Tales of the Empire 1x04/1x05/1x06 "Devoted"/"Realization"/"The Way Out" Reaction

[@GhoulishGwyn]

These three episodes really are what Star Wars is all about. Selflessness and love always win in the long run.

[@maverickproductions3818]

I absolutely love Tales of the Empire. It gave us exactly what we needed for Morgan and Barriss’ characters. A backstory for Morgan and a completed story for Barriss (hopefully she survives somehow, but regardless her story finished beautifully). Just a beautiful story Barriss’ arc was, and how she sacrificed herself to then further save Lyn.

[@stevenmcmullan409]

We met Lyn, the Fourth Sister, briefly in the Obi-Wan Kenobi show. The other Inquisitors who kneeled before Darth Vader were Marrokk, who was taken out by Ahsoka in the Ahsoka show, and the nameless Inquisitor who was effortlessly taken out by Ahsoka in Tales of the Jedi. Huh. Counting Rebels, that makes, what, three or four Inquisitors that were directly taken out by Ahsoka? Clearly, while Anakin taught Ahsoka everything he knew, Darth Vader did NOT teach the Inquisitors everything he knew. Better to keep them from rising up against him.

[@X-Bones]

Technically someone else took out Marrok. The Marrok in Ahsoka was a nightsister zombie.

[@maverickproductions3818]

@@X-Bones I guess we can say Ahsoka took out Marrok (I imagine that is a name given to him by Morgan), while his previous name was a brother under the inquisitor coven

[@bemasaberwyn55]

Yes Steven, Ahsoka has singlehandedly merced 2 of the inquisitors we see in this first episode ( I remember that I'm pretty sure she took out the eighth brother. Kannan Slashed the helicopter blade from that other brother who was on Malachor and if I recall correctly.The seventh sister was killed by maul

[@maverickproductions3818]

@@bemasaberwyn55 If you’re referring to the inquisitor in Tales of the Jedi, that was the Sixth Brother from the Ahsoka novel. The one Kanan took out was the Eighth Brother.

[@kcha237]

They really could have made the Barriss story a whole season's worth of stories and I would not have complained at all.

[@Shadow_Robotnik]

I love Barris. It's easy to forget the reasoning behind what she did during the Clone Wars, and just label her as a traitor. She rebelled against the Jedi Order because of what they had become. She wasn't evil at heart, ever. She also wasn't wrong in WHY she did what she did. Politicians on both sides of the war sought out peaceful resolutions with no lasting effects. The self-proclaimed keepers of the peace were literally leading troops all throughout the galaxy, clones and Padawans alike were being forced to grow up on the battlefield. Talking against it wasn't working, nobody was listening to the wisest and more perceptive of this era. And even after she's caught, the actual message that she was trying to make clear is muddied underneath outrage for her actions, not understanding as to why she went that far. I love Ahsoka Tano, genuinely one of my favorite characters in all of fiction... But, like the people within the story, fans get too caught up in looking at the entire ordeal in a very simplistic way. We say all the time that actions speak louder than words. Well nobody was listening to anyone making an effort to stop the fighting. Meanwhile, Barriss is being ordered to fight in a war with no true understanding why, having to watch kids within her generation die, watch younglings of the next generation train to take their place, and all the while she's constantly aware that the Jedi code is in direct contradiction of alll of this. If SW fans want to hate her for framing Ahsoka, that's understandable from an emotional standpoint... But can we please agree that if we took away that aspect of it, a bunch of what she was trying to wake people up to was actually vital insight that might've saved everyone in the long run? She spoke no lies about what was going on, and that's without her having all the pieces of the puzzle. She was trying to do what she believed to be her only course of action. How many times have we seen that in Star Wars? Literally every main character I can think of did the same thing at some point in time, in different ways and with different results. Also, just pointing this out: while what she did was betrayal towards Ahsoka, it's ultimately due to her actions that Ahsoka sees the truth of the Jedi Council, and leaves, putting her on a path that allows her to survive.

[@PerovNigma]

*[1]* It's a shame that Barriss didn't also recognise the Grand Inquisitor, so she could name him too. *[2]* Marrok looks even more like a knight with that half-cloak. *[3]* I loved all the ideological back-and-forth between Barriss and the Fourth Sister, as well as their different methods of getting information. *[4]* Barriss coaxing the child was uncomfortable, not only because it was so evil, but because I wasn't certain if she was deliberately manipulating or just trying to get through a child's fear (removing her helmet reminded me of when Waxer took off his helmet to show Numa that him and Boil weren't droids). *[5]* I was surprised to see the child hug Barriss, but it offered some solid, silent characterisation. Barriss almost puts herself between the child and the Fourrh Sister, but not quite. She tells him to not look, but doesn't comfort or apologise, or even say something like "I didn't know she'd do that." She's got some compassion, but she's still an Inquisitor, and not supposed to comfort children. I totally expected the Fourth Sister to kill him too, but she doesn't. She's definitely evil, but she won't kill a kid, so there's still some good in her - foreshadowing her apparent return to the Light Side in the next short. *[6]* Bariss warns the Fourth Sister of the rockfall, but the Fourth Sister doesn't catch or wait for Barriss when she's hit by it. *[7]* I was totally expecting one of the other Inquisitor contenders, or the Jedi hiding in the mountains, to be a youngling from _The Clone Wars'_ youngling arc. A missed opportunity, I think. *[8]* Non-binary representation! Both the village child and Barriss refer to the unnamed Jedi with they/them pronouns. *[9]* Seeing some lines on Barriss Offee's face relieved me, because it made me think she's been a healer for a long time; she doesn't leave the Inquisitorious only to die a few months later. Then again, some theorise that her healing has drained her. *[10]* The description _"A shadow from Barriss' past catches up with her"_ made me think that Luminara or Ahsoka might appear in the third short, and confronting her would snap Barriss out of the Inquisitorious. When I got a second look at the approaching figure, the cape made me think it was Vader. But it was probably best to have a consistent presence across all three shorts (and I don't think Vader cares about how she hurt Ahsoka, or that a Luminara/Barriss relationship could be re-established well in just one short). *[11]* I expected Barriss to fight the Fourth Sister with white lightsabers, since she is a healer - maybe still in the same hilt. But it's better, as a Jedi and a healer, for her to just evade attacks rather than return in kind. It's also a good flip on the Grand Inquisitor's first lesson. *[12]* When the Fourth Sister shouts "Barriss!" and she responds "I'm here," the sound effect when the former strikes the ground (16:42) is from Exogol, when Kylo Ren meets Palpatine. *[13]* Barriss saying "I forgive you" after getting stabbed is about the most Light Side thing she could say, and a complete 180° on her previously writing off the Jedi Order for their violence. *[14]* The shot of Lyn leaving her lightsaber behind reminded me of the final shot of _Victory And Death,_ with Vader walking away from the clone helmet in the snow. *[15]* With Lyn mirroring Barriss' words to the unnamed Jedi, we get another parallel. These three shorts really like parallels, and I am not complaining. It's like poetry, they rhyme.

