We first got introduced to this concept with the release of Tales of the Jedi in 2022, where we got to focus on Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku, with only six episodes and averaging fifteen minutes. It was announced back at Star Wars Celebration 2023 that we would be getting a second season, which has arrived, but not in the conventional form. Tales of the Empire is displayed as a completely new show on Disney+, and is being advertised as such. This likely means that we’ll still get that second season of Tales of the Jedi but, for now, we’re focusing on the Empire as we celebrate Star Wars Day this year.
The Tragedies Of The Empire And The Dark Side
The animation for Tales of the Empire is similar to Tales of the Jedi, The Bad Batch, and The Clone Wars. This style is one that’s received well among critics and fans, unlike Rebels, which took some people a while to get used to. Though this is a style we’re used to seeing, and one that’s always welcome, it seems that it has found some improvement for Tales of the Empire. It’s not known if, because of the short runtime, it allows them to put a lot more of the budget into the animation. There are moments where the faces of certain characters look almost photorealistic, with pores being a notable feature. While I enjoyed this improvement, it wasn’t for every character in the show and only particular ones, so, for certain scenes, it could look weird having a character who has more redefined animation standing next to one who looks more plastic.
The concept of the “Tales of” series that Star Wars is starting to branch into is a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. It offers the chance to bring already established characters within the universe and tell more of their story, which bridges gaps. Tales of the Empire chooses Morgan Elsbeth and Barriss Offee as the main focus for this show, with three episodes focusing on each character, totalling six episodes overall for the show. I was sceptical about having three episodes focus on Morgan, a character that I didn’t care to find out more about, and I was proven half right and half wrong. While all stories are by Dave Filoni, each set of 3 episodes is written by an individual, and for the Morgan Elsbeth episodes, they were written by Amanda Rose Munoz, who’s able to bring these chilling moments that showcase Morgan Elsbeth’s downward spiral to life.
Morgan Elsbeth’s Tragic Path
Morgan Elsbeth was a Nightsister, as many might’ve known from watching Ahsoka, with Diana Lee Inosanto reprising her role as Morgan. This set of episodes delves into the history of the Nightsisters as we get to witness the Battle of Dathomir, which was first shown in The Clone Wars, from the point of view of Asajj Ventress. Now we get to see it from a different set of eyes and view the genocide of the Nightsisters from a whole new outlook. A few characters appear with the original actors from the films and shows returning to voice their respective characters, which was nice to see and made certain moments feel more nostalgic.
It is known that there is a whole universe of Star Wars out there in the form of books, comics, and much more. A lot of this isn’t ignored by a lot of Star Wars fans or the general audience, unless you’re a hardcore fan. Tales of the Empire makes the effort to finally shine a light on another Dathomiri witch clan aside from the Nightsisters called the Singing Mountain Clan, which originally were introduced in Legends continuity and made their first appearance in canon with the book titled The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark. As someone who wasn’t familiar with this other clan, Dave Filoni and Amanda Rose Munoz handle their first introduction to animated media extremely well, talking us through their beliefs and how they differ from the Nightsisters, which is integrated into Morgan Elsbeth’s overall story.
It’s a tragic story being told with Morgan Elsbeth, one that goes through her suffering and how she uses that pain to inflict it on others, bridging the gaps in her story and showing us the lead-up to her first appearance in The Mandalorian Season 2. There’s no doubt that these episodes were good and did a good job of showcasing her trauma and what led her to be the character we meet in the live-action shows, but for someone who has never really cared for this character, it didn’t change my thoughts on the character or make me grow to like them. Once again, these episodes are made for fans who have an interest in Morgan Elsbeth’s story or just want to see more of her in general, but I truly believe that there could’ve been another character better suited for Tales of the Empire, as Morgan Elsbeth is a relatively recent one. Though I don’t want to see Thrawn’s story shrunk down into three short episodes, I would’ve rather had him be the focus instead of Morgan Elsbeth.
The second set of episodes focuses on Barriss Offee, a character we haven’t seen since The Clone Wars, and these episodes pick up from that moment of her imprisonment as we see what took place after. These episodes were tremendously better, as this was a character that I genuinely wanted to know what happened to after their imprisonment. The unfortunate side of this storyline is that it can be quite predictable for someone who has consumed so much Star Wars media; it’s easy to tell which direction certain storylines are heading. That doesn’t stop this from being beautifully written by Matt Michnovetz; he captures the emotion of these characters perfectly, and the voice acting only helps cement these moments.
While Morgan Elsbeth’s story tells us how trauma can be used as a weapon against others, Bariss Offee’s story tells us how the dark side can corrupt and blind people with rage, having no other means for their actions. The parallels between Barriss Offee and Lyn Rakish show this off perfectly, and it ends their story on a beautiful, heartbreaking, but also heartwarming note. The themes that this story touches on between these two characters are themes that you can find within a lot of characters that are on the dark side, particularly in Anakin’s story, with how he was essentially corrupted and filled with blind rage and used the trauma of Padme’s death to fuel his anger and hatred towards others.
‘Star Wars: Tales Of The Empire’ – Final Thoughts
Star Wars: Tales of the Empire makes it possible so that even if you don’t care for one of the characters being focused on, you’re still able to enjoy their episodes as they are masterfully written with these themes that are meticulously woven in that parallel with many other characters in the Empire. The animation is improved in certain moments but not consistent, unfortunately, as it can make some characters look out of place, but the fight sequences are well-lit with music that amplifies the emotional stories being told.
Check out the trailer for Tales Of The Empire below.
The Review
'Star Wars: Tales Of The Empire'
If you were a fan of the format of Tales of the Jedi, you'd still very much enjoy Tales of the Empire. While Morgan Elsbeth or Bariss Offee might not be your particular fan favourites, their stories transcend the entirety of the Empire with themes that can fit almost any character that's on the Dark Side.
