There are so many parts of the Star Wars universe that the franchise could explore using Star Wars: Tales of the Empire’s anthology format. Star Wars: Tales of the Empire and its predecessor, Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, delved deeper into the stories of individual members of the Jedi Order and the Empire. Tales of the Jedi focused on Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku. In contrast, Tales of the Empire focused on Ahsoka Tano’s former rival, Barriss Offee, and Lady Morgan Elsbeth, one of the Nightsisters, most of whom were murdered at Count Dooku’s behest.

These stories give the audience a better understanding of the Jedi Order’s teaching practices and their flaws and a look at how Darth Vader’s Inquisitors were trained in the aftermath of Order 66. Additionally, Morgan Elsbeth’s relationship with Grand Admiral Thrawn was thoroughly explored, providing context for her appearances in The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. All in all, Tales of the Jedi and Tales of the Empire’s stories are short but impactful, and Star Wars would benefit from taking this anthology concept to the next level. So many Star Wars factions and eras deserve a closer look.

10

“Tales Of The Sith”

The perfect counterpart for Tales of the Jedi

“Tales of the Sith” would perfectly complement Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. Though the battle between the Jedi and the Sith is a cornerstone of Star Wars’ storytelling, there is still so much to learn about how the Sith came to be, their beliefs, their teachings, and their members. Darth Sidious, Darth Vader, Count Dooku, and Darth Maul aren’t the only Sith that deserve attention.

There are so many compelling Sith characters that influenced the Star Wars galaxy and Darth Sidious’ rise to power. Sidious’ own Master, Darth Plaguies, for instance, had an interest in immortality, something that Sidious himself became incredibly invested in. Then there’s Plaguies’ master, Darth Tenebrous, who may be the Sith being teased in Star Wars’ upcoming High Republic-era show, Star Wars: The Acolyte. Then, of course, there’s Darth Bane, who implemented the Sith’s “Rule of Two.”

9

“Tales Of The Rebellion”

Learning the inner workings of the Rebel Alliance

If Tales of the Empire exists, so too should “Tales of the Rebellion.” Though one could argue that the Rebellion has already been studied enough in shows and movies like Andor, Star Wars Rebels, the original Star Wars trilogy, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, there’s still a lot left to explore. The early days of the Rebellion, when the Rebel Alliance was scattered across the galaxy, are especially compelling.

What about the period between the destruction of the first Death Star and The Empire Strikes Back? What did Lando Calrissian do to help the Rebel Alliance find Han Solo? How did Saw Gerrera end up on Jedha after the events of Andor and Rebels? Additionally, was the Rebellion working with any other Jedi besides Ahsoka Tano, Kanan Jarrus, and Ezra Bridger? Did they ever come into contact with Cal Kestis, for instance?

8

“Tales Of The First Order”

Uncovering the history of the Imperial Remnant and the First Order

Even though the First Order was the primary villainous organization in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, precious little has been revealed about its formation, its rise to power, and the members that work within it. Most of that additional material can be found in Star Wars novels and comics, but there’s something to be said for making a Tales of the Empire-style show about the First Order. Captain Phasma, for instance, is the perfect character for a Star Wars anthology show.

Most interestingly, however, “Tales of the First Order” could focus on those who were essentially forced to become First Order stormtroopers when they were young, like Finn and Jannah. How was that operation implemented? How were they trained and brainwashed? How many decided to fight back and leave, as those in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker did? Barriss Offee turned her back on the Empire in Tales of the Empire, too. This would be an interesting route to take and could put the spotlight on several woefully underused characters.

7

“Tales Of The Resistance”

How did Poe Dameron, Leia Organa, Rose Tico, and more join the Resistance?

Of course, if, hypothetically, they were going to make “Tales of the First Order,” why not produce “Tales of the Resistance” as well? Leia’s role in the formation of the Resistance deserves to be explored on screen, as do the politics that surrounded that development and the threat of the First Order that loomed over the New Republic at the time. How did the Resistance organize themselves? Where did they get their resources?

Characters like Poe Dameron, Vice-Admiral Holdo, Rose Tico, and more could get their turn in the spotlight in “Tales of the Resistance,” too. When did Poe decide to fight against the First Order? What was Holdo and Leia’s relationship like? Audiences could also learn more about Rose and her sister, Paige, lending more weight to the opening scenes of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. There’s a lot that Star Wars: Resistance didn’t cover because of its focus on one particular group of people.

6

“Tales Of The New Republic”

How efficient is the New Republic’s government?

On the Disney+ side of things, the New Republic is Star Wars’ main area of focus, with shows like The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and upcoming movies like The Mandalorian & Grogu all taking place during this pivotal era. Between the dissolution of the Empire and the rise of the First Order, the New Republic was in charge, but not everything was as rosy as it seemed. As seen in The Mandalorian and Tales of the Empire, the New Republic had a hard time reaching out to worlds left behind in the chaos. That’s something worth exploring.

