Genndy Tartakovsky, creator of the iconic Star Wars villain Asajj Ventress, addresses her franchise return. Asajj first debuted in Tartakovsky’s 2003 Star Wars: Clone Wars micro-series that aired on Cartoon Network. She returned in 2008’s The Clone Wars and played a prominent role in seasons 1-5.
After The Clone Wars was canceled, her unfinished arc from the show was told in the Star Wars novel Dark Disciple by Christie Golden, where she died after making a noble sacrifice. Years later, Asajj was back from the dead in The Bad Batch season 3, and she also had her own three-episode arc in Tales of the Underworld.
While speaking with Inverse, Tartakovsky explains how he and his creative team developed Asajj into the character fans know and love after initially having nothing but a drawing of her. He also discusses how Clone Wars opened the door for Star Wars beyond George Lucas, along with addressing Asajj’s Star Wars future and potential live-action debut. Check out his comments below:
Asajj, they gave us just a drawing of her, and that’s all we had, so we had to figure out what could be her shtick and her story. Any type of character creation, if it lasts, is amazing. Because it was a success, it kind of opened the door for George [Lucas] to be okay with other people doing Star Wars. Because before that, nobody really could do it, and he didn’t trust anybody. So, we were successful, and it almost opened the door to what it is now, with so many projects that other people are working on. We did it first in a way, and we didn’t mess it up. If she becomes live action, super cool. And, if they ask me to do it, that would be an interesting conversation.
What This Means For Asajj Ventress
Even though Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars is not part of the Star Wars canon, Asajj went on to become a fan-favorite character, and she now has a bright future ahead of her in canon. Without the contributions of Tartakovsky and his creative team, she would not exist in the way that fans know her today.
Her appearance in The Bad Batch season 3 episode “The Harbinger” and her Tales of the Underworld arc in many ways felt like a backdoor pilot for a new show focused on her. Asajj’s connections to the criminal underworld and her history serving the Sith also makes her a natural fit to appear in the upcoming animated series Maul – Shadow Lord.
Maul – Shadow Lord takes place after The Clone Wars and will premiere on Disney+ in 2026.
As for live-action storytelling, Asajj was mentioned by Anakin Skywalker during a recording of his in Ahsoka season 1. Since Asajj’s death has been undone, she can appear in more movies and shows that take place after The Clone Wars and make her live-action debut as many other animated characters already have.
Tartakovsky’s comments help me further appreciate Asajj’s impact on Star Wars and make me even more excited about her future. She is a unique character, partly for being created during Lucas’ final decade with the franchise, while also helping to prove that creators other than him could do Star Wars well.
Asajj was a standout character during Lucas’ final years, but she also paved the way for what Star Wars would become after being acquired by Disney, and now she has made her own triumphant return. The idea of Tartakovsky tackling Asajj for live-action is fascinating and could bring her journey full-circle, although for now, I expect her onscreen story will continue in animation.
- Cast
-
Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal
- TV Show(s)
-
The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions
- Movie(s)
-
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order
- Character(s)
-
Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
