Star Wars: Tales of the Empire – Every Character & Cameo (& Who Plays Them)

Tales of the Empire is Star Wars’ latest animated series, filled with plenty of returning characters and cameos from iconic Star Wars villains. More than ever before, Disney is dedicated to bringing back the right cast to voice their characters in Tales of the Empire. Almost every character in the series is voiced by their original voice actor or actress, with some of them having only played their characters in live-action.

Like Tales of the Jedi before it, Tales of the Empire features six short episodes focused on characters in the Empire. And just as Tales of the Jedi focused on two characters—Count Dooku and Ahsoka Tano—Tales of the Empire focuses on two characters. Morgan Elsbeth takes a lead role as she navigates the galaxy after the massacre of her people, while Barriss Offee is given a chance to redeem herself by joining the Inquisitorius program.

1

Grand Admiral Thrawn

Previously seen in: Rebels, Ahsoka

Originally from Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire Legends novel, Grand Admiral Thrawn’s sheer brilliance allowed him to survive Disney’s reclassification of Canon. Thrawn was readapted and reintroduced by Dave Filoni in Star Wars Rebels as the main antagonist of the latter seasons. Unlike most of Star Wars’ other villains—such as Darth Vader or Emperor Palpatine—Thrawn does not possess the Force or any other special powers. Instead, he uses his mind as a weapon for the Empire, outsmarting his opponents with ease.

After playing Thrawn for the first time in live-action in Ahsoka, Lars Mikkelsen returns to voice Thrawn in Tales of the Empire for the first time since Rebels. He meets with Morgan Elsbeth, who has recently lost her people in the Massacre of the Nightsisters. Thrawn offers her the chance to redirect her anger to help the Empire, creating a strong alliance between the two characters that is later seen in Ahsoka.

2

Morgan Elsbeth

Previously seen in: The Mandalorian, Ahsoka

Morgan Elsbeth is a fearsome Nightsister warrior who possesses powerful Force magick abilities. First seen in The Mandalorian season 2 as the tyrannical ruler of Calodan, Morgan continues to serve Thrawn and the Empire even after its collapse in Return of the Jedi. In Ahsoka, she proves an even more formidable opponent by using her magick to reanimate a former Inquisitor, giving her an extra puppet who fights on her behalf.

Morgan Elsbeth is one of the two main characters Tales of the Empire focuses on. Voiced by Diana Lee Inosanto, who played her in live-action, Tales of the Empire covers much of Elsbeth’s early life. Beginning with the massacre of her people, and later showing her alliance with Thrawn. The series leads up to her first appearance in The Mandalorian by showing her getting her beskar spear and becoming Magistrate of Calodan.

3

Lyn / Fourth Sister

Previously seen in: Obi-Wan Kenobi

Formerly known as Lyn, the Fourth Sister now serves the Empire by hunting down and eliminating rogue Jedi. The Fourth Sister was first seen in Star Wars in Obi-Wan Kenobi alongside the Fifth Brother and the Third Sister, her fellow Inquisitors. Like them, she sports a spinnable double-bladed lightsaber, wielding it in service of the Empire. Her fate after Obi-Wan Kenobi is unknown.

The Fourth Sister takes a more central role in Tales of the Empire as the one who offers Barriss Offee a chance to join her as an Inquisitor. Voiced by Rya Kihlstedt, who played her in live-action, The Fourth Sister can constantly be seen shadowing her master, the Grand Inquisitor, who takes over Barriss’ training. But like the other Inquisitors, she bows to Darth Vader, who oversees the Inquisitorius program with an iron fist.

4

Barriss Offee

Previously seen in: Attack of the Clones, The Clone Wars

Barriss Offee was once the Padawan of Luminara Unduli. First appearing briefly in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Barriss’ character was later fleshed out in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Because of Luminara’s strict training, Barriss was originally a rule-follower who engaged in combat in a cold and calculating manner. Eventually, she betrays the Jedi by framing her friend, Ahsoka Tano. She was apprehended by the Republic toward the end of The Clone Wars.

Tales of the Empire picks up Barriss’ story where The Clone Wars left off by showing her still locked away in an Imperial prison. But rather than allow her talent to go to waste, the Fourth Sister and the Grand Inquisitor offer her a chance to join the Inquisitorius program and prove her worth to the Empire. Meredith Salenger returns from The Clone Wars to voice Barriss in Tales of the Empire.

5

Grand Inquisitor

Previously seen in: Rebels, Obi-Wan Kenobi

The Grand Inquisitor was once a guard at the Jedi Temple before joining the Empire to hunt down his own kind. As a Pau’an, the Grand Inquisitor comes from the planet Utapau. His original name is unknown, and was likely erased when he joined the Empire. He first appeared in Rebels as the main antagonist of the first season, acting as a foil for Kanan Jarrus.

