Ranked Review: Tales of the Jedi

In this "Ranked Review", I take time to go through the new mini-series, Tales of the Jedi, released on October 26th that was created and directed by Dave Filoni. They are ranked from top to bottom, best to worst (it was a very hard decision trust me), and are strictly based on my opinion alone. There are also slight spoilers because I couldn't help myself, so from here on out, you have been warned.

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Episode Five: "Practice Makes Perfect"

Rating: 10/10

I would like to start off by thanking Dave Filoni for this beautiful episode. I can't say enough about it except this: if someone sat me down and said that we were watching The Clone Wars, I wouldn't have questioned anything. Seeing the SkyGuy and Snips dynamic back on the screen healed my inner child. The episode mainly follows Ahsoka's training days as a Padawan as she undergoes one of Anakin's special exercises he creates for her. From beginning to end, this was the perfect episode in my opinion, and will be the one I recommend everyone to watch.

Episode Six: "Resolve"

Rating: 9.5/10

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I was so close to giving this episode a full 10/10 until I heard the opening music and realized what was going on. Half a point was deducted for Mr. Filoni making us suffer through Padmé's funeral yet again. The rest of the episode was fine, considering we didn't have to relive Anakin's rebirth either. All things considered, this episode is able to connect more plotlines together and set up the story of how Ahsoka ends up going down the path of the Grey Jedi. Seeing a member of the Inquisitors (The Sixth Brother, I assume) was also a big part of the episode, and one of my favorites. A great ending also ties the whole series together, while also keeping other projects in mind.

Episode Four: "A Sith Lord"

Rating: 9/10

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We finally see the tragic end of a lesser-known Jedi Master in this episode and the rise of a well-known Sith Lord. For the few minutes that Yaddle was on screen, I enjoyed every one of them and was left wanting more. Seeing and hearing Darth Sidious again made the hair rise on the back of my neck; I wasn't expecting to hear that voice again. The fight sequence resembles a lot of the one from Attack of the Clones but was also original in its own way. Thanks to Bryce Dallas Howard for bringing this character to life in a beautiful way, and I can only hope that she is in more projects in the future (and directs them as well).

Episode One: "Life and Death"

Rating: 9/10

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The mini-series starts off strong with the origin story of one of the most well-loved Jedi: Ahsoka Tano. Between the simple storyline, we follow and the complex, detailed backdrops of this episode, it serves as a strong start for the series. Of

course, I will have a bias since Ahsoka is one of my top Star Wars characters, but there were a lot of added details about her early childhood that is interesting to know. The diversity and lifestyle of the Togruta people added a new layer of depth I did not know I needed until I saw it. Definitely worth watching, and it launched me into the series with great expectations in mind.

Episode Two: "Justice"

Rating: 8/10

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A grim opening to this episode opens our eyes to the backstory of Qui-gon Jinn's training days with his Jedi Master, Dooku. It was so interesting to see a new dynamic between this master and padawan and the foreshadowing of what Dooku was going to be capable of in the future. Qui-gon is able to uphold his ideals of justice throughout this episode, as we've seen in past Star Wars projects. Though this felt like more of an informational episode to me, there still is a nice twist at the end which deserves some bonus points.

Episode Three: "Choices"

Rating: 7.5/10

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Another interesting dynamic to see in these shorts, but I felt like it was another filler episode. I do understand these are important, so I try not to push that fact to the side too much. There are some good battle sequences added in, and much like the last episode (because what would a Star Wars story be without it), a good twist at the end. It has been entertaining following Dooku's development in the short time we have, but the writers did a great job of including only the most important details. This is where we really began to see what pushed Dooku over the edge.