Elliot Kessler

“Star Wars: Tales of The Jedi” was released last night. I was excited about the show, but I wasn’t as hyped as some of the other fans were. I knew it was going to be interesting. I heard a YouTuber talking about it after he watched it early, and he wasn’t impressed. I didn’t expect much. I expected some fun, exciting shorts with “The Clone Wars” style misadventures.

I was wrong.

This show was so much more! It was filled to the brim with excellent character development, filling in the holes of the Prequel Trilogy that “The Clone Wars” had missed, but mainly on the side of the Sith, which was very interesting.

What Is “Tales of The Jedi?”

This show is an anthology series set during the Prequel era of the “Star Wars” galaxy. We follow the lives of beloved characters Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku. We watch Ahsoka as she uses the Force for the first time, goes through the Clone Wars, and faces her guilt after Anakin’s fall. We also follow Dooku as he grows increasingly uncomfortable with the ideologies of the Jedi and Republic and turns to the Dark Side to reshape the galaxy and bring what he believes is order.

This isn’t a typical “Star Wars” show. “The Clone Wars” was almost an anthology show, but it had serialized arcs instead of stand-alone episodes. The rest of the “Star Wars” shows have all been serialized dramas, each episode continuing a long narrative. This show is more of a collection of shorts that show us who these two characters are. The Dooku shorts were close to serialization, but they all would work as stand-alone stories. This series is more akin to “The Clone Wars: Tales of Light and Dark,” which is a short story collection adapting arcs from “The Clone Wars” into written form.

Ahsoka

Aside from “Practice Makes Perfect,” the Ahsoka shorts weren’t the greatest. This isn’t the fault of the storytellers in any way. They were written, directed, and animated perfectly. The problem is that we already know Ahsoka’s story during the Clone Wars and the Rebellion era. We have “The Clone Wars,” “Rebels,” and the book “Ahsoka” to tell us everything we need to know. Her story has been told.

“Life and Death” was new because we had not seen Ahsoka in her infancy, but we didn’t need to. It didn’t add anything to the character, but it was a very nice introduction to the series. It showed us what it would be about and what we might expect for the rest of the show.

“Practice Makes Perfect” was phenomenal, but not because we saw a new side of Ahsoka. It was great because we got to relive the whole of “The Clone Wars” in 13 minutes. It was a fun and emotional ride, and watching the training scenes lead up to the iconic hangar bay battle in the final season of “The Clone Wars” was beautiful. I loved seeing Anakin and Obi-Wan’s old outfits again in the new animation style. It was very nostalgic.

While the story of “Resolve” was good, it still wasn’t necessary. We had a similar scene in the “Ahsoka” novel, so why do we need to see it again? Admittedly, showing Ahsoka at Padmé’s funeral was fantastic. It was interesting watching her wallow in her guilt. She felt responsible for Anakin’s fall, and it’s understandable. She would feel guilty since she had to go to Mandalore instead of staying on Coruscant. If she were able to stay, Anakin probably would not have fallen. It was emotional watching her attend Padmé’s funeral, not because the funeral itself was exciting but because of what it means to Ahsoka. Her guilt hasn’t been thoroughly explored, and I enjoyed what they did with it here.

Dooku

Now, we get to the meat of this series. I wasn’t the most excited about the Ahsoka shorts. I knew her story had already been told, and I didn’t expect her shorts to be perfect. But Count Dooku has a lot of stories to offer. His backstory has been explored in “Dooku: Jedi Lost” and “Master and Apprentice,” but there was still quite a bit that could be explored.

Dooku was already one of my favorite characters. He’s a bad guy, yes, but he isn’t simply evil like most of the villains in “Star Wars” (except for his character in “The Clone Wars,” but he had already wholly succumbed to the Dark Side at that point, so it made sense). Reading and listening about Dooku as a Jedi is one thing, but watching it on screen and seeing him and Qui-Gon as master and apprentice was special. Then seeing how Dooku was after Qui-Gon left to train Obi-Wan was equally as special. Dooku is essential to the “Star Wars” saga, and I don’t think I’ve ever loved his character as much as I do after this series.

“Justice” begins our exploration of Dooku’s character. We see his sense of morality and his controversial ideology. While Qui-Gon shares Dooku’s opinions and beliefs, he also ensures Dooku’s methods aren’t too extreme. I loved how Qui-Gon resolved the problem and kept Dooku from doing something that would have easily turned him to the Dark Side. This short was an exciting exploration of both characters, shedding much more light on Dooku.

