Common Sense Media Review
By Ashley Moulton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Solid Star Wars miniseries has lots of sci-fi violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Star Wars: Tales of the Empire
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
What's the Story?
In STAR WARS: TALES OF THE EMPIRE, the backstories of two less-prominent characters are explored in six animated shorts. Three of the episodes focus on Morgan Elsbeth (voiced by Diana Lee Inosanto), who previously has appeared in The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. She becomes the last survivor of her people after a vicious Clone Wars battle. Seeking revenge, she builds ships for the Imperial Starfleet and becomes the ruthless leader of planet Corvus. The remaining episodes follow Barriss Offee (Meredith Salenger), whose story was explored in animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Barriss is a disillusioned former Jedi who is recruited into the Inquisitorious, an Empire group that hunts down surviving Jedi. Tales of the Empire traces how both women came over to the dark side.
Is It Any Good?
Tweens deep into Star Wars lore will enjoy getting to know more backstory here. For more casual fans, Tales of the Empire's focus on exposition and fight scenes might not keep them interested. While the series does lay out the plot points needed to explain why Morgan and Barriss come over to the dark side, it doesn't explain their emotional conflicts and motivations in a satisfying way. Taken alone as a series, the story is not that compelling for the average viewer. Fans, however, will enjoy seeing some plot holes in the Star Wars universe finally get resolved.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
What led Morgan and Barriss to come over to the Dark Side? What choices could they have made differently that might have made them choose good over evil? Or did it seem like their destinies were already decided for them?
The main two characters are women. Do you think this is positive representation for women since they get to be fierce fighters, or negative representation since they choose the evil side?
TV Details
- Premiere date: May 4, 2024
- Cast: Meredith Salenger , Diana Lee Inosanto , Rya Kihlstedt
- Network: Disney+
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Space and Aliens
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Last updated: May 6, 2024
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