Animated Shorts Tales Of The Underworld - May 4th 2025

Just watched the Ventress arc.

Spoiler

So no immediate worries on a retcon of what we know from Dark Disciple; though if you ask me her resurrection seemed like a copout. Talzin gives her a simple choice of living again or joining the dead nightsisters? Did all of the nightsisters get that choice as well?

So yet another young Order 66 survivor that she's helping now. That's a common theme for a lot of these shows lately. It was nice to see Latts again; obviously with some history with Ventress.

There was the question if she would ever find out about Vos's fate, but I guess by the end she decided to forget about it. I actually assumed that the initial choice that she made during the resurrection, where Talzin says something to the effect of losing something you most desire would have meant that she would immediately forget him, but that wasn't the case. Naturally they expected that anyone who cared enough to see this new special with Ventress would have read DD by now; otherwise how else can you explain Vos carrying her dead body and crying over it?

It leaves with a little cliffhanger. I see already some are suggesting that it could launch a new series for her. That would be cool, but it would be the first time I've heard of it. Watching this prompts me to want to watch the BB episode with her.

 

Animation doesn't automatically equal "family-safe" anymore, especially when it comes to Star Wars. Some of these shorts have been (and continue to be) dark and complex, with high emotional stakes and the weight of legacy, so I think it's somewhat disingenuous to paint these Tales releases as throwing a bone to kids and families. It's just a more recognisable type of Star Wars, one with a different objective. The schedule is big enough for both of 'em.

 

Why didn’t they lock all other Disney Plus content during Andor’s run?

 

There’s no reason to be insulting about it. I was simply wondering why they wouldn’t opt to give the TOU release some space from Andor, not least for dedicated marketing and hype-building for TOU. After all, Andor’s release is only a four-week affair, and there are only two Star Wars TV shows airing this year (so there are 48 other weeks during which TOU could be released). So why not build up TOU after Andor’s run, and then release it in mid-June? That’s why I wonder if there’s a belief at Lucasfilm that releasing it during the Andor run will help TOU. For example, as people finish an Andor episode or three, they’ll also find another new animated show to watch on the platform, and hit play (helped by their short length, too). I was seeking to understand, not cast aspersions.

And if it helps, I enjoyed the TOU episodes.

Nobody’s saying anything remotely like that. I personally was wondering why the TOU release wasn’t given more dedicated time and space for its own good. Obviously I’m not worried about competition for Andor. But there’s so much strange defensiveness in the fandom that perfectly normal questions about spacing out the only two Star Wars TV shows releasing this year invites unwarranted prickliness.

Right. And the year is big enough too, given how few Star Wars TV shows are airing this year. So why not space them out? That’s my question.

Ah, yeah. This seems like the most plausible reason.

 

Well, I have another answer, but you wouldn't like it, so... And besides, we all know why Tales of the Underworld came out today. I think it's more of an outlier that Tales of the Jedi got the anthology started in the middle of an October. This kinda content, just like Visions, is the perfect fit for May the Fourth. It's a short lil' gap-filler that you can make a standalone celebration out of, without having to block out days or weeks of your life (and its connections to legacy characters, events and shows increases the chance that, if you liked what you saw, you're gonna go buy an action figure afterwards).

In fact, if anybody at Disney wanted to space anything out, I'd argue it would have led to Andor starting earlier or being delayed, to avoid today's date entirely. But with it underway, Star Wars gets to have a major presence on Disney+ today, with plenty of things to display on the app's top banner. Tales of the Underworld, Andor S2, Revenge of the Sith 20th Anniversary... it's a pretty stacked May the Fourth this year.

 

Just watched the Cad Bade arc.

