Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld Series Review

Not everyone in a galaxy far, far away is a bright-eyed pilot hero or menacing hooded figure. Sometimes, our favorite characters run somewhere in the middle (more or less). To celebrate May the 4th, Star Wars™ debuted a new show, Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld™, which highlights two such characters: Asajj Ventress and Cad Bane.

Now, audiences get more insight into the galaxy’s resident space cowboy and a powerful assassin who walks the divide between light and dark. The episodes, three for each character, offer nuanced looks at their histories, their relationships, and their characters as a whole. Here’s a review of all six episodes of Tales of the Underworld.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld.

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“Don’t act like a Jedi.”

After she debuted in The Clone Wars™, Asajj Ventress made a name for herself among fans. She was sinister yet complicated. Her ties to the Nightsisters added mystery to her lethal allure. Though she was Count Dooku’s secret Sith apprentice, she also had some redeeming moments. And then her Clone Wars story was lost to the shadows. Only Christie Golden’s canon novel, Star Wars: Dark Disciple™, revealed more details on how she fell in love with Jedi Quinlan Vos and found redemption in the Force … and sacrificing herself to save Vos.

Tales of the Underworld opens with a heart-wrenching burial ceremony. Quinlan Vos and Obi-Wan Kenobi are both there to lay Asajj Ventress to rest on her native Dathomir. As Quinlan lowers Asajj’s body, he whispers, “I will always love you.” But after the two Jedi leave and Asajj’s body sinks below the surface, Mother Talzin’s voice reaches across death and gives Asajj a choice: Stay in this  afterlife realm with her sisters or return to the land of the living. Ever the shrewd negotiator, Asajj questions the cost. “Your heart’s desire” — a small price to pay for resurrection.

Finally, Asajj fans get an explanation for how she reappeared in The Bad Batch™. And what a thrill it is to see her do battle once again, using her cunning control of the Force to take down Stormtroopers, an Imperial probe droid, and even a fearsome dark side opponent. But that red lightsaber foe also brings a complication to Asajj’s new life.

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“It’s hard to let go.”

By defeating the unnamed dark side user, Asajj saves the life of a young Jedi named Lyco. Much like her, Lyco isn’t all he appears to be. He’s actually the one who delivers the killing blow to the dark side user. It’s also interesting to note that his blue lightsaber has a sharpened tip, not the usual rounded blade of other lightsabers. Lyco also mentions The Path, a network to safety for Jedi that’s operated by Quinlan Vos. Asajj is intrigued.

Across three episodes, Asajj grows closer to Lyco. Though she warns him that friends are rare in her line of business, they forge a connection. Episode 2 brings the pair into contact with Latts, a Theelin bounty hunter who might have info on The Path. Latts coerces them into helping steal an Imperial shield relay unit but episode 2 feels like filler, especially for a mini series. It establishes trust between Asajj and Lyco but otherwise it’s only a failed heist story. Asajj’s appeal is that she’s a fully developed morally gray character, a less rule-abiding version of Ahsoka Tano. A simple heist is a disservice to her story when more time could be spent teaching Lyco or reuniting with Quinlan.

On that note, episode 3 delivers more in terms of characterization. Asajj never reunites with Quinlan — and maybe that’s the point. By the episode’s end, it feels like Asajj has accepted Mother Talzin’s warning — though it remains unclear the reasons why she can’t be with Quinlan. Maybe Asajj has to realize her own path lies elsewhere. When she says goodbye to Lyco, she tells him, “You’re a good Jedi. You deserve this.” But who exactly can lay claim to being a good Jedi? Certainly Asajj has embraced more light than dark. What she lost in Quinlan’s love, perhaps she gains in Lyco’s friendship.

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“Good news, bad news, kid.”

Have you ever imagined infamous bounty hunter Cad Bane as a child? I certainly didn’t. In fact, younger Cad is actually called Colby. Along with his best friend Niro, Colby is a street rat, surviving by stealing anything and everything he can. But at this point, he’s still young. His biggest target is a candy store run by an Aqualish (the same species as Ponda Baba). Seeing Cad in this new light provides an endearing backstory yet he’s still who he is at his core. When the two boys encounter Lazlo, a menacing thug, Niro says accepting his money isn’t worth the danger. Colby agrees — which is why he goes back to Lazlo to counter for double the offer. Calculating move, kid.

In addition to providing young Colby, now known as Cad, with his signature wide-brimmed hat, Lazlo gives him a taste of the good life. This further separates Cad from his former friend Niro. Learning more about Cad’s background, I was left wondering the same question many Star Wars fans have asked before: Does a bounty hunter need a sympathetic backstory?

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“Don’t be afraid. Be ready.”

Ultimately, Cad Bane’s three episodes are even stronger than Asajj’s storyline. While we get some sense of explanation for Asajj, Cad Bane’s three episodes are a complete character arc. You get two classic gunslinging showdowns that Cad fans expect, plus a thought-provoking twist at the end. It’s a simple yet effective trajectory. There’s even a cinematic scene of Cad shooting his own reflections when he returns to his old Duro neighborhood.

Despite gaining childhood details on Cad, these episodes work so well because they’re not trying to redeem him. They add to the character’s depth but they don’t take away from his unyielding persona. He goes on a classic revenge plan to honor his mentor, Lazlo. He crosses paths with his old friend Niro with devastating results. Yet Cad Bane remains Cad Bane. He’s a bad guy. The final moments do leave room for whose footsteps young Isaac might follow.

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As with many Star Wars tales, things are left a bit open-ended. How will the stories of Asajj and Cad continue? It’s possible we’ll see more of Asajj Ventress and her sort-of Padawan, And perhaps in the future, Cad Bane’s son Isaac will sweep the galaxy to avenge his father like Boba Fett did for Jango.

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