The Star Wars: Tales of the Empire trailer shows Barriss Offee learning the ways of the Dark Side of the Force from the Grand Inquisitor – so, what gives? How is Barriss Offee connected to the Inquisitors in Tales of the Empire?
Related: When Does Star Wars: Tales of the Empire Come Out?
Barriss Offee’s Connection to the Inquisitors, Explained
If your Star Wars knowledge is largely confined to the movies and live-action TV shows, Barriss Offee hanging out with the Grand Inquisitor will come as a shock. After all, Barriss only appears in one film, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, and there, she’s a Jedi padawan. Admittedly, Barriss doesn’t get a whole lot of screentime, but even so, there’s no hint of a fall to the Dark Side looming on her horizon. She’s just a background Jedi, which means she’s one of the goodies.
Related: Why Is Barriss Offee in Jail in Star Wars: Tales of the Empire?
But anyone familiar with animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars knows there’s a lot more to Barriss Offee’s story. Indeed, she arguably has one of the most nuanced arcs of the show’s seven-season run. It’s a bit complicated to explain, but essentially, Barriss loses faith in the Jedi Order. She orchestrates a bombing at the Jedi Temple and frames Ahsoka Tano to cover her tracks. Fortunately for Ahsoka, Anakin Skywalker manages to clear her name. As a result, Barriss winds up in space jail – with the future Grand Inquisitor among the Temple Guards who shunt her off to the cooler.
Is Barriss Offee a Member of the Inquisitorius?
Presumably, the Grand Inquisitor remembered Barriss Offee after his own fall from grace, following the Jedi Order’s downfall in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. This would explain not only why Barriss is at large again in the Tales of the Empire trailer, but also her newly confirmed association with the Inquisitorius. That said, there’s still plenty we don’t know about Barriss’ time with the Grand Inquisitor and his underlings – including whether she becomes a fully-fledged Jedi hunter herself.
Related: Tales of the Empire Trailer Teases the Continuation of Barriss Offee’s Story
It’s clear from the Tales of the Empire trailer that Barriss Offee isn’t yet an actual Inquisitor when the animated anthology kicks off. Sure, we see several shots of Barriss wielding one of the Inquisitors’ signature spinning lightsabers, but this could just part of her training. What’s more, the Grand Inquisitor’s dialogue refers to a test the ex-Jedi needs to complete before joining the Inquisitorius’ ranks. So, it seems Barriss has a way to go yet before she scores her own room at Fortress Inquisitorius!
Star Wars: Tales of the Empire premieres on Disney+ on May 4, 2024.
