Tales of the Jedi (TV series)

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Not to be confused with Tales of the Jedi (comics).
Tales of the Jedi
File:Tales of the Jedi logo.webp
Genre <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Created by Dave Filoni
Based on <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Voices of <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Composer(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 6
Production
Executive producer(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • Dave Filoni
  • Athena Yvette Portillo
  • Carrie Beck
Producer(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • Alex Spotswood
  • Josh Rimes
Running time 13–17 minutes
Production company(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Distributor Disney Platform Distribution
Release
Original network Disney+
Original release October 26, 2022 (2022-10-26)
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]

Tales of the Jedi, also marketed as Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi,[1] is an American animated anthology miniseries created by Dave Filoni.[2][3][4] It is part of the Star Wars franchise, exploring different Jedi characters from the prequel trilogy era. The series was produced by Lucasfilm Animation, with Charles Murray as head writer and Filoni as supervising director, for the streaming service Disney+.

Filoni began writing the series while working on the Star Wars series The Mandalorian, and revealed the first official details about it in May 2022. It consists of six episodes split into two "paths", one following the character Ahsoka Tano and the other depicting the character Count Dooku, with the final episode loosely adapting the events of the 2016 novel Ahsoka by E. K. Johnston. Ashley Eckstein, Corey Burton, Janina Gavankar, Micheál Richardson, TC Carson, Ian McDiarmid, Liam Neeson, Bryce Dallas Howard, Phil LaMarr, Clancy Brown, Matt Lanter, James Arnold Taylor, and Dee Bradley Baker provide voices for the series, which uses the same animation style as Filoni's previous series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

All episodes of Tales of the Jedi were released on Disney+ on October 26, 2022, to critical acclaim.

Premise

Each episode of Tales of the Jedi tells a short story featuring Jedi from the Star Wars prequel trilogy era.[5] The six episodes are split into two "paths": the first following Ahsoka Tano across various points in her life, and the other depicting a young Count Dooku before his fall to the dark side of the Force.[6][7]

Cast and characters

Yoda, Plo Koon, Tera Sinube, Saesee Tiin, Ima-Gun Di, Caleb Dume, Depa Billaba, and Mon Mothma appear in non-speaking cameos.

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original release date
1 "Life and Death" Nathaniel Villanueva Dave Filoni October 26, 2022 (2022-10-26)
A year after her birth, an infant Ahsoka Tano is taken on her first hunting trip with her mother, Pav-ti Tano. Both are surprised by a large predatory animal, which kidnaps Ahsoka. After Ahsoka subdues the animal and has it return her to the village, the village elder realizes that she has a strong connection to the Force.
2 "Justice" Saul Ruiz Dave Filoni October 26, 2022 (2022-10-26)
Jedi Master Dooku and his Padawan, Qui-Gon Jinn, are sent to a dilapidated village on a planet to retrieve a senator's kidnapped son. As it turns out, the senator is starving and abusing his people, leading to the kidnapping. As the senator attacks and threatens to make an example of all involved, Dooku uses a Force choke to intervene, but is stopped by his Padawan before he kills the senator. The senator’s son solemnly promises the village that he will help them.
3 "Choices" Charles Murray Charles Murray and Élan Murray October 26, 2022 (2022-10-26)
Jedi Masters Count Dooku and Mace Windu are sent to Raxus Secundus to investigate the mysterious death of one of their own. They discover that the senator's guard killed the Jedi in a failed attempt to force the corrupt senator to include them in his plot. After the attackers are subdued, Dooku is passed over as a member of the High Council in favor of Windu, as the council does not condone his aggressive methods.
4 "The Sith Lord" Saul Ruiz Dave Filoni October 26, 2022 (2022-10-26)
At the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Dooku secretly uses access codes that belonged to Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas to erase all records of the planet Kamino. Shortly afterwards, Dooku is informed by Jocasta Nu about Qui-Gon's encounter with Darth Maul on Tatooine.[lower-alpha 1] Later, Dooku reunites with Qui-Gon and the two discuss the encounter with the Sith Lord. Dooku warns his former apprentice that the Jedi Council is unlikely to take the concerns about Maul's threat seriously. Shortly after Qui-Gon's death, Jedi Master Yaddle discovers that Dooku has been collaborating with another Sith Lord, Darth Sidious. She attempts to reason with Dooku, but is unsuccessful. The two engage in a lightsaber duel in the presence of Sidious. Yaddle is ultimately defeated and killed by Dooku in order to preserve his secret, solidifying his fall to the Dark Side of the Force.
5 "Practice Makes Perfect" Saul Ruiz Dave Filoni October 26, 2022 (2022-10-26)
Disappointed with a battle simulation she has to fulfill, Anakin Skywalker devises a rigorous exercise for his Padawan, Ahsoka, where she has to overcome a group of clones. Practicing the drill for years, Ahsoka is able to survive the enactment of Order 66 aboard the Republic cruiser Tribunal.[lower-alpha 2]
6 "Resolve" Saul Ruiz Dave Filoni October 26, 2022 (2022-10-26)
On Naboo, during the funeral of Padmé Amidala, Senator Bail Organa briefly catches sight of a familiar face: Ahsoka Tano. He follows her into a colonnade of the royal palace, and asks her why she came given the danger. Noticing that a clone trooper patrol is approaching, Bail leads her out of the palace, giving her a comlink in case she needs help. Some time after, Ahsoka goes into hiding and becomes a farmer. After the brother of a farmer she saved with the Force realizes her true identity and reports her to the Empire, the village she worked at is massacred and set ablaze by an Inquisitor. Ahsoka confronts and kills the Inquisitor. The day following the confrontation, she contacts Organa, who arrives to pick up the survivors of the Imperial attack. He asks Ahsoka if she is willing to join his fight against the Empire. She accepts Bail's request and joins his rebel cell.[lower-alpha 3]