Spoiler

Wow. So if anyone wanted to complain about Dave Filoni's creativity, now might be a good time. It starts off harmless enough, he has a childhood friend and they eventually get separated; leading to alternate paths. But then it gets weird. He has a love interest, and she's the cause of a new personal objective. And then ultimately it's revealed that he has a son. Naturally this hasn't been suggested anywhere before, and likely won't be brought up again. I doubt we'll ever know what became of him; did he ever attempt to look for his real father? Obviously Bane is a loner for most of what we remember from him, so anything personal would just be thought of as getting in the way.

 

I loved what was seen here. Bane's I enjoyed more than Ventress' episodes, what with the more personal story to them, and the western vibes. Thought it was very nice to get Ventress' return by Vos on screen. I just hope that whatever Lucasfilm are building for Ventress is worth bringing her back.
I've got a strong desire to reread Dark Disciple from this.

 

Maybe they thought it was more like Blandor so they added another show running concurrently.

 

Assajj - still don't her ''somehow'' back to life, but the arc itself is fine - 8/10

Cad Bane - this one is very sad, can happen, and happen a lot in real life - 10/10

 

I’m confused about why I wouldn’t like this rational idea about May 4th, which I acknowledged earlier as the most plausible reason?

I don’t follow the whole “partisan for a certain kind of Star Wars = distorting facts to favor my preferred Star Wars” schtick. Not least as I like all kinds of Star Wars on the fun-to-less-fun spectrum.

It’s just odd that people have their hackles up so much about their weird turf that one needs to wade through all that nonsense first before having a rational conversation.

I like Andor. I like the Tales Of series. And I wonder why their releases weren’t spaced out. And I think you’re right. It’s May 4th. There’s a business rationale for concentrating stuff on that day, I guess!

 

This kid's annoying.

 

After watching the TOTU series, I rewatched both the BB episode with Ventress's last appearance as well as the BOBF episode with the first LA appearance with Bane. Two questions came to me.

First, at some point Ventress must connect with Fennec Shand. As someone who's a loaner, that's a pretty big step for her. Also, shouldn't her records and history indicate that she's dead? I assume that the BB episode still held Dark Disciple as cannon, so wouldn't the archives be up to date when they research about her?

Then about Bane, at what point does he hook up his breathing apparatus? Is that only after his encounters with Jedis? I don't recall a time in TCW when he didn't have them, but I could be wrong.

Sent from my SM-S721U using Tapatalk

 

Looks like this Tales with Ventress is after Bad Batch by a few years, looking at OG storm troopers. And the last Bane episode is probably 10 years before we see him TCW where he has his breathing tubes. He only dosent gave them in the Obi Wan undercover arc.

 

In prison, Bane doesn't have the breathing apparatus. He also doesn't do any bounty hunting in these shorts.

The Bane stuff is just a paint by numbers story with a Star Wars skin.

 

They released these at the same time cause they wanted something for May the 4th

 

I'm going to be honest, I kinda see May 4th as fake Star Wars day especially considering the fact that anniversory of ANH's release is only 3 weeks later.

 

It’s just because May the 4th sounds better than anything else

 

Oh, I agree. It's why I haven't been around the TV sub-forum much lately. I regret some of the pot-shots I've taken in the past, even those made in jest (which is why I brushed over my "other" answer as a joke, because it is a joke). I figure there's enough negativity on the internet without me adding to it.

But it's nice to be back. Tales of the Underworld was a real treat today. Superb set of shorts. Really looking forward to seeing whoever they're gonna cover next.

 

So expect Cad Bane Jr. to return at some point and seek revenge for his gunned down step-pa.

 

Boba Fett and junior become brothers

 

Is this official or is it just a rumor? And if that's the case, when in the timeline would that occur? Obviously we already know when Bane gets ultimately taken out.

 

Is Bane dead though. There was that beeping at the end.

 

Oh yeah. I forgot which franchise we're dealing with here.

 

IMO, this simultaneous release did no favors for Underworld. The last 2 TV Star Wars were Skeleton Crew and Andor, both of which have excellent writing and acting. These animated faces don't even begin to compare in expressiveness to what we were just watching in live action.