Asajj Ventress Returns: Why Star Wars Seemingly Retconned A Huge Dark Disciple Death
Yes, Asajj Ventress (Nika Futterman) — Count Dooku's (Corey Burton) former Sith apprentice and a staple of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" — has returned to the "Star Wars" spotlight in the inaugural "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" Season 3 trailer. In doing so, she has sent the "Star Wars" fandom into a frenzy, for good and bad reasons. Though it's exciting to see her swing her yellow lightsaber around in the early years of the Empire, her presence at this point in the timeline seems to frustratingly retcon her demise in the 2015 book "Star Wars: Dark Disciple" by Christie Golden.
In the novel, Ventress and Jedi Quinlan Vos (Al Rodrigo) attempt to capture Dooku, but the Sith Lord gives them quite a fight. During the skirmish, Ventress sacrifices herself to save Vos, taking the brunt of Dooku's attack. He escapes, and Ventress' body is later laid to rest on her home planet, Dathomir, by Vos and fellow Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor). According to "The Bad Batch" supervising director and executive producer Brad Rau, the decision to bring Ventress to the show (and, therefore, seemingly contradict "Dark Disciple") was simply made out of a want to tell a new story with her. "We love Asajj Ventress. She's a character that we've been wanting to tell more stories about," he told StarWars.com.
Additionally, Rau explained how Ventress' "Bad Batch" comeback may not have as big an impact on the canon status of "Dark Disciple" as fans may think.
Ventress' return won't decanonize Dark Disciple
On paper, Asajj Ventress factoring into "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" Season 3 seems like a direct retcon of "Star Wars: Dark Disciple." The show's 3rd season takes place well into the reign of the Empire, which is long after the conclusion of the Clone Wars. Dooku famously dies during the Battle of Coruscant toward the end of the conflict, so Ventress and Quinlan Vos' mission couldn't have taken place post-"Bad Batch." Their mission and her subsequent death must have already happened by the time of Season 3, so how is she alive? Or, is "Dark Disciple" no longer canon?
Continuing his StarWars.com chat, Brad Rau revealed that "Dark Disciple" fans don't have to worry about tossing the book's events in the bin. Its events and those of "The Bad Batch" actually coexist, somehow. "We don't want to spoil anything, but want fans to know that any new storytelling with Ventress will align with the events of 'Star Wars: Dark Disciple,'" he shared with the website. Thus, until the next set of "Bad Batch" episodes arrives, it's anyone's guess as to how Ventress managed to rise from the grave to wreak havoc in the age of the Empire.
"Star Wars: The Bad Batch" Season 3 premieres on Disney+ on February 21.