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If there’s one thing that fans can sense when it comes to Star Wars: Ahsoka, it’s that the character is very much the product of Dave Filoni’s passion and vision. But how does that work, practically, when she shares a galaxy (and screen time) with Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian and other characters that aren’t under Filoni’s control? That question was asked at Star Wars Celebration Japan, only to lead to a surreal onstage recreation of the creative conflicts that emerge between the two show runners.

Favreau, at least, initially played it straight when responding to the question during the Ahsoka panel at SWC Japan.

“There was a sense that Dave was really supporting what we were coming up with to bring Mandalorian to the screen, to anything on the small screen, but when we started to move into the Ahsoka episodes, and the episodes that dealt with characters that he had established — like Bo-Katan — and then, of course, with the show, with Ahsoka [the series], the creative center of gravity shifted into a continuation in many ways of what Dave and even George [Lucas] had done in animation,” he said in response to a question about how he and Filoni collaborated.

“So many people felt connected with what was there, merging the two while maintaining consistency with what we did in live action, but also culminating all of the storylines, the relationships, the characters, that had been built up for years. And there, I was trying to support as best I could what [Dave’s] vision was.”

“That’s an elegant way of saying it,” Filoni responded. “It’s also like, Jon has some toys, and I have some toys, and I’m like, ‘no, you can’t play with that toy, but can I borrow that one?’ And you’re like, ‘sure, maybe.’ You’re always more generous than I am.”

“‘You can have one lightsaber, sometimes,’” Favreau added, imitating Filoni.

“We negotiate! You got the darksaber!” Filoni said.

“I see your show, and there’s lightsabers all over the place!” Favreau complained. “I’m the little brother who doesn’t get to play with the lightsabers.”

Filoni couldn’t resist the gag. “Well, Jon,” he said, “it takes training and discipline to learn the ways of the Force, and you’re a Mandalorian, and that gets a little bit dicey…”

Remember, these are two grown men who admitted they write by smashing action figures together until the story makes sense. Suddenly, a theme emerges…

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