Summary
- Shooting the starfighter sequences in Ahsoka was a dream come true for Ivanna Sakhno, who felt like a pilot in a ship thanks to the advanced technology and realistic set design.
- The Ahsoka production team went to great lengths to enhance realism, using the Volume to create an immersive environment for Sakhno and other actors.
- While Shin Hati’s piloting skills are impressive, she ultimately fails to destroy Ahsoka’s shuttle, and her background and connection to Baylan Skoll opens doors to compelling stories.
Ahsoka star Ivanna Sakhno has detailed the experience of shooting Shin Hati’s starfighter sequences. In Ahsoka episode 3, Shin and Marrok ambush the arriving heroes at Seatos, damaging the T-6 Jedi shuttle in orbit. Though she comes close to striking down her prey, Shin ultimately loses Ahsoka and Sabine in the midst of a group of purrgil.
In an interview on the Dagobah Dispatch podcast, Sakhno explained the process of filming her starfighter scenes, noting that it brought her childhood dreams to life.
“It was the coolest thing in the world! In general, the set – same as for The Mandalorian, we used really advanced technology, so we had The Volume, it’s filled with screens and incredible light. But the actual ship and a lot of the aspects of the physical world, they were built for the show. So I do remember sitting in front of my cockpit, and really catching my younger self as a kid looking around, and all the buttons were working, and you feel like it’s your childhood dream coming true. You really feel like a pilot in a ship, and you get to do this for a living. I just felt giddy and incredibly lucky to be able to experience it.”
The Ahsoka production team did everything possible to enhance realism for Sakhno and the other actors. Placing Shin’s starfighter into the Volume creates an immersive environment for Sakhno to chew up the scenery, making the functions of the ship more believable.
Shin Hati’s Piloting Skills Are Most Impressive
While her background remains a mystery, Shin Hati’s piloting skills are nothing to scoff at. She was presumably taught to fly by her master Baylan Skoll, doing so with th efficiency that many Jedi Padawans and Knights have demonstrated in past generations. Shin was ultimately unsuccessful in destroying Ahsoka’s T-6 shuttle, but the outcome of their skirmish would have different if not for some creative thinking on Tano’s part and a fortuitous appearance from the purrgil.
Where the unblinking dark apprentice comes from opens doors to several compelling stories. Shin appears to be slightly younger than Sabine, making it impossible for her to have been a youngling at the Jedi Temple prior to Order 66. A tragic past likely haunts the Force wielder, connecting her to Baylan on an emotional level. Shin Hati may have another to take flight in Ahsoka, as the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn promises unparalleled fleet combat.
Ahsoka releases new episodes Tuesdays at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Disney+.
Source: Dagobah Dispatch