One other season of Star Wars anthology storytelling is on the way in which from the franchise’s Tales banner. This sequence started in 2022 with Tales of the Jedi, 2024 delivered Tales of the Empire, and now Tales of the Underworld is about for a Might 4 debut on the 2025 TV schedule. The latest season will highlight Asajj Ventress and Cad Bane, each of whom had been prominently featured in The Clone Wars and later returned in The Dangerous Batch. Whereas I’m undoubtedly seeking to watching this installment on the upcoming Star Wars films and TV reveals slate with my Disney+ subscription, I additionally want to speak concerning the concern I’ve concerning the Ventress story being advised.
Earlier than I get into my concern, check out the Tales of the Underworld trailer that dropped earlier right this moment, giving us our first style of what awaits these well-known bounty hunters from a galaxy far, far-off over three episodes every:
Whereas Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld will lastly be delivering the origin story of Cad Bane (who was additionally depicted in live-action on The E-book of Boba Fett), Asajj Ventress’ story will revolve round her defending a younger Palawan who survived Order 66 from what I assume is without doubt one of the Empire’s Inquisitors. It’s unclear if the story will happen earlier than or after her look in The Dangerous Batch, however both approach, I’m grateful she’s getting time to shine once more. After her dying within the ebook Darkish Disciple, it appeared like every future Ventress appearances could be relegated to the Clone Wars period or earlier.
Which brings me to my concern: I’m anxious that Tales of the Underworld isn’t going to supply any clarification for the way Asajj Ventress continues to be alive. When she resurfaced in The Dangerous Batch, it was as if nothing was out of the extraordinary. Now sporting hair and a yellow lightsaber, Depend Dooku’s former murderer discovered Clone Drive 99 in “The Harbinger” to check Omega’s Drive sensitivity. She didn’t say something about how she’d died within the Clone Wars just some years earlier, although I understood on the time why this was contemplating there was solely about 25 minutes to work with for the episode.
Judging by the Tales of the Underworld trailer, it looks as if Ventress’ story will equally forgo an evidence of her resurrection. Perhaps the preview is simply hiding footage or we’ll solely be taught what occurred via dialogue, however clearly the precedence is to point out Ventress taking care of her new ally. Even with way more display time to work with in comparison with the aforementioned Dangerous Batch episode, there may not be any room to make clear this lingering thriller.
Darkish Disciple was initially supposed to be a multi-episode arc in The Clone Wars, however after the sequence was cancelled in 2023 (it was later revived for a seventh and closing season in 2020), these episodes had been tailored into the ebook written by Christie Golden. And whereas those that learn Darkish Disciple understand how Ventress was killed by Depend Dooku whereas she was with the Jedi she’d fallen in love with, Quinlan Vos, those that’ve solely seen her in The Clone Wars simply know she disappeared after Season 5.
In a approach, I can perceive if Asajj Ventress’ Tales of the Underworld gained’t handle the character’s dying and resurrection in order to not confuse anyone. Perhaps that will likely be delved onto in one other ebook as a substitute. However as somebody who loved watching Ventress on The Clone Wars and thought Darkish Disciple was one of many higher Star Wars books, I’d be dissatisfied if this chapter of her historical past was glossed over once more, particularly since there’s no assure we’ll ever see her onscreen once more. Hopefully that’s not the case, however in a franchise usually crammed with sudden developments (I’m nonetheless getting over The Acolyte’s cancellation), so I determine it is best to seize these alternatives when you can.
I’m positive I’ll get pleasure from each Asajj Ventress and Cad Bane’s tales when Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld is launched on Might 4. Nonetheless, if there’s no point out of how Ventress rejoined the land of the dwelling, I’ll be crossing my fingers that Lucasfilm broadcasts a ebook chronicling these occasions. This story deserves to be advised!