Star Wars' New Imperial Inquisitor Risks Devaluing A Crucial Clone Wars Character

Summary Tales of the Empire introduces Barriss Offee as an Inquisitor, risking devaluing her complex arc from Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

The Empire's presence in Barriss Offee's story may undo the character's struggle and opposition to darkness during the Clone Wars.

To maintain Barriss Offee's integrity, Tales of the Empire should explore her ideological struggle with the Imperial ways she once opposed.

Tales of the Empire’s new Inquisitor risks devaluing a character from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Tales of the Empire’s announcement was rare in that it was a genuine surprise as an upcoming Star Wars TV show. While a continuation of Tales of the Jedi was confirmed at Star Wars Celebration 2023, it was not expected that Tales of the Empire would outright replace the former show’s second season.

Nevertheless, Tales of the Empire’s first trailer confirmed this was the case. Teasing new stories centered around the titular dark side-coded regime, Tales of the Empire will focus on two characters as Tales of the Jedi did with Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku. One of these characters, Morgan Elsbeth, will see the return of Star Wars’ Grand Admiral Thrawn, providing vital updates to the stories of the New Republic era. The other central character, however exciting their return may be, risks devaluing a crucial arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Related Star Wars: Tales Of The Empire: Updates, Story, & Everything We Know Lucasfilm has officially announced Tales of the Empire, an anthology series starring Jedi traitor Barriss Offee and Ahsoka villain Morgan Elsbeth.

Barriss Offee Was A Villain Because She Opposed The Empire's Birth

Barriss sensed the darkness coming in The Clone Wars.

The other central character of Tales of the Empire in question is Barriss Offee. Barriss was first introduced as a Padawan of the Jedi Order in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, though was properly fleshed out via her return in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Despite initially being a good-natured friend to Ahsoka Tano, Barriss’ character took a dark turn in The Clone Wars season 5 when she detonated a bomb in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

After initially framing Ahsoka for this crime, Barriss was outed as the perpetrator by Anakin Skywalker, with Barriss giving a speech to the Jedi about why she did it shortly thereafter. Barriss’ speech makes it clear that she began opposing the Jedi for valid reasons, such as the Order becoming soldiers and thus forces for evil in the titular Clone Wars. Interestingly, Barriss also stated that the Republic has begun harboring evil, implying that the young Force-wielder foresaw the Empire’s rise.

Regardless of her motivations, Barriss was rightfully imprisoned for her extremist methods of getting her point across. This imprisonment listed Barriss as one of Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ various villains, though one who became so for directly opposing the Empire before it began. This is an incredibly complex plot point and became crucial to The Clone Wars, yet Tales of the Empire could risk devaluing this.

Star Wars Risks Devaluing Barriss By Linking Her To The Empire

Barriss' Imperial opposition may ruin her Clone Wars arc.

image via Disney+

As evident by the show’s title and premise, Tales of the Empire takes place during the Dark Times when the Empire is at the height of its powers. With the Empire being the primary villain of this section of the franchise’s timeline, Tales of the Empire has folded Barriss into its ranks as one of Star Wars’ many Inquisitors. However, this development begs the question of whether this story for Barriss is one of value regarding her characterization.

This risks devaluing her complex arc from The Clone Wars, as she is now a willing participant in the very darkness she opposed years before.

As alluded to, The Clone Wars made it clear that Barriss’ attack on the Jedi Temple was spurred by her lack of faith in what the Order had become. Barriss saw dark things spawning from the Jedi’s role in the Clone Wars, yet subsequently became part of that darkness. This risks devaluing her complex arc from The Clone Wars, as she is now a willing participant in the very darkness she opposed years before. In order to avoid this risk, Tales of the Empire could show Barriss' struggle ideologically with the Imperial way, tying intrinsically to her Clone Wars characterization.