Star Wars: The Clone Wars began as a Cartoon Network animated series, but it never let that define it. Yes, there were funny moments where Jar-Jar had to pretend to be a Jedi or a bunch of younglings struggled to make their first lightsabers, but the series was never afraid to tackle the big issues too. It even approached one of the touchiest subjects in Star Wars: The idea that the Jedi might not be the faultless heroes the Original Trilogy makes them out to be.
But could Obi-Wan Kenobi turn that storyline into a villainous turn for one of the most beloved Clone Wars characters? It may just be the perfect choice.
Redditor TDR1411 suggests that Barriss Offee, Ahsoka Tano’s good friend who turned against the Jedi Order in The Clone Wars Season 5, will be brought back in Obi-Wan Kenobi as an Inquisitor hunting the galaxy’s remaining Jedi. That would certainly make sense, as there are plenty of lightsaber battles to be had in the Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer.
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Barriss Offee, though only a minor part of the prequels, was given a rich storyline in The Clone Wars. Her denial and eventual betrayal of the Jedi order spurred Ahsoka Tano to leave the order herself, creating the Lone Jedi character we see her as in Rebels and The Mandalorian.
Bringing Barriss Offee back actually seems pretty likely. Obi-Wan Kenobi is already revisiting many bit characters from the prequels, including Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, so why not this forgotten Jedi-turned-villain? It would be an easy way to tie The Clone Wars into the plot of Obi-Wan Kenobi without being too obvious.
While easily justified, this choice would also be meaningful for Obi-Wan’s journey. After all, he’s recovering from the loss of his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, to the Dark Side and the Empire. An encounter with another fallen Jedi would only underline that loss and provide Obi-Wan an emotional backstory to motivate him.
However, another popular fan theory goes against this one. A close look at the Order 66 flashback scene in The Book of Boba Fett shows what looks like Barriss Offee’s crest on the wall, leading fans to speculate that Barriss could have had a change of heart and rescued Grogu at the eleventh hour.
The Inverse Analysis — Regardless of whether Barriss appears in Obi-Wan Kenobi (or future projects like Ahsoka), it’s clear there’s an audience for this character as an ally, villain, or some combination of the two. If she’s not in the scripts now, Lucasfilm may want to listen to what the fandom is clamoring for. This could just be the herald of something big in the future.
Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres on Disney+ May 25, 2022.
