Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi is a new Star Wars series on Disney+ that explores the backgrounds for some of the characters that were seen in the prequel series of the Skywalker Saga. The series is split into six episodes that follows two paths. One is that of Ahsoka Tano and the other is Count Dooku. Ashley Eckstein returns to voice Ahsoka. Corey Burton voices Dooku. The series was created by Dave Filoni and produced by Lucasfilm Animation.
Story
Two stories are being told concurrently throughout the six episodes of Tales of the Jedi. One is the story of Dooku, before he became Count Dooku. At this point, he is a part of the Jedi Order. The series chronicles some key points in his life that led to him becoming Count Dooku. The story and character development for Dooku’s descent are masterfully done. This continues to build on the gift that Star Wars: The Clone Wars gave of adding more depth to the overarching story that was told during the prequels of the Skywalker Saga.
The story of Ahsoka starts with her as a baby and her earliest signs of being gifted with the Force. It then continues to her days as an apprentice where more of the relationship between Anakin and Ahsoka are explored. It concludes with her realizing she can never be something that she isn’t. In the process, she becomes even stronger than she ever could have been before. Her story development provides new insight to her strength, her personality, and motivations. If you were a fan of Ahsoka before, that love will only be amplified through the course of her story.
There are also some moments in Star Wars that are revealed that have major implications later in the Star Wars history. It also shows some of the earlier warning signs of the strengths and weaknesses revealed within the Jedi Order on a bigger scale during the prequels and The Clone Wars. Overall, this series really comes down to solid stories in shorter form than a full length series with full length episodes. Every minute counts and so does every story choice. This makes for some really good Star Wars.
Quality
Tales of the Jedi continues the legacy of Lucasfilm Animation that began with Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It looks beautiful. It sounds beautiful. It is enjoyable to watch. The story adds quite a bit of depth to the characters it focuses on and the world that they live in. The design of the series shows how Lucasfilm Animation continues to grow and evolve. At its core, however, this is excellent storytelling that builds on the Star Wars so many fans have known and loved for decades.
Characters
There are many recognizable characters in Tales of the Jedi for fans who have watched the prequels of the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and also Star Wars Rebels to a lesser extent. Thankfully, the expansion of the stories for these characters do no harm. In fact, they do quite the opposite. These motivations of these characters later in their lives make even more sense after watching this series. It is interesting to see how it adds to the weight of the stories that have been around for quite some time to see how, in particular, Dooku became Count Dooku and Ahsoka grew to become the powerful force for good that is seen later in the prequels and The Clone Wars. One path is absolutely terrifying and the other is beautiful.
The peripheral characters are also fascinating to watch grow and develop. This includes Yaddle, who is voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard. She is given a backstory worth of a Yaddle, who sat on the Jedi Council. Her story has always been a mystery, and now more is known. Appearances by Palpatine, Senator Organa, Anakin, and others also all were done with skill and care. The choices made were good ones.
Music
The music for Tales of the Jedi is written by Kevin Kiner. He also composed the music for Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. The music effectively accompanies the stories being told. It is a nice next chapter in the musical legacy of Kiner. It builds off of the music that he has written in the past and masterfully adds to the stories being told. This music is some of his best and is worth listening to alone.
Final Thoughts
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi is an excellent addition to the Star Wars story. It does a fantastic job of building on the stories of Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku. The return of Ashley Eckstein to the role of Ahsoka Tano is a wonderful one. Corey Burton also does a nice job of continuing Dooku’s story. The moments that really made each of these characters into the who they become are wonderful to watch and are worth watching more than once. This is a solid series that I take my “Hat’s Off” to! Check it out on Disney+ today!
Mr. DAPs Hat Rating Scale
- No Hat – Didn’t meet expectations
- Hat Nod – It was ok
- Hat Tip – It was good
- Hat’s Off – Loved it!
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