A Star Wars Actor Won't Be Back For Ahsoka Season 2 For A Good Reason

At least one actor from "Ahsoka" season 1 won't be returning to a galaxy far, far away. Claudia Black, known for her roles in shows like "Stargate SG-1" and "Farscape," played Nightsister Klothow in the first season of the live-action "Star Wars" series. Now, it's been revealed that Black won't be reprising her role when the show returns, even though that was very clearly set up in the season 1 finale.

In a late November interview with Bleeding Cool, Black revealed that she wasn't returning for "Ahsoka" season 2, saying that Disney "could not pay me what I needed to be paid as a single mother to keep all my responsibilities going at home in Los Angeles, because they were filming in London." But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

In a more recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Black elaborated much further on the situation. "When I did the first season, people assumed that I'm making hundreds of thousands of dollars. It could not be further from the truth on a role like this," Black explained. "[My pay was] closer to what I was earning when I was 19 or in my early 20s."

So, while the Nightsisters will undoubtedly be joining the show's Big Bad, Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen), in "Ahsoka" season 2, it won't be Black portraying Klothow. Speaking further, the actor explained that pay issues such as these can have a greater impact on women, particularly those raising children, and especially ones doing that work without a partner:

"The issue I have is when that comes to women, other people who were able to say yes to this job didn't have the same responsibilities, and that thinking is not designed around how much invisible work women do in a household."

"I have a great community, I have an amazing life," Black added. "It's just something needs to change and this needs to be discussed, and I knew the risks and I think there's more power in me stepping back, because I'm not desperate and there's more power in me talking about it even though there's so little job security and there's so little psychological safety in these spaces when women do speak up."

She went on to call it a "difficult situation" while adding, "I completely understand the decision that Disney made." For what it's worth, pay disputes are nothing new. "Futurama" voice actor John DiMaggio (Bender) nearly sat out the show's revival over a pay dispute, but ended up returning — for no extra money. It happens. For Black, though, it was more important to stick up for herself and not return for anything less than what she believed was fair pay. She continued:

"I've been in the business for over 30 years, and it's wild how much of an outpouring there was in response in the last 24, 36 hours, whatever it's been. People from all over the industry, directors, actors, skilled technicians on the crew, just reaching out and acknowledging me, so positively, thanking me because I don't know anyone in this business who has job security."

The Nightsisters have a long history in the "Star Wars" universe and, from Disney and Lucasfilm's perspective, getting to play a character like that in a major franchise is a profile boost. So, the lower pay can be viewed as worth it just to be a part of this universe. Black feels differently, however, and it's not like Disney or Lucasfilm are strapped for cash.

"I'm not saying I've been treated poorly in this instance with 'Ahsoka,' not at all," Black emphasized. "It's just that we're not thought about, we're not factored in, because there's so much invisible work that women do in a household, even when they're married. And it's far from invisible to themselves when they're an unpartnered mother, such as myself, and I think people assume that I've got a whole team of people picking up after me."

Black said she also sent Lucasfilm Chief Creative Office and "Ahsoka" head honcho Dave Filoni an email "to thank him for the ride and for all the happiness on set." Black also wanted him to have the full story directly from her as well, rather than getting it secondhand:

"He probably wouldn't have known the background, and I wanted him to know that if I could have, I would have, and that I did season 1 on a massive pay cut, precisely because many people want to be part of the 'Star Wars' universe, and we will say yes. But it took me to burnout, and it actually did really cost me to do it in the end."

"I hope they understand that me talking about this is not in the least bit personal," Black concluded. "It's about a discussion about the business because it certainly wasn't built for people like me."

Plot details for the show's second season remain largely under wraps but Rosario Dawson will be reprising her role as Ahsoka Tano. We also know that Thrawn will be facing off against Admiral Ackbar, though the specifics of what's to come remain shrouded in mystery.

"Ahsoka" season 2 premieres sometime in 2026 on Disney+.