Production

Development

While traveling to work on the Star Wars series The Mandalorian, Dave Filoni began writing short stories about different Jedi characters from the franchise's prequel trilogy era. Carrie Beck, senior vice president of development and production at Lucasfilm, asked if Filoni wanted to turn these into a series, which he compared to her "find[ing] the money" for a revival of his animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars on the streaming service Disney+.[13] In December 2021, the logo for Tales of the Jedi was included on holiday gifts for Lucasfilm employees alongside logos for upcoming film and television projects at the studio. This was also the name of an unrelated comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics in the 1990s.[14] Lucasfilm confirmed the project in April 2022 when the company announced the schedule for Star Wars Celebration, with Filoni set to discuss the animated anthology series in a dedicated panel.[15] This was held at the end of May, and revealed that the series consists of six episodes,[6] five of which are written by Filoni and the other by The Clone Wars writer Charles Murray along with Élan Murray.[6][1] Each episode is approximately 15 minutes long.[16][17] Filoni also serves as creator, supervising director, and executive producer, with Athena Yvette Portillo and Beck also executive producers.[1]

Writing

Filoni described the series as exploring "two paths and two choices", with one following the character Ahsoka Tano and the other focusing on Count Dooku. Each character is explored in three different eras of their lives.[7] Comparing the series to The Clone Wars, Filoni noted that Tales of the Jedi was slower paced and like "a series of tone poems" with less dialogue and more visual storytelling. This was inspired by the works of Hayao Miyazaki as well as Filoni's mentor, Star Wars creator George Lucas.[5][7] Filoni's first idea for the series was to show how Ahsoka was brought to the Jedi Order by Plo Koon, but he changed this to a story about Ahsoka's first hunting trip with her mother because there had not been many stories about "moms being moms" in Star Wars.[5][18] He felt it was important that "Ahsoka's first experience with someone telling her, 'Don't be afraid,' is her mother." Beyond the first episode, which has a happy ending and features the "adorable baby Ahsoka",[7] Filoni warned that "these aren't just fun, happy stories. It gets rough at times." He particularly felt that Dooku's life was "surprisingly tragic", and attributed some of the series' darker episodes to them being written during the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] An aspect of Dooku that Filoni wanted to explore was the relationship with his padawan learner, Qui-Gon Jinn, whom Filoni described as "one of the best and, in some ways, most interesting Jedi, because of his philosophy, which is different from the Jedi Council. And where did he learn that, if not from his mentor, Count Dooku?"[7]

Casting

With the series' announcement in May 2022, it was revealed that Liam Neeson would reprise his role as Qui-Gon Jinn, while his son Micheál Richardson would voice a younger version of the character.[10] Matt Lanter reprises his role as Anakin Skywalker from The Clone Wars,[6] while Janina Gavankar was cast as Ahsoka Tano's mother, Pav-ti Tano.[7] In July 2022, Ashley Eckstein revealed she would be reprising her role as Ahsoka Tano.[8]

Animation

The series uses the same animation style as The Clone Wars,[5] with Murray, Nathaniel Villanueva, and Saul Ruiz serving as directors;[19][1] Villanueva has also previously worked on other Star Wars animated projects.[19]

Music

Kevin Kiner composed music for the series, after previously doing so for The Clone Wars and Rebels.[1]

All music composed by Kevin Kiner.

