Latest news with #TalesoftheUnderworld
Geek Vibes Nation
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
'Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld' Gives New Life To Fan Favorites
Disney's Tales of anthology series remains one of the most compelling entries in modern Star Wars storytelling. Tales of the Underworld is the third iteration and this time around, we're following Asajj Ventress and Cad Bane. Arguably, this iteration might be just as good as Tales of the Jedi , which gave us more insight into Ahsoka and Count Dooku. The animation has certainly gotten even more beautiful and the score helps highlight these well-written short episodes. As previously mentioned, Tales of the Jedi followed Ahsoka and Count Dooku – two great and well-known characters in the Star Wars world. The first iteration of this series brought both great depth to a character like Dooku and showcased why someone like Ahsoka is worthy of her adoration within the fandom. Tales of the Empire offered a really good story following Barris Offee after her betrayal in the Clone Wars, but admittedly, the episodes following Morgan Elsbeth were slightly boring and unnecessary. Even if those episodes gave us a brief, chilling appearance by General Grievous that reminded us why he remains one of the saga's most fearsome villains Tales of the Underworld made a good decision in giving us episodes centering around two fan favorites. Bounty hunter Cad Bane was a highlight of any episode he was in, with his cool swagger and Western-like attitude. Both are center-stage for his three episodes, as with Count Dooku in Tales of the Jedi , Cad Bane's episodes delve into his origins with surprising emotional depth that reveals a layered past that makes him far more than a cold-hearted killer. Even the coldest of bounty hunters were once children… Let's start with Asajj Ventress. Ventress went from a lethal assassin to one of the most fully realized characters of the Clone Wars era. From her frequent rematches against Obi-Wan and Anakin to her betrayal by Count Dooku, Ventress's arc within the Clone Wars show is one of the best examples of redemption I've ever seen. When Ventress popped up in the third and final season of The Bad Batch, fans were both elated and confused. If you solely watched the Clone Wars show, Ventress was last seen as a bounty hunter helping Ahsoka when she was wrongly accused of a terrorist attack. However, if you read the canon novel Dark Disciple (which, fleshed out the deleted episodes when Disney bought out the Star Wars franchise) you'd know that Ventress died after falling in love with Quinlan Vos and working to take down Count Dooku. This book is considered canon and when she appeared in The Bad Batch, there was no explanation as to why and how she was alive. Now, the first episode of Tales of the Underworld explains why and it was so beautiful seeing the first minute highlight the end of the novel, with Quinlan Vos bringing Ventress back to Dathomir and proclaiming his love to her. Also – cameo by Obi-Wan! While this was beautiful, people who are unfamiliar with the novel, might be confused as to how we even got from A to B. Maybe a quick explanation or flashback would have been good? Either way, her arc was heartwarming and showed how much Ventress has grown. It was a nice compliment to her story and after this series, we'd love to see more of our favorite ex-assassin. Now, the next arc follows Cad Bane. Just like with Count Dooku's arc in Tales of the Jedi, I was not expecting to get such a rich backstory about Cad Bane. His arc has that underlying Western feel to it and it's always great when Star Wars becomes a space Western. There's so many emotions in these three episodes and the short episodes do a great job in not rushing any scene or dialogue, while also not overcrowding his story. We see who Cad Bane was before putting on the hat, how he became who we saw in Clone Wars , and get a little insight on possible story setups for the future. Admittedly, the Cad Bane was the more emotional arc out of the two. While Asajj Ventress's episodes held a degree of emotional weight, it was Cad Bane's that really hit the heartstrings. From seeing Cad Bane as a child, to the old-fashioned Western standoff in the last episode, everything about this arc is beautiful. The animation beautifully highlights the story, the music perfectly frames each scene, and the story is very well-written. Tales of the Underworld is an unexpected treat from Star Wars and hopefully, we'll continue getting more short-series like this to satiate our need for more animated shows, which is where Disney Star Wars seems to excel. Maybe Tales of the Clones? We can only hope. What do you think of Tales of the Underworld?
