Ahsoka Tano is one of the most well-known characters in the Star Wars universe. After making her debut in 2008’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie, Ahsoka quickly cemented herself as a massive part of the canon and a fan-favorite character.
One persistent detail about Ahsoka often leaves newcomers confused, however. They can’t help but wonder why Anakin Skywalker consistently calls Ahsoka by the seemingly odd nickname of “Snips.”
Ahsoka Tano’s origin story
The Togruda warrior made her rather understated debut during 2008’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated movie. The supplemental film may not have captured fan adoration, but it did the dirty work of outlining Ahsoka’s limited backstory and cementing her at Anakin Skywalker’s side. Just after the start of the Clone Wars, the recently promoted Padawan is sent to train under Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, while he and General Obi-Wan Kenobi try to reclaim the Separatist-controlled world of Chirstophsis.
Anakin is hesitant to take on an apprentice, preferring to work alone, and feels like it must be a mistake that the council granted him an apprentice without his knowledge. He tries to pawn Ahsoka’s training off on Obi-Wan, but Kenobi needs a break after dealing with Anakin for the better part of ten years. Forced to take on an apprentice almost as opinionated as himself, Anakin struggles to hide his disappointment, and irritation, which leads to frequent conflict between the two.
Why does Anakin call Ahsoka Snips?
As a first-time Master and a guy who isn’t known for patience, Anakin doesn’t immediately rise to the challenge. Ahsoka mirrors many of her Master’s negative traits, she is impulsive, easily frustrated, outspoken, and more opinionated than her sheltered life would suggest. Anakin is consistently shown as uncomfortable taking on the role of teacher, particularly given his lack of experience when it comes to a mentoring role, and the anger he is so prone to giving into. Frustrated by his lack of dedication to having an apprentice and headstrong due to her youth, Ahsoka and Anakin start off their relationship on a rocky note that takes years to work through.
The tension between Anakin and Ahsoka eventually reaches a boiling point, as Ahsoka’s joking reference to Anakin as “sky guy” grinds on his nerves. In response, he begins referring to Ahsoka as “Snips,” in reference to her snippy attitude and her habit of snapping back at him during heated conversations.
Despite the rocky introduction, Ahsoka has grown into one of the most recognizable fan-favorite characters with loads of supplemental material to fill in the gaps about her life through other media. Since her debut in The Clone Wars movie, Ahsoka has appeared in a ton of other Star Wars media. She even had a voice cameo in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker and made the jump to live-action in season 2 of The Mandalorian.
Star Wars: Ahsoka is set to continue her story and arrives on Disney Plus Aug. 22, 2023.