Who is Asajj Ventress, Ahsoka’s first nemesis?
Once again the latest episode of Ahsoka I had a little fun throwing Easter eggs. While the titular protagonist practiced her lightsaber form, she listened to an old hologram recording of her master. This Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker gives his padawan some practical advice while also warning her about the dangers she will likely face in war. Some of these dangers are called Count Dooku and General Grievous. Fans probably know these two heavyweights. But for the first time in live action, fans heard the name “Asajj Ventress” – from Hayden Christensen, no less!
For those who may not know, Asajj Ventress was one of Dave Filoni’s major antagonists Star Wars: The Clone Wars Series. She was a dual-wielding assassin trained in the dark side of the Force by Count Dooku. Although she wasn’t a full-fledged Sith, she was still just as deadly and ruthless, causing major headaches for Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker, and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Asajj Ventress is an icon war of stars Rogue
Asajj Ventress appears in 14 episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, voiced by the incredible Nika Futterman. She plays a prominent role in the first season of the series before receiving a spectacular arc in the later seasons that sees her start a new chapter. But before Ventress finds some kind of redemption, fans get to see her leading the Separatist forces and carrying out Count Dooku’s terrible orders. A fearsome fighter, Ventress clashes with many Jedi throughout the animated series, including Ahsoka.
While Ventress was a prominent character in Filoni’s series, she actually debuted in an earlier animated iteration of the titular conflict. Voiced by Catwoman herself, Gray DeLisle, Ventress was introduced to fans in Genndy Tartakovsky’s 2003 microseries. Star Wars: Clone Wars. In this show, the dark assassin arguably stole all the spotlight as she and Anakin Skywalker engaged in one of the best lightsaber duels of all time. Seriously, the first duel between Ventress and Skywalker is a must-see fight!
Asajj’s journey is an epic story
The story of Asajj Ventress is tragic. The power holder, born on Dathomir and kidnapped at a young age, grew up partly in slavery. An orphan, she was found by Jedi Knight Ky Narec and trained in the ways of the Force. The two lived together on a planet full of criminal warlords and pirates. They fought against this element for decades until Narec was tragically killed. Alone again, Ventress was captured and forced into the life of a gladiator.
When Count Dooku found her, Ventress felt broken and abandoned, blaming the Jedi Order for the countless tragedies that befell her. This made them the perfect tool for the Sith.
However, after he was betrayed their Sith Master in The Clone Wars In Season 3, Ventress returns to Dathomir and reunites with the Nightsisters. After failing to kill Dooku, Ventress is forced to watch as General Grievous leads a genocide against her homeworld. This leads to her becoming a common bounty hunter, crossing paths with Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano once again, this time on friendlier terms… sort of.
Overall, Asajj Ventress’ character arc is one of the most complex in Star Wars Franchise. It didn’t matter if she was a villain or an anti-hero. Whenever she was on screen, she was almost always in the spotlight.