Origin Story of The Acolyte Just Retcon Asajj Ventress?
Ever since her Star Wars: The Clone Wars premiere, Asajj Ventress—the formidable Nightsister—has been a fan favorite. With her clever, dark side ability and dramatic arc, Ventress rapidly attracted a huge audience. Her popularity even resulted in a confirmed future presence in an upcoming project and a return in Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Now, one line in The Acolyte has readers wondering whether Ventress's origin story underwent a significant make-over.
Master Indara Believes the Nightsisters Not Raised Younglings
Investigating the witches of Brendok, Jedi Masters Kelnatta, Sol, and Indara as well as Jedi Padawan Torbin are in The Acolyte episode 7. Torbin brings up a fascinating point while the Jedi are attempting to understand the threat these witches create. Is these witches Night sisters? he wonders. Master Indara's comment resulting from this has rocked the basis of Ventress's background. Indara says, boldly, "Nightsisters don't raise younglings. Let alone educate them."
This comment runs counter to all we know about the Nightsisters. Like Morgan Elsbeth, a youngling still a girl when General Grievous destroyed the Nightsisters, they have raised and trained others. How then could Indara be so certain the Nightsisters never produced younglings?
The threat of the Jedi might have guided the Nightsisters to release tension.
Tragic events abound in Ventress's biography. The Nightsrites sold her into slavery as a baby; this seems quite out of line for a group known for sisterhood and loyalty. She didn't find some sense of family until she was taken in by Jedi Master Ky Narec. But finally Narendrac passed death, sending Ventress into the dark side. Her path of events brought her to Count Dooku, who later left her entirely alone.
The events around Ventress's first desertion by the Nightsisters are dubious. Their leader, Mother Talzin, clarified that they had to give her up but the exact reason is still unknown. The Nightsisters might have been in danger since they feared the Jedi finding their younglings. The way the Jedi behaved on Brendok—especially Sol and Torbin's—showcased their ability to act forcefully and even brutally. Therefore, it is quite likely that the Nightsisters chose to offer Ventress up to a pirate, Hal'Sted, to keep her safe after fearing the Jedi.
Although this is only a theory, Ventress's narrative will be much changed by this fresh material from The Acolyte. Driven by fear of the Jedi, the Nightsisters might have been compelled to give Ventress sacrifices, which set off the series of events influencing her sad life. This surprising turn of events gives the Nightsisters and their relationship with the Jedi an entirely different level of complexity, transforming their supposed "evil" behavior into a frantic defense of their own. As we eagerly await Ventress's comeback on a forthcoming Star Wars project, it is surely something to consider.
