The Bad Batch Just Brought a Dead Star Wars Character Back the Right Way
Somehow, Ventress returned.
From the moment she appeared in the trailer for The Bad Batch Season 3, Asajj Ventress became a major draw for fans tuning into the animated series’ final season. The former Nightsister was a big baddie in The Clone Wars, and hardcore fans know she had a redemption arc and whirlwind romance in the 2015 young adult novel Dark Disciple.
However, her appearance meant a major Star Wars mystery needed to be answered. This topic was conveniently sidestepped in her first Bad Batch episode, but that decision proved how not revealing something can be a stronger choice than explaining everything all at once.
Ventress appears in The Bad Batch Season 3 Episode 9, “The Harbinger,” to investigate claims that the Empire had imbued Omega with midi-chlorians, essentially creating the Force-sensitive clone Palpatine has been aiming for throughout the Empire era.
Ventress attempts to measure Omega’s m-count with a test involving a giant sea creature.
But fans who read Dark Disciple know this cameo isn’t as simple as it looks. Ventress met her demise at the end of the novel after sacrificing herself to save her apprentice-turned-lover Quinlan Vos from Count Dooku. Vos then brought her back to Dathomir to be laid to rest in the Water of Life, a body of water with magical healing properties.
While Ventress’ resurrection could easily be explained by these mystical waters reviving her, The Bad Batch chooses not to comment at all, pulling another “Somehow, Palpatine returned” only five years after The Rise of Skywalker. The difference here is that Ventress is surrounded by people she’s just met. It doesn’t matter how she got there, and she certainly doesn’t need to explain her tragic backstory to a tiny clone and her overprotective brothers.
This should be an intriguing development for Star Wars fans, as it means Ventress’ revival could be properly explained later. Bad Batch head writer Jennifer Corbett even confirmed to StarWars.com that this isn’t the last we’ve seen of her. “How she survived will be revealed in future content,” she said, “But for this story, we were thrilled to include her and explore her unique connection to, and compassion for, Omega.”
Ventress’ origins aren’t revealed because they don’t matter to the Batch.
We could find out exactly how Ventress returned as soon as The Bad Batch’s finale — its title, “The Cavalry,” suggests it will bring back all the one-episode characters from the season. Notably, however, Corbett used the term “future content” instead of “future episode.” That implies we’ll learn more about Ventress’ fate in a different series, or even another novel.
Star Wars can’t stop bringing back beloved characters, and while you can debate that strategy, it doesn’t mean an explanation is immediately required. Palpatine’s return in Rise of Skywalker was weird because he’s a galactic supervillain, but when Boba Fett was brought back to Star Wars canon in The Mandalorian, how he escaped the Sarlacc was left for The Book of Boba Fett. All Mando fans needed to know then was that he was back and ready for adventure.
Ventress’ situation is similar. When asked at the end of the episode what side she’s on, she cryptically answers, “My own.” She doesn’t owe anyone her life story; it will be revealed when it becomes relevant. For now, she’s just a mysterious figure navigating the universe on her own. The Empire may come after her, but she’s been through worse. “They can try,” she says. “But I’ve got a few lives left.”
The Bad Batch is streaming on Disney+.
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