of the "Star Wars" and Marvel franchises. However, Greenblatt can now tick both off her list already, despite the fact her career is arguably just getting started.

Based on Katherine Alice Applegate's book of the same name, "The One and Only Ivan" tells the story of a gorilla who teams up with an elephant to escape from captivity. Ariana Greenblatt plays Julia, an artistically driven child who develops a bond with the primate as they're both lonely.

This role also struck a chord with the young actress at the time. During a conversation with The Movie Times, she explained that she was already a fan of the book prior to landing the part in the adaptation, which stars A-list performers such as Bryan Cranston, Angelina Jolie, Sam Rockwell, and Danny DeVito.

In the aforementioned interview, Greenblatt also opened up about what attracted her to the role of Julie in the first place. According to the actress, she identified with the character due to their mutual love of animals and drawing, so it was a fun role for her.

In 2020, Ariana Greenblatt landed a supporting role in Netflix's post-apocalyptic creature flick "Love and Monsters." The story centers around Joel Dawson (Dylan O'Brien) and his loyal canine friend as they embark on an adventure across the tough terrains so that Joel can be reunited with his high school sweetheart. This adventure brings them into contact with some interesting characters, including Greenblatt's survivalist expert, Minnow.

Minnow is one of the film's standout characters. She accompanies Clyde (Michael Rooker) in his quest to find a safe haven in the harsh wastelands. Furthermore, they're both experts at surviving in the ravaged new world and overcoming the monstrous threats that dwell there. This is arguably one of Greenblatt's most mature roles to date, as her character is someone who's experienced tragedy and tough times. She also holds her own alongside Rooker, making their characters feel like equals as opposed to an adult-child pairing.

"Awake" tells the story of a catastrophic event that takes away humankind's ability to fall asleep and shuts off all of the world's electronics. With the world in a state of insomnia-induced hysteria and no means to recharge, the global population becomes more unhinged, and it's up to scientists to come up with a solution before time runs out.

Ariana Greenblatt has a key role in "Awake." She plays Matilda, a child who might hold the key to humankind's salvation as she's one of the few people who's able to catch some shut-eye. However, this puts her in danger as people want to sacrifice her; meanwhile, Matilda's mother wants to keep her alive at all costs and come up with an alternative solution to the problem.

While "Awake" didn't receive heaps of critical acclaim, Greenblatt's performance certainly caught Hollywood's attention as she moved on to other noteworthy projects afterward. However, the actress credits this one as one of her favorite roles, telling Unpublished Zine that it allowed her to showcase more acting range than ever before at the time. "This role really pushed me and shows an emotional range and it is very action-packed which is something I've never done before. It was so much fun," Greenblatt said.

"Hamilton" is one of the most successful musicals of the 21st century, but it wasn't Lin-Manuel Miranda's first hit production. "In the Heights" has that honor, and it received its very own critically acclaimed adaptation in 2021.

"In the Heights" follows Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), a New York City bodega owner who dreams about living a better life. He wants to go back to his native Dominican Republic, so he saves up his pennies in the hope of realizing that ambition. Greenblatt, meanwhile, plays the younger version of Nina Rosario (Leslie Grace), a main character who returns home from college to spend the summer in the neighborhood.

Of course, the musical genre is a good fit for Greenblatt. While she doesn't have one of the main roles in "In The Heights," her history as a dancer makes her perfect for roles of this ilk. During a conversation with Elle, she said that she's been dancing for most of her life, so it wouldn't be surprising if she tackles more roles in this genre down the line. In the meantime, fans who want to check out Greenblatt's dancing skills can also revisit her tenure on "Dancing with the Stars," where she finished as a fourth-placed runner-up.

Ariana Greenblatt has developed a propensity for post-apocalyptic stories, but most of them have been futuristic. However, one of her most recent roles is set 65 billion years in the past and deals with creatures of the prehistoric variety.

In "65," the actress plays Koa, a survivor of a catastrophic event who must team up with Mills (Adam Driver) to survive a land of dinosaurs. Cue an adventure that's reminiscent of "The Last of Us" with elements of "Jurassic Park" and "A Quiet Place" thrown in for good measure.

Some critics have called "65" a dino-bore that fails to live up to its intriguing premise, but Greenblatt works well with the material and further proves that she's a rising star in the world of sci-fi and horror. Furthermore, it's arguably her biggest role yet as it puts her front and center as a co-lead in a bona fide blockbuster.

"65" might not go down in history as one of 2023's most acclaimed movies, but "Barbie" is arguably a generation-defining blockbuster. In addition to being one of this year's most successful movies, both commercially and critically, Greta Gerwig's hit has proven that auteur visions can appeal to mainstream audiences. Ariana Greenblatt also has a standout role in the movie as Sasha, an angsty Gen Z teen who lost interest in playing with dolls a long time ago.

Sasha is one of the main human characters in "Barbie." The titular doll comes to the human world to find Sasha's mom, Gloria (America Ferrera) — a disgruntled Mattel employee who's trying to find her purpose in life — but she initially thinks she's coming to help the teen. Sasha and Gloria don't always see eye-to-eye either, and their mother-daughter relationship is at the center of some of the film's funniest and most dramatic scenes.

For Greenblatt, portraying the Gen Z'er was an opportunity for her to play an authentic teenage girl on the screen. "I tried to at least make [Sasha] as relatable as possible," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "I wanted to represent teenage girls appropriately. No one understands a teenage girl unless you were one once in your life." Suffice to say, she did a remarkable job.

Ariana Greenblatt's next feature film role will see her return to familiar ground, as she's set to play Tiny Tina in Eli Roth's "Borderlands" adaptation. The sci-fi actioner will chronicle the adventures of a band of misfits as they travel across an alien-infested planet to find the daughter of one of the most important people in the universe. In addition to aliens, the heroes will also have to contend with bandits, savages, and the other villainous deviants who populate the planet.

It remains to be seen how each character will be portrayed in the movie, but Greenblatt's character has been described as feral. This might be her most unhinged role to date, and it's bound to showcase a new side of her acting sensibilities. Furthermore, with Roth at the helm, coupled with the source material that inspired the movie, it's bound to be a violent affair with plenty of dark humor thrown into the mix. On top of that, Greenblatt will be joined by an all-star cast that includes Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Hart, and many more.

Unfortunately, "Borderlands" won't be released until August of next year. Following "Ahsoka," though, it's only a matter of time until Greenblatt graces even more high-profile projects.