Once again, the latest episode of Ahsoka engaged in a little bit of fun Easter egg-dropping. While the titular protagonist practiced her lightsaber form, she listened to an old hologram recording of her master. This Clone Wars-Anakin Skywalker gives his padawan some practical advice while warning her of the dangers she will likely face in the war; some of those dangers are named Count Dooku and General Grievous. Fans are probably familiar with these two heavy hitters. However, for the first time in live-action, fans got to hear the name “Asajj Ventress” uttered — from Hayden Christensen, no less!
For those who may not know, Asajj Ventress was one of the big antagonists in Dave Filoni’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars series. She was a dual-wielding assassin trained in the Dark Side of the Force by Count Dooku. While she wasn’t a full-fledged Sith, she was still just as deadly and ruthless, and served as one major headache for the likes of Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Asajj Ventress is an iconic Star Wars villain
Asajj Ventress appears in 14 episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, voiced by the incredible Nika Futterman. She’s a prominent player in the show’s first season before gaining a spectacular story arc in later seasons that see her begin to turn a new leaf. But, before Ventress finds some sort of redemption, fans can see her leading Separatist forces and carrying out Count Dooku’s terrible orders. A fearsome fighter, Ventress tangles with many Jedi throughout the animated series, including Ahsoka.
While Ventress was a standout character in Filoni’s series, she actually debuted in a previous animated iteration of the titular conflict. Voiced by Catwoman herself, Grey DeLisle, fans were introduced to Ventress in Genndy Tartakovsky’s 2003 micro-series, Star Wars: Clone Wars. In this show, the dark assassin arguably stole the whole spotlight as she and Anakin Skywalker engaged in one of the best lightsaber duels of all time. Seriously, the first Ventress vs. Skywalker duel is a must-see fight!
Asajj’s journey is an epic tale
Asajj Ventress’ story is a tragic one. Born on Dathomir and taken from a young age, the Force-wielder grew up partly in slavery. As an orphan, she was found and trained in the ways of the Force by Jedi Knight Ky Narec. Together, the two lived on a planet filled with criminal warlords and pirates. For decades, they fought against this element until, tragically, Narec was killed. Once again alone, Ventress was captured and forced into the life of a gladiator.
By the time Count Dooku found her, Ventress felt broken and abandoned, and blamed the Jedi Order for the countless tragedies that befell her. This made her the perfect tool for the Sith.
However, after being betrayed by her Sith master in The Clone Wars Season 3, Ventress returns to Dathomir and reunites with the Nightsisters. After failing to kill Dooku, Ventress is forced to watch as General Grievous leads a genocide against her homeworld. This leads her to become a common bounty hunter, where she once again crosses paths with Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, this time on more friendly terms … sort of.
Overall, Asajj Ventress’ character arc is one of the most well-layered in the Star Wars franchise. It didn’t matter if she was a villain or anti-hero. Whenever she was on the screen, the spotlight was nearly always on her.
