Star Wars Reveals the Secret of Ahsoka’s Head Tails

Ahsoka Tano’s appearance has definitely evolved since her debut in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but she’s always sported her distinctive head features. Over the years, many fans have been pretty curious about the scope of their purpose, and Cavan Scott’s new Jaws of Jakku audiobook (via ScreenRant) has finally revealed a bit more about them. 

Ahsoka belongs to a species called the Togruta, whose head tails have two parts: the lekku (the tails themselves) and the montrals (the upper horn sections). This book, narrated by a Kessurian named Lisa, explains that their montrals have developed the ability to sense movement in the dark, in tune with a kind of echolocation previously hinted at in the Star Wars Rebels: The Visual Guide. Kessurians sprout spiny montrals above their ears instead of the top of their heads, which apparently makes these senses even more superior.

Lore about the Togruta and Kessurian head features is slowly expanding. We already know that lekku are key to non-verbal communication for the Togruta. They use subtle movements to convey emotions or intentions, much like the Twi’leks, but this new detail adds to the Tongrutas’ ability to detect movement, not just within about 25 meters, but also in darkness. Of course, Twi’leks are lucky enough to have prehensile lekku that can also grasp objects. Ahsoka’s species didn’t have that particular evolutionary advantage.

The character’s head tails have already undergone some tweaks in the transition from animation to live action on Disney+. Ahsoka’s originally taller montrals and longer lekku would have been a bit of a hazard during actress Rosario Dawson’s onscreen stunt work and duels. 

One thing that’s stayed true is that Ahsoka’s head tails are more than just another weird Star Wars character aesthetic. They’ve always been entwined with her species’ biology and their culture. It would be great to see more of these abilities in Ahsoka’s upcoming second season.