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Maul returns! New Star Wars series to explore Sith lord's criminal empire
Lucasfilm is taking fans deeper into the galaxy's criminal underworld with two new animated Star Wars projects—Tales of the Underworld, now streaming on Disney Plus , and the newly announced Maul – Shadow Lord. Both shows spotlight morally complex characters like Asajj Ventress , Cad Bane, and Darth Maul , signaling a shift toward exploring the franchise's darker corners. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India much better equipped to target cross-border terror since Balakot India conducts maiden flight-trials of stratospheric airship platform Pakistan shuts ports for Indian ships after New Delhi bans imports from Islamabad Released on May 4, Tales of the Underworld is a six-part animated anthology featuring separate arcs for bounty hunter Cad Bane and fallen Jedi Asajj Ventress. Their stories dive into heists, betrayals, and uneasy alliances, shedding light on what lies beyond the Jedi-Sith binary. Nika Futterman returns to voice Ventress, while Corey Burton reprises Cad Bane, both earning praise for adding emotional weight to their characters. Critics have noted that while the animation is visually rich, the storytelling sometimes feels rushed. In a surprise announcement at Star Wars Celebration Japan , Lucasfilm also unveiled Maul – Shadow Lord, an upcoming animated series that will pick up Maul's story after the Clone Wars finale. The new series is set to chart Maul's rise as a criminal kingpin after his escape during Order 66, a moment that left Ahsoka Tano torn between saving her friend Captain Rex and stopping the former Sith. Sam Witwer will reprise his role as Maul, continuing a fan-favorite portrayal. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 90s Icon: A Look at Her Today I Am Famous Undo While Maul's death was already shown in Rebels, Shadow Lord aims to fill the unexplored chapter between The Clone Wars and Rebels, detailing how Maul built the Crimson Dawn syndicate. These two projects reflect a growing appetite for complex antiheroes in the Star Wars universe—characters who operate in the grey and often shape galactic events from the shadows. Live Events
USA Today
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Star Wars Day is Sunday: Celebrate May the 4th with these deals
Star Wars Day is Sunday: Celebrate May the 4th with these deals Show Caption Hide Caption Here's why Diego Luna feels 'Andor' is so relevant today 'Andor' star Diego Luna tells USA TODAY's Brian Truitt why he feels this series is so relevant today. Holy Sith, you guys, Star Wars Day is upon us again. "May the 4th" is a day for all lovers of Jedi, the Resistance, the Skywalkers, the Hutts, Boba Fett, Baby Yoda, Gamorrean guards, Maz Kanata, General Grievous, Rancor Keeper and Jek Porkins (RIP) to unite and celebrate all there is in the galaxy far, far away. (Why May 4, you ask? Why, it's right there in the date, a play on "May the Force be with you.") This Star Wars Day, fans will likely be in a nostalgic mood with the 20th anniversary of "Revenge of the Sith" arriving later this month. And lovers of Disney+ shows like "The Mandalorian" will be tucking into the new animated series "Tales of the Underworld" while they await next week's episodes of "Andor" Season 2. The franchise full of colorful characters – good, bad and ugly – has remained beloved to generations since George Lucas' original 1977 "Star Wars," which means a lot of ways to get your "May the 4th" on. Here are some of our favorites: Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox Watch the 'Star Wars' movies. Or, more likely, watch them again. If you can believe it, there are people who've never seen "Star Wars." But there's no excuse now that all nine movies in the Skywalker saga – as well as the spinoffs "Rogue One" and "Solo: A Star Wars Story" – are a few clicks away on the Disney+ streaming service. Longtime fans can break out the Blu-rays and DVDs, hunt for VHS cassettes, or – if you want to really go old school – dust off the laser discs. And we do suggest you watch the original "Return of the Jedi," rather than the later special edition that took out the Ewoks' celebration song and inserted Christensen (instead of "Jedi" star Sebastian Shaw) into the Dead Jedi Club at the end. "Yub nub." Never forget. Binge 'Star Wars' shows, including new 'Tales of the Underworld' and 'Andor' For Star Wars Day, Disney+ is premiering "Tales of the Underworld," a new six-episode animated miniseries (and follow-up to 2022's "Tales of the Jedi" and last year's "Tales of the Empire") centered on two villains from the "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." Former assassin and bounty hunter Asajj Ventress is forced to go on the run with an unlikely new ally, and space outlaw Cad Bane confronts an old pal on the opposite side of the law. And if you haven't had the pleasure of seeing the completely adorable Baby Yoda (aka Grogu), now's the time to catch up with the first three seasons of the Disney+ Western-flavored series "The Mandalorian," starring Pedro Pascal as the armored title gunslinger. But really, you need to be watching the best of the "Star Wars" shows, "Andor" – the first six episodes of the second season are available now, with six more in the coming weeks. Break out the blue milk to pair with your Tauntaun cookies Luke Skywalker's Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru had blue milk on their breakfast table back on Tatooine, and you can enjoy it as well with these recipes. (Seriously, who doesn't want to try blue milk pudding?!) has a whole section of food-related fun for those who want to party hearty, including Port Borgo Noodles (inspired by the "Skeleton Crew" show), Ewok sushi, Tauntaun cookies (with candy innards!) and Chopper cereal treats. If you need more, the "Star Wars: Galactic Baking" cookbook is full of sweet treats to satisfy your little Jawas. Read the further adventures of Kylo Ren and some old-school Rebels If the news of upcoming movies (Ryan Gosling in a "Star Wars," y'all!) haven't been exciting enough, the rash of recent comic books and novels – most of them pretty rad – have fleshed out stories not seen in the films. "Star Wars" comic books have been exploring uncharted territory in various periods of the galaxy far, far away. The "Star Wars: Legacy of Vader" series features Kylo Ren digging into the past of his grandpa, Darth Vader, to figure out his own identity, while "Star Wars: Jedi Knights" recently debuted Atha Prime, a character originally designed for an 1980s toy line that was never released. Comixology has a great digital sale going on to get newer comics and older series for cheap, and May 3 is also Free Comic Book Day this year, when you can grab a special new "Star Wars" issue gratis at participating comic book shops. Book lovers currently loving "Andor" will want to check out "The Mask of Fear," the first novel in a series told through the perspectives of Rebel leaders Mon Mothma, Bail Organa and Saw Gerrera. Say 'Punch it, Chewie!' to some kid activities offers a whole slew of things for crafty moms and dads to do with their children. Make a Baby Yoda pencil pouch, a Hoth snowglobe or a Death Star piñata, and print out various coloring sheets and word searches. If your kids want some extra starpower, however, check out Daisy Ridley reading "BB-8 on the Run," featuring her character Rey's little droid buddy, or "How NOT to Draw R2-D2," with Mark Hamill and Anthony Daniels. Plus, is your one-stop resource for children to find out about all the characters and creatures fans love. Buy something fun and extremely nerdy Lots of places discount their Star Wars merch and/or release exclusives on May 4, and has a roundup of all the coolest stuff, from Chewbacca flannel shirts and Hoth mini backpacks to a Grogu ring and R2-D2 Clip Charm. If you've got time on your hands (and sufficient shelf space in your house), Lego has released a large collector's series version of Jango Fett's starship from "Attack of the Clones" with minifigures of Jango and his boy Boba, so you and your family can build to your heart's delight. As the Mando might say, this is the way.
