‘Tales of the Jedi’, A Lesson on Hope

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi Review

When I heard that Disney was making a Star Wars anthology series called ‘Tales of the Jedi’ I was stoked. I thought they’d be adapting the 90s comics of the same name. Instead of taking us back 4,000 years, though, Disney copped out by treading familiar ground with characters we already know, like Ashoka and Dooku. After watching it, though, I thought this anthology series turned about two Jedi and the paths their lives took wound up being better than I thought. It encapsulated two different views on the world and how each Jedi viewed it. One of them saw the world for what it was, while the other saw it for what it could be.

That, and we got to see Ashoka as a baby.

Despite seemingly having nothing in common, there are a lot of parallels between the stories of Ashoka and Dooku. Both were raised by the Jedi and held them up on this pedestal. They saw them as the good guys who always did what was right. However, as they got older, they realized things weren’t so black and white. That the Jedi had lost their way, serving a Republic rotting from the inside out. That ultimately made both disillusioned with the Jedi and leave the order.

Nor can we blame them. As we see in both Dooku and Ashoka’s stories, the Jedi had many problems. Despite claiming not to, they served a corrupt Senate and its self-serving whims. Dooku especially grows frustrated as he keeps seeing how selfish those in power can be. Eventually, they both lose faith in the Jedi and decide to leave them behind. 

A Story of Cynicism vs. Idealism

Tales of the Jedi makes no secret how flawed the Jedi had become. However, it also contrasts Dooku and Ashoka’s stories through one key fact: how they dealt with these realizations. Dooku let this anger and resentment build up until he finally snapped and became Sidious’ unwitting pawn. The bitter irony is that Sidious was probably responsible for much of the Republic’s corruption. 

On the other hand, Ashoka, despite briefly giving up, ultimately refuses to give up hope. That for all the flaws in the Galaxy, it was still worth fighting for. That the ideas of the Jedi still meant something. That’s why, when the Empire comes looking for her, she chooses to fight back. As a result, she sets out on the path that will ultimately see her help build a rebellion that will bring the Empire down.

Don’t Let Bad Things Break You

Overall, if I had to say what the theme was behind Tales of the Jedi was, it’s the struggle between cynicism vs. idealism. Not blind idealism, though. I mean being idealistic despite knowing how much people can suck. Dooku saw the Galaxy as rotten and let it corrupt him. Ashoka, though, despite all she went through, decided that despite this, it was still worth fighting for. And in the end, Ashoka’s way of thinking gets vindicated when the Empire finally falls. 

Now, if Disney would just let the Jedi come back, I’d have no problems with Star Wars.

I Give ‘Tales of the Jedi’ a 3.5/5

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