[@captaincoolbreeze9429]

In regard to point 1, the Grand Inquisitor was a Jedi Temple Guard. The Jedi Temple Guard is composed of Jedi Knights that become anonymous sentinels of the Jedi Temple.

[@PerovNigma]

@@captaincoolbreeze9429 I've heard others say it's a role that Jedi cycle in and out of.

[@leisastalnaker3790]

Lyn had to face herself in the cave. Her fear was her master as Barris said. As Yoda told Luke when Luke asked what was in the cave on Dagobah, “only what you take with you”. Lyn just got that lesson.

[@ThomasCorp]

Such a lovely thing, sharing with you, Jess, the continuation of Barriss Offee’s journey, and the greater spotlight on the Fourth Sister. The latter of whom I was already intrigued by upon my first introduction to her in Obi-Wan. But now seeing in this show, her becoming Lyn Rakish once more, I’m REALLY OBSESSED and I need SO much more.

[@illrated]

Your reaction to these episodes is why people should watch Clone Wars and Rebels. Perfect.

[@stevenmcmullan409]

I can finally say it! While it's very possible that the "friend" that Barris spoke of was Ahsoka, I think it just as likely that her friend was Asaaj Ventress! They have a past together and similar darkness to light story arcs. And while Ahsoka might be wary with Barris at first, I think she would quickly come around to the fact that she had changed. Not much drama there. Barris and Asaaj, on the other hand? Each trying to convince the other that they had changed? That's a reunion that could result in some quality drama.

[@jasonspaulding3949]

Glad that Barris got her redemption

[@Mis7erSeven]

The jedi were always the most important and most interesting part of star wars for me and I've always been on their side (even though many other viewers often questioning their decisions). Therefore, I've been mad at Bariss for many years now because of what she did to Ahsoka. Seing her returning to the light just made me very happy 😊

[@tomkadams]

Great to see your reaction not knowing who would be in these episodes. Totally agree that the animation is beautiful, they just keep getting better and better with it.

[@wardlafferty5022]

The old friend who Barriss is referring to is Ahsoka…also e6 takes 6 months after “Kenobi”.

[@dwnkaomwn3953]

Why would Ahsoka work with Bariss? The latter framed the former for her crimes.

[@KatiE-yp8hb]

@@dwnkaomwn3953 I mean it's not for certain. But if barris came in contact with her after she found the light again I would assume that Ahsoka would forgive her. I mean she was kind of right she just did the wrong thing and I think Ahsoka has realised that the Jedi were moving to the wrong direction from their path. Also it seems that she is maybe also working with the hidden path in some way so the friend could also be someone like Merrin or Cere

[@jamesbellefeuille2926]

Now that is a story that needs to be told. EDIT: "That" being an encounter between Ahsoka and Barriss.

[@wardlafferty5022]

@@KatiE-yp8hb Ahsoka doesn’t bare grudges…she most likely had a heart to heart with Barriss about the events of “the Wrong Jedi” & Barris couldn’t go the counsel with her gripes…I believe Sidious used the temple bombing to rid of Ahsoka…who blocked his path to Anakin.

[@KatiE-yp8hb]

@@wardlafferty5022 yeah , that is what I think too

[@bemasaberwyn55]

The brutal nature of TOTE was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Especially as we saw the 2 ways people tend to deal with trauma

[@hectorramirez9251]

Bariss wasn't any of my favorite star wars characters but I like this arc about her.

[@dirtyhawkstv1575]

Vader is not concerned at all with Anakin's past. That name no longer has any meaning to him.

[@sausage2099]

Does anybody here think that Jess might react to Hazbin Hotel?

[@ConnorEllisMusic]

What a dissapointing show. They really had Vader not notice Barriss Offee at all. Her arc for this should've been all the training, then right at the end meeting Vader, only for him to kill her instantly because of what she did to Ahsoka.

[@stevenmcmullan409]

The name and life of Anakin Skywalker no longer holds any meaning to Darth Vader.

[@CuddleCakez]

He obviously would have remembered but not cared. Likely his only thoughts about her would be her speech about the Jedi and that she might be a useful Inquisitor.

[@Citizen88020120820]

Bariss rocketed up in my intriguing characters list. She was never evil, she was just disillusioned and made naive bad decisions in how to deal with it.

[@nickthepostpunk5766]

Yes exactly that, I think.