Tales of the Jedi (Original Soundtrack)
No. Title Length
1. "Birth of Ahsoka"   1:33
2. "Ahsoka's Village"   2:47
3. "Sanctity of Life"   2:45
4. "Tiger"   2:19
5. "The Bond"   2:33
6. "Ahsoka Returns"   2:59
7. "A Real Test"   3:28
8. "Let's Go Again"   2:19
9. "Training Pays Off"   1:36
10. "Secret Mourner"   2:10
11. "No One Is Safe"   4:13
12. "The Inquisitor"   3:45
13. "Ahsoka Is Ready"   1:13
14. "Dooku Arrives"   2:44
15. "The Kidnappers"   2:34
16. "Soldiers Are Here"   4:52
17. "No More Suffering"   2:24
18. "Murder Case"   2:25
19. "Mystery in Raxus"   2:09
20. "Dooku Investigates"   3:10
21. "Dooku Contemplates"   2:33
22. "Qui-Gon and the Sith Lord"   4:59
23. "Flight Into Darkness"   4:04
24. "Dooku vs. Yaddle"   3:16
25. "Dooku's Fall"   2:45
Total length:
 1:11:00

Marketing

Filoni revealed the first details about the series at a Star Wars Celebration panel in May 2022, where a teaser was shown and the full first episode screened.[5]

Release

Tales of the Jedi premiered on Disney+ on October 26, 2022, with all of its six episodes.[20]

Reception

Audience viewership

According to Parrot Analytics, which looks at consumer engagement in consumer research, streaming, downloads, and on social media, Tales of the Jedi was the 4th most in-demand streaming show in the United States, during the week of October 29, 2022 to November 4, 2022.[21] According to Whip Media, Tales of the Jedi was the 9th most streamed original series across all platforms in the United States, during the week ending October 30, 2022.[22]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 19 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.30/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Under the reliable stewardship of Dave Filoni, Tales of the Jedi is an absorbing expansion of Star Wars lore that will delight Padawan-level fans and encyclopedic Force scholars alike."[23]

Brian Young of /Film asserted, "These episodes are full of pathos and interesting connections to the broader Star Wars lore. The quality of work from the writers, from Lucasfilm Animation, and the music of Kevin Kiner has never been better. My hope is that these mini-episodes are popular enough to spin more Jedi into the limelight for more tales."[24] Kevin Fox, Jr. of Paste gave the series a grade of 8.2 out of 10, stating, "The overall result, as overseen by Dave Filoni, is surprising and strong. Tales of the Jedi succeeds by saying exactly what it means to and then making its exit, sure to have viewers ready for more. Whether it's ultimately a one-off season or the start of something greater, it's worth Star Wars fans' time to check it out."[25]

Jamie Lovett of ComicBook.com gave the series a grade of 4 out of 5, saying, "These six Tales of the Jedi are beautiful, moving, and deceptively layered for their brevity while packing a few surprises and jaw-dropping moments along the way. Lucasfilm Animation managed to squeeze a lot of Star Wars magic into these shorts, and viewers will only be disappointed that there aren't more of them."[26] Alex Stedman of IGN gave the series a grade of 8 out of 10, writing, "Tales of the Jedi is a strong, tightly written showcase for two important characters in Star Wars lore: Count Dooku and Ahsoka Tano. Dooku in particular gets a good amount of meat added to his character’s bones, while the other episodes feature a welcome look into Ahsoka at different points in her life. It’s moody and methodical at times, while still managing to weave in some beautifully animated action. It may not be absolutely vital Star Wars content, but there are certainly worse ways to revisit these characters before Ahsoka gets her own series."[27]

Notes

  1. ↑ "The Sith Lord" takes place concurrently with the events of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
  2. ↑ As depicted in the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
  3. ↑ Note: "Resolve" loosely adapts the events of the 2016 novel Ahsoka by E. K. Johnston.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

  • Tales of the Jedi at IMDbLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
  • Tales of the Jedi on Disney+Lua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).Lua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
  • Tales of the Jedi on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki
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