Should Barriss Offee Come Back To 'Star Wars' As A Villain Or A Hero?

Star Wars

Nov 23

Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano — Image Source: The DisInsider

One of the most compelling arcs of The Clone Wars animated series was the framing of Ahsoka Tano by Barriss Offee. The course of events that put her life in grave danger would eventually save Tano from Order 66. With rumors of Offee’s possible return in the Ahsoka series, fans are wondering whether it would better serve the overall narrative if she came back as a hero or a villain.

Ahsoka first met Barriss during a raid on Geonosis during the Clone Wars. The two were tasked with a mission to sneak into (and destroy) a droid factory while their masters provided a distraction. The two were successful in their mission, but they were trapped by heavy amounts of debris and rubble in a factory explosion. They almost perished but were saved by Ahsoka’s ingenuity with the help of their masters, Unduli and Skywalker. Even though they were very much different, the two Padawans became good friends after the ordeal. The duo stayed as close as they could, but as the war raged on, it had a much darker effect on Barriss.

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The bombing of the Jedi temple was Offee’s final turn to the dark side. She killed many civilians, Jedi, and clone troopers. She also set up her friend to take the blame. After Ahsoka was forced to go on the run to prove her innocence, the accused Jedi teamed up with Asajj Ventress out of desperation. Ventress (now a bounty hunter) reluctantly decided to help Ahsoka. Soon after the two parted ways, Offee ambushed the former Sith and stole her weapons. Offee then went after an unsuspecting Ahsoka and left her to be captured by the Republic. Ahsoka was put on trial and was abandoned by the Jedi Order. She was only saved when Anakin discovered that Offee was the true culprit in the bombing. In court, Offee openly admitted her crimes in court and gave a passionate speech about how the Jedi had lost their way. She was taken into custody, but her fate remained a mystery.

We learned in the epilogue of Rebels, which takes place after the Battle of Endor, that Ahsoka and Sabine are searching for their lost friend Ezra Bridger after he sacrificed himself to take Thrawn into hyperspace and save Lothal. It seemed the search is still going on when Ahsoka angrily asked the magistrate, “Where is Grand Admiral Thrawn?” in The Mandalorian. With rumors of Thrawn being in Ahsoka, it is likely Barriss Offee (if she's alive) could return as well. The show needs an antagonist, and if Thrawn has returned to power, he will need allies. Thrawn could use Offee’s anger and resentment toward Tano to achieve his goals.

Grand Admiral Thrawn — Image Source: Wallpapersden

On the other hand, while Offee did terrible things, she had valid points in the speech she delivered to the Senate. She claimed her attack on the temple “was an attack on what the Jedi have become, an army fighting for the dark side.” Considering that the Jedi were (unknowingly) fighting for the Republic led by a Sith Lord, there was truth to her words. Barriss was also a much older Padawan when the war started. She was not blind to the fact that the Jedi had spent years being peacekeepers and then suddenly forced to become soldiers. The transition disillusioned her and pushed the Padawan towards doing what she felt was right. This and the fact that Offee ended up saving her life may provide the reasoning for which Ahsoka believes her former friend deserves a chance at redemption. It will be interesting to see how Offee tries to atone for her past actions.