While Rupert Friend played the Grand Inquisitor in Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jason Isaacs returns from Rebels to voice the Grand Inquisitor in Tales of the Empire. He takes an active role in training Barriss to unlearn her Jedi teachings, and tells her that mercy is a weakness that must be overcome. Nevertheless, he ultimately defers to Darth Vader as his true master.

6

Wing

Previously seen in: The Mandalorian

Wing is first seen as a brief side character in The Mandalorian season 2, episode 5. He is a compassionate human who lives in the city of Calodan, on Corvus. In The Mandalorian, Wing did his best to survive under the harsh rule of Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth. At one point, he was even willing to risk his life to save some of the prisoners Elsbeth wanted to be executed. After Din Djarin and Ahsoka overthrew Elsbeth, Wing took her place as the governor of Calodan.

Tales of the Empire provides a little more backstory to Wing by showing what Calodan was like in the early days of the Empire. The live-action actor for Wing, Wing Tao Chao, returns to voice the character in Tales of the Empire. He attempts to reason with Elsbeth over the Empire’s involvement in Calodan, but the negotiation turns sour before he is able to enact any change for his people.

7

General Grievous

Previously seen in: Revenge of the Sith, The Clone Wars

General Grievous is the ruthless cyborg that leads the Separatist Droid Army for most of the Clone Wars. Despite not being Force-sensitive, Grievous trained with Count Dooku to proficiently wield up to four lightsabers using his mechanical limbs. He mercilessly hunts and kills Jedi to add their lightsabers to his trophy collection of hilts, taking pride in his tactical prowess and slippery evasions.

Since Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars sound editor Matthew Wood has voiced Greivous, and he returns to do so in Tales of the Empire. In The Clone Wars season 4, episode 19, Grievous led his droid army in the Massacre of the Nightsisters. On orders from Count Dooku, who was being tortured by the Nightsister leader, Mother Talzin, Grievous committed genocide on almost all the Nightsisters. Tales of the Empire returns to this fateful night to show Morgan Elsbeth’s perspective of Grievous’ slaughter.

8

Darth Vader

Previously seen in: The Skywalker Saga

Darth Vader stands atop the pinnacle of Star Wars villains as the most feared character in the franchise. Once the gifted Jedi Knight, Anakin Skywalker succumbed to the dark side after being influenced by Palpatine. According to Obi-Wan, Vader is “more machine than man,” both physically and emotionally. He does not hesitate to torture and kill those who fail to serve him. And during the reign of the Empire, Vader oversaw the Inquisitorius program in its hunt for remaining Jedi.

Since James Earl Jones has retired from voicing the character, Vader will likely be voiced by an AI recreation of his iconic voice. This same technology was employed in Obi-Wan Kenobi for Vader’s voice. Once Barriss becomes an Inquisitor, she bows with the others in service of Vader, whom the Grand Inquisitor says is their new master.

9

Marrok

Previously seen in: Ahsoka

Marrok is a mysterious Inquisitor who was first introduced in Ahsoka. Like all Inquisitors, he wields a spinnable double-bladed lightsaber. But very little is known about his past before his service in the Inquisitorius program. His species is unknown, but given how a puff of green smoke emits from him when Ahsoka kills him in Ahsoka, its likely Marrok died before the series took place. In other words, Morgan Elsbeth may very well have reanimated Marrok as a Nightsister zombie.

Regardless of Marrok’s status in Ahsoka, Tales of the Empire shows him during his prime as an Inquisitor for the Empire. When Vader approaches, Marrok bows along with the Fourth Sister and Barriss Offee. In Ahsoka, Marrok is portrayed by Paul Darnell, but it is unknown who voices Marrok in Tales of the Empire.

10

Unidentified Inquisitor

Previously seen in: Tales of the Jedi

The Unidentified Inquisitor in Tales of the Empire may be one of the coolest and most mysterious Inquisitors of them all. First appearing in Tales of the Jedi, the skull-masked Inquisitor is almost immediately killed by Ahsoka, who expertly uses his own lightsaber against him. Despite his defeat, this Inquisitor was a ruthless warrior for the Empire; he even slaughtered an innocent village in search of Ahsoka.

Along with Marrok, the Fourth Sister, and Barriss Offee, the Unidentified Inquisitor bows before Darth Vader in Tales of the Empire. In Tales of the Jedi, he recognized Ahsoka as a high-value target for Vader, hinting that he—or perhaps all the Inquisitors—are aware of certain Jedi who are of value to the Empire. He was voiced by Clancy Brown in Tales of the Jedi, though it hasn’t been confirmed if Brown is returning to voice him in Tales of the Empire.