Recently, a fan-favorite Star Wars character has returned to the series. However, unlike some other franchise cameos that have run toward dead ends, this revival sparks some possibilities that Star Wars games could take advantage of.

Thanks in part to the direction Dave Filoni has been taking the franchise, Star Wars is rife with cameos of older characters in its current Disney+ era. Some of those characters, such as Ahsoka and Boba Fett, managed to get themselves spin-offs of their own. On the one hand, this 'Mandoverse' project has been successful at keeping the world going after the sequel trilogy's fallout. Unfortunately, the constant reuse of characters from the depths of the series' canon has served to upset the stakes of prior material, muddy continuity, and generally make the galaxy feel like a smaller place. Still, even with these downsides, Asajj Ventress' return is an opportunity Star Wars games shouldn't be afraid of exploring.

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The Return Of Asajj Ventress Is Something Star Wars Games Shouldn't Waste

A place where this trend has hit a fever pitch is The Bad Batch, a Clone Wars spin-off that has characters constantly run into other major players in the franchise, such as Hera, Fennec, Cad Bane, and the very same rancor seen in Return of the Jedi. While the reception of this trend has been mixed, one of the show's recent cameos has caught some attention. The Bad Batch has brought Asajj Ventress, the force-wielding night sister trained under Count Dooku, back into the limelight. The iconic character, with her acrobatics and strong force powers, would make a great fit for a future Star Wars game.

Ventress Is Unique In Many Ways

Asajj Ventress is a special case in terms of Star Wars characters. From the outset, her alignment has never been straight; she's a force user with a pair of red lightsabers, but isn't technically part of the Sith. The 2008 Clone Wars series saw her leave the tutelage of Dooku and strike out on her own, becoming a third party on the fringes that does battle with both Republic and Separatist forces. The mass murder of her fellow night sisters by General Grievous only isolates her further, leading to a character with many gaps in their story where solo adventures could go—adventures that would be ripe for exploration via the gaming medium.

In addition, Ventress has a memorable moveset among Star Wars characters. She's known for her highly-acrobatic combat style and her use of double lightsabers. With how the Jedi series of games have refined lightsaber combat, it'd be great to see that formula adapted with Ventress or a character like her. On the other hand, she'd also serve as a great foe—especially for any game without a force-wielding lead. 2008's Clone Wars does a lot to sell how horrifying she is to encounter for clones, so she'd be a great fit for a tough fight in a game where sabers are replaced by shooting.

Asajj Ventress Would Be Perfect For A Game Set During The Clone Wars

Some fans are starting to feel fatigued by all the Star Wars content taking place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. It's this era that really kicked off dragging back up old Star Wars iconography for cheap applause, something that's only escalated since. Ventress' own introduction in The Bad Batch is no exception, finding itself in this exact timeline slot.

However, there are far fewer projects set within the Clone Wars that aren't the 2008 series itself. Using Ventress in this setting would be far less likely to spur a bad reaction from fans, not to mention how perfect the period is for high-octane video game action. A solid Star Wars game placed in this era, one that takes advantage of Ventress as an enemy or as the protagonist, could redeem the franchise's video game output after the controversy surrounding Battlefront Classic Collection's launch.

Star Wars

Star Wars is a multimedia franchise originally created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy of movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other media like comics, video games, tv shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.