The Return of the Witch: Asajj Ventress Reawakens in New Star Wars Series

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Enthusiastic Star Wars fans are thrilled as Asajj Ventress is set to return to the galaxy! In the upcoming animated series Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld, the formidable ex-Sith apprentice will make her comeback, with skilled voice actress Nika Futterman once more giving her a voice.

For over a decade now, Futterman has been the embodiment of Ventress in the 2008 “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” film and beyond. She’s played various characters such as Shaeeah Lawquane and Sy Snootles, but Ventress is particularly close to her heart. As she shared with StarWars.com, “I feel like I’ve grown into her, almost as if we’re a single entity.

Following the conclusion of “The Clone Wars”, Ventress was absent from view for quite some time, a period that Futterman found deeply distressing. She admitted, “I spent ten years hiding under the covers, sobbing and pleading, ‘Why did it end? We didn’t even get to conclude my story!’

The narrative of Ventress was carried forward in some sense, through the novel “Dark Disciple” penned by Christie Golden. This book is inspired by scripts from incomplete episodes of “The Clone Wars” and delves into her connection with Jedi Quinlan Vos. In this tale, Ventress makes a selfless sacrifice, revealing an unexpected facet of her character. However, she’s set to reappear on screen, and the series “Tales of the Underworld” will shed light on her return.

Recently, fans caught a sneak peek of Ventress in “The Bad Batch”, and Futterman referred to this as a “taster”. She further mentioned, “Following ‘The Bad Batch’, they informed me they had a bigger idea for a main course.

The upcoming Star Wars series will debut all six episodes on May 4th, celebrating Star Wars Day. But, two episodes can be accessed ahead of time through a unique Fortnite event. Out of the total six, three will delve into the adventures of bounty hunter Cad Bane, while the remaining three will continue Ventress’ storyline from where it was left in Dark Disciple, and follow her life post-Order 66.

This updated version of Ventress allows for more development of her character. As Futterman put it, “For years we’ve known her as an antagonist with complex layers, but not much softer side. I wouldn’t say she has softened, but we delve into aspects of her that go beyond the hardened lone wolf and road warrior image we’re accustomed to.

Ventress’ past connection with Vos significantly shapes her current identity. As Futterman puts it, “Her past love has illuminated aspects of her character that were previously hidden in darkness.

After some time away, stepping back into the character felt like a significant return for the actress. It was almost like diving headfirst back into the role I’ve come to know.

Initially, Ventress had a very royal tone. She retains some of that nobility due to her witchy and Dathmorian nature, but there’s a hint of something edgier about her now,” Futterman explained. “Her voice still has its deep, guttural, dark quality, yet it lacks the previous melodic inflections.

The sneak peek for “Tales of the Underworld” features Ventress battling a novel Inquisitor, wielding her distinctive yellow-bladed lightsaber from “Dark Disciple”, and surprisingly shielding a young one. However, don’t anticipate her to transform into a soft or nurturing character. Futterman succinctly stated: “It didn’t align with her character’s ruthless backstory. She hadn’t had the chance to reveal her softer side before, as it would have been too emotionally taxing.

Now, she’s been given an opportunity at last. And much like many enthusiasts, Futterman expresses hope that this isn’t the conclusion of her tale. “Come on, darling,” she exclaimed, “Everyone seems to adore her and crave more.

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2025-05-02 16:44