Lucasfilm surprised fans by announcing its latest animated anthology series, Star Wars: Tales of the Empire, and releasing its new trailer last week. The second installment in Star Wars: Tales will feature the story of two main characters, Barriss Offee and Morgan Elsbeth, with three episodes each. The preview shows Barriss’ training to be an Inquisitor, but it doesn’t confirm if she becomes one. That said, a new theory suggests that Ahsoka Tano’s rival may have some kind of redemption.
Barriss’ redemption has been a common discussion in the Star Wars community since she framed Ahsoka in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The character is known for working with compassion, though often misguided. That said, it looks like she will finally have the chance to redeem herself in Tales of the Empire.
Barriss has turned to the dark side during the period of the Clone Wars. To delve into this story more, the new series trailer teases that her treason will be further explored with a scene showing her inside a cell. It also reveals her training with Grand Inquisitor to become an agent of Darth Vader to hunt Jedis, who have survived Order 66.
But if there’s one thing that the trailer didn’t unveil, it’s showing her fully taking the role of an Inquisitor. To further prove this, she doesn’t even use a double-bladed red lightsaber despite receiving one. Hence, a theory suggests that she probably didn’t have it for long, as she wouldn’t have the opportunity to use it if she never became an Inquisitor.
If Barriss doesn’t complete her training and fails to become Darth Vader’s agent, she must have a reason for it. If she indeed left her first mission, it would come with serious repercussions, knowing Inquisitors were disposable to Vader and the Empire. Though she may be killed, Lucasfilm will not feature Barriss’ return just for anything, so there may be a redemption arc in Tales of the Empire where she will reassess her decisions and leave the dark side. However, fans are advised to take this assumption with a grain of salt, as nothing is confirmed yet.
What is Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano’s history in Star Wars?
Ahsoka and Barriss first met during a raid on Geonosis in The Clone Wars. At the time, they were tasked to complete a mission to infiltrate and destroy a droid factory while their masters, Anakin Skywalker and Luminara Unduli, distracted the enemies. This made them successfully complete their assignment, but they were trapped inside the factory after an explosion.
Thanks to Ahsoka and the help of their masters, the two survived. Ahsoka and Barriss then became close friends despite their differences. But as the war continued, Barriss started to change. Their friendship ended when Barriss decided to join the dark side by bombing the Jedi temple, resulting in the deaths of many civilians, Jedi, and clone troopers. She then blamed it on Ahsoka, who went into hiding to prove her innocence.
What is Star Wars: Tales of the Empire about?
Tales of the Empire will tell the story of the Galactic Empire through Barriss and Morgan Elsbeth’s points of view. Set in different eras, it will tell the untold stories of the two main characters. While Elsbeth travels the expanding world of Imperial, Barriss will do everything to survive the changing galaxy.
You can read the synopsis below:
Star Wars: Tales of the Empire is a six-episode journey into the fearsome Galactic Empire through the eyes of two warriors on divergent paths, set during different eras. After losing everything, young Morgan Elsbeth navigates the expanding Imperial world toward a path of vengeance. At the same time, former Jedi Barriss Offee does what she must to survive a rapidly changing galaxy. The choices they make will define their destinies.
Tales of the Empire is set to be released on May 4, 2024, on Disney+. Do you think Barriss will be redeemed this time? As redemption stories aren’t new in Star Wars, she may be the next one to receive this arc.