“Choices” is another fantastic exploration of Dooku and ends with Dooku seeing the Republic and Jedi a little differently. He already had problems with both, sure. But, after squandering a rebellion before it could even begin, Dooku listens to one of the rebels and agrees with his ideology but not his methods. The conflict between Dooku and Windu adds quite a lot to the tension during the story and shows the beliefs and morality of both characters. I loved how the differences between the characters led to Windu getting a seat on the High Council and Dooku getting left in the dust. It shows what the Jedi believe in. The Council wants Jedi who follows orders to the letter, and they do not like Jedi who has different beliefs and ideas. It’s interesting to think about, and I love it.

I cannot say enough about “The Sith Lord.” It is perfect. We open with Dooku in the Jedi Archives and watch as he erases all data on Kamino. This is a huge moment in the “Star Wars” saga. In “Attack of The Clones,” Obi-Wan’s search for Padmé’s would-be assassin leads him to look for Kamino in the Archives, but it takes him a while to find Kamino because it’s not in the Archive. Only a Jedi could have erased it, and it begins the investigation into the origins of the clone army, which ends in season six of “The Clone Wars,” where Anakin and Obi-Wan learn that Dooku is the man called Tyrannus, who hired Jango Fett to be used as the template for the clones. They also uncovered the fate of Sifo-Dyas, who ordered the creation of the clones.

The point is, it’s fantastic that we saw such a huge moment in this show. I loved this scene, even if it lasted only a minute or two. We then hear that Qui-Gon approached the Jedi Council, alerting them that he encountered an attacker he believes is a Sith Lord. This event occurs in “The Phantom Menace,” which places this short firmly in the timeline. We move on to the end of “The Phantom Menace,” where Dooku and Jedi Master Yaddle discuss Qui-Gon’s death. Dooku then leaves the Jedi Temple, but Yaddle follows him, suspicious of Dooku’s actions.

Dooku meets with Darth Sidious in Coruscant’s industrial sector, where they meet at the end of “Attack of The Clones.” Dooku confronts Sidious about Qui-Gon’s death, but Sidious says it was a necessary sacrifice for their more significant goals. This is a scene from “Darth Plagueis,” a book from the Legends timeline. Dave Filoni often adds Legends ideas and concepts into the Canon timeline, so it’s nice to see him do it again.

Yaddle arrives and confronts Dooku, telling him it’s not too late to repent and return to the Jedi. Dooku wonders if he is doing the right thing, asking how many have died due to his actions. But he stands by his goals, believing his methods are the only way to put things right. Sidious tells Dooku that the only way to prove his loyalty to their cause is to kill Yaddle since she’s seen too much. They have an incredible duel, and Yaddle continues to do her best to persuade Dooku to turn back to the Jedi. But it is all in vain, and Dooku cuts her down.

It’s a powerful, emotional, thrilling short. In just 17 minutes, Filoni manages to tell an incredible story. I was left in awe. The themes were the most potent part of the episode, as Dooku and Yaddle go back and forth on redemption and loyalty. It’s an enthralling debate, and I loved it. This episode was my favorite by far.

The Visuals and Music

The animation was stunning, which I expected. Lucasfilm always has fantastic-looking animation. Every episode here feels like a moving Ralph McQuarrie painting, exactly what George Lucas was aiming for when they were working on “The Clone Wars.” I thought some shots looked more like something in a Disney animated film, mostly in “Choices.” But the rest of it looks perfect.

The music was great! It wasn’t the most iconic music but elevated each short significantly. It was very enjoyable and brought much more emotion to the series.

Verdict

This is “Star Wars.” We haven’t had anything like it since “The Clone Wars.” We’ve had some good shows, such as “The Mandalorian,” “The Bad Batch,” and now “Andor.” They are definitely “Star Wars” stories, but nothing has felt this much like George Lucas’s original vision in a long time. This show, despite its short run-time, is truly a masterpiece. Dave Filoni gets “Star Wars.” He understands the world, the characters, and the themes. He writes some incredible stories, and I think we can learn a lot from him as writers.

I’m thinking of going through each episode and analyzing the writing and storytelling techniques for each one. I want to give a writer’s perspective on this incredible series, and maybe we can learn more about writing short stories and character creation along the way. I think it would be fun. Let me know if you would want to see that.

Thanks for reading! Have a fantastic day.