In terms of character studies, Captain Carson Teva would certainly be a worthy candidate, as would Mon Mothma. This series could also potentially dive into the politics of the Senate, which hasn’t had a massive impact on the so-called Mandoverse’s live-action storytelling but certainly impacted the galaxy at large at the time. There is plenty more to learn about the New Republic era.

5

“Tales Of The High Republic”

The Jedi were very different during the High Republic era

Star Wars: The High Republic initially began as a transmedia publishing initiative. Set a few centuries before the events of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, The High Republic showcases the Jedi in a whole new light and introduces terrifying new villains and Force-sensitive creatures as the Jedi are plunged into a war with the Nihil, a powerful band of space marauders hellbent on bringing down the Jedi Order and the Republic. Though there are dozens of books, comics, and audio plays, this era certainly deserves to be explored more on screen, too.

The Acolyte and Young Jedi Adventures are the only two Disney+ projects produced so far to be set during this era, but they don’t need to be. “Tales of the High Republic” could dive into the Jedi’s beliefs during this time (which are surprisingly different from the Jedi of the prequel era), the relationships between certain Jedi, or the Nihil themselves. “Tales of the High Republic” wouldn’t need to shy away from the violence and terror of that era, as Young Jedi Adventures does, and could as such do justice to this exciting period of the Star Wars timeline.

4

“Tales Of The Old Republic”

The Old Republic deserves to be explored more in Star Wars canon

Though the Old Republic era was thoroughly explored in Star Wars Legends and the beloved Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Star Wars: The Old Republic games, Disney’s Star Wars canon has, thus far, largely chosen to ignore this era in favor of other Star Wars eras. While this has allowed for the creation of the High Republic, the Old Republic deserves some attention, too.

So much of Star Wars’ vital history takes place during the Old Republic era. The Sith Order was created during this time, several thousand years before the Skywalker saga ever began. Several Jedi broke away from the Jedi Order so that they could wholly embrace the dark side of the Force, which led to the Hundred-Year War between the Jedi and the Sith and the creation of Darth Bane’s Rule of Two. The Jedi also built the Jedi Temple on Coruscant during this time, and their working partnership with the Republic was firmly established, causing the Jedi’s influence to spread across the galaxy.

3

“Tales Of The Nightsisters”

How do the Nightsisters wield the Force?

In Star Wars canon, the dark side of the Force has traditionally been wielded by the Sith. The Jedi feared the dark side, and that was part of their undoing, while the Sith embraced it through anger, fear, and hatred. The Nightsisters, however, also access the dark side of the Force, and yet their powers manifest in entirely different ways. “Tales of the Nightsisters” could delve into that power, where it comes from, how they use it, and most importantly, how it affects them. Why aren’t they consumed by the dark side the same way the Sith are?

With the return of Asajj Ventress in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, the arrival of the Great Mothers in Ahsoka, and Merrin’s extensive role in the Star Wars Jedi games, the Nightsisters are being set up to play a larger role in Star Wars’ upcoming narrative arcs. Why not provide extra context for this Force-wielding faction by producing “Tales of the Nightsisters”?

2

“Tales Of Mandalore”

Dive into Mandalore’s rich and violent history

The Mandalorians have become a cornerstone of Star Wars lore. Between Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and, of course, The Mandalorian, they are impossible to ignore, and yet, much of their history has yet to be revealed on screen. The Mandalorians’ home planet of Mandalore has an incredibly violent and complex legacy. Why not learn more about where these vital Star Wars characters come from and why their customs are so important to them?

The first Mandalorian Jedi, Tarre Vizsla, is certainly worth a closer look, as is the legacy of the Darksaber, the myth of the Mythosaur, and perhaps most importantly, the war between the Jedi and the Mandalorians, which left Mandalore virtually uninhabitable. This was a vital conflict, and a show like “Tales of Mandalore” could explore this in depth through the eyes of important Mandalorian figures of that time.

1

“Tales Of The Force”

Unravel the secrets of the Force

The Force holds the entire Star Wars galaxy together, and yet there is still so much the audience doesn’t know about it. Part of its appeal is the mystery, of course, and the fact that different groups of Force-wielders interpret the Force in different ways. But animation is the perfect medium with which to explore some of the Force’s greatest mysteries and its incredible power, for both the light side and the dark. Creatively, the sky is the limit.

Think of the World Between Worlds, the Force Dyad between Kylo Ren and Rey, the Force Priestesses that Yoda encounters in The Clone Wars, the Mortis gods, the concept of the Prime Jedi, and more. These mysteries are only a small part of the Force’s power. There’s so much more to unravel, and a Star Wars anthology series like Star Wars: Tales of the Empire would be the perfect place to start.