Lucasfilm has released a new behind-the-scenes featurette fromAhsoka, revealing what it took to bring Huyang to live-action in theStar Warsgalaxy. A Jedi droid professor with expertise in the crafting of and training with lightsabers,Huyang is voiced by actor David Tennantand made his debut in the animatedClone Warsseries. However, this new BTS clip shows how the ancient Jedi droid was brought to life as Ahsoka Tano’s ally during the New Republic Era.
Revealed as an exclusive fromComicBook.com, this newAhsokafeaturette from Lucasfilm is lots of fun as it reveals the process of bribing Huyang to life. Featuring interview snippets from both Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Sabine Wren) and Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka),it’s revealed that Huyang was created via a mix of both practical and digital effects for theAhsokaseries, allowing for the droid professor to be just as much a part of the filming process as any other cast member:
Thanks to this new BTS clip released ahead ofAhsokaseason 1’s physical steel book 4K UHD Blu-ray release, it’s very cool to see how Huyang was created for one ofStar Wars’best and most popular live-action series.
Huyang Was An Impressive Feat For ILM
New Animatronics Combined With Puppetry
As revealed in the above video,Huyang was created using both physical and digital effects. A brilliant product of Industrial Light & Magic, it’s confirmed that advancements in robotics allowed Lucasfilm to create a fully animatronic upper half for Huyang. The droid professor also had extremely quiet servo motors so as not to distract during filming and lines spoken by other characters.
“While Huyang’s heavier action moments were naturally the work of digital effects, the bulk of his screen time is practical.”
Likewise, Huyang’s bottom half and the movement of his legs were the work of puppetry. This allowed the iconicStar Warsdroid to walk and move with other characters in real time with the puppeteer positioned behind (and later digitally erased).While Huyang’s heavier action moments were naturally the work of digital effects, the bulk of his screen time is practical. As confirmed by ILM’s prosthetic designer J. Alan Scott, “We really had to up our game” when it came to Huyang and his live-action debut.
Our Take On Huyang, The Lightsaber Droid
A Dynamic Droid Who Deserves More Star Wars Appearances
After seeing this new BTS featurette,it’s easy to appreciate Huyang even more knowing everything it took to bring him to life. Likewise, the clip also serves as a good reminder that Huyang “has been part of this universe for thousands of generations”. After all, it’s been confirmed that Huyang was first created by the First Jedi not long after they were formed 25,000 years before the events of the Skywalker saga.
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Keeping that in mind,one would hope that David Tennant’s Huyang will make more appearances in futureStar Warsprojects. This could include live-action projects like the confirmedAhsokaseason 2,as well as James Mangold’s upcomingDawn of the Jedimovie in development about the First Jedi themselves. Likewise, it would also be fun to see him continue to appear in animation as well, as he recently did withHuyang making a surprise appearance inYoung Jedi Adventuresseason 2.
Ahsokaseason 1’s 4K UHD Blu-ray steelbook is set to release on December 3rd.
Ahsoka
Cast
Ahsoka follows the journey of former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. Released in 2023, this series takes place within the Star Wars universe and features Ahsoka navigating through a complex political and cosmic landscape.
