The “Tales” animated series has been a welcomed surprise to the ever-growing catalog of Star Wars canonical content. Created by Dave Filoni, each season of the short-form animated series consists of six episodes that explore two different story arcs. It debuted in 2022 with “Tales of the Jedi” which added backstory to prequel-era characters Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku. The next installment was 2024’s “Tales of the Empire” which focused on the more deeply rooted Morgan Elsbeth and Barriss Offee.

The “Tales” series is very much aimed at heavily invested Star Wars fans. Ahsoka and Dooku are fairly well known names and both have established histories within the franchise. Their season had a broader appeal that could reach most levels of fandom. But “Tales of the Empire” honed in on more obscure characters with fewer connections for more casual fans. That didn’t bother me a bit. But for those less obsessed than I admittingly am, Season Two was a challenge (in addition to having one noticeably stronger arc than the other).

The new season, “Tales of the Underworld” finds itself somewhere in the middle. It highlights two Filoni fan favorites who will be foreign to those only familiar with the Star Wars movies. But if you’re a fan of Star Wars animation, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Asajj Ventress and Cad Bane. Ventress (voiced by Nika Futterman) was a one-time Jedi who turned to the Dark Side before eventually leaving the Sith to become a bounty hunter. Cad Bane (voiced by Corey Burton) was a ruthless bounty hunter and perpetual thorn in the Republic’s side during the Clone Wars.

The first three episodes are dedicated to Asajj Ventress and opens with a deep-cut that will thrill the most ardent of lore hounds (especially fans of Christie Golden’s 2015 novel “Star Wars: Dark Disciple”). Episode One begins with Quinlan Vos and Obi-Wan Kenobi returning a deceased Ventress back to her home planet of Dathomir. They leave after placing her body in a burial pool, but soon after she is resurrected by the spirits of the Nightsisters. From there the arc follows her life off the grid where she unexpectedly takes in a young Jedi on the run.

The next three episodes give us the origin story of Cad Bane. It begins by showing his life as a young orphan roaming the crime-riddled streets of Duro with his best friend Niro. The two are lured into helping a charismatic gangster named Laszlo. But during a job the two friends are separated. Cad escapes with Laszlo while Niro is arrested. Years later the two are reunited but on opposite sides of the law leading to a confrontation that will have a lasting impact on the future bounty hunter.

Both stories are equally compelling while also being quite different. The Ventress arc feels like a new chapter with an open-ended conclusion to be picked up later. It adds some new shades to Ventress who we last saw in the final season of “The Bad Batch”. Bane’s arc is every bit of an origin story that does a good job setting the table for the character he would become. Borrowing from classic spaghetti westerns and (more specifically) 1952’s beloved “High Noon”, Filoni and screenwriter Matt Michnovetz craft a rich and surprisingly mature arc.

As we’ve come to expect, “Tales of the Underworld” features crisp animation that stays true to Lucasfilm’s distinct and established style. The voice acting and sound design remains top notch while the storytelling expands the lore surrounding its two characters although in distinctly different ways. Again, there’s a chance of this only appealing to its core audience which I consider myself a part of. For others, finding connections could prove to be a chore. But I’m still glad things like this exist, adding depth to the already weighty Galaxy Far, Far Away.

VERDICT – 4 STARS