Barriss Offee may sound like a name you have never heard, but you probably have seen her. Barriss Offee is the apprentice of Master Luminara Unduli and was first seen briefly in live-action alongside her master during the First Battle of Geonosis. After surviving that battle alongside her master, she joined the ranks of Jedi commanders to lead the clones in combat.
The next time we see Barriss on-screen is again on the planet Geonosis. The original Republic assault on Geonosis failed to keep the Geonosisians on the side of the Republic. After an espionage mission headed by Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker, the Republic realized they would have to retake the planet. Following a rough ground campaign, Anakin and Ahsoka meet Luminara and Barriss at the foot of a separatist droid factory thought impenetrable.
Here we get our first detailed look into Barriss’ personality. Barriss is very much the product of her strict master and comes across stiff on the first appearance. Despite her almost robotic start, which caused some tension between her and Ahsoka, as they continue throughout their mission to infiltrate and destroy the factory from the inside, Ahsoka and Barriss start to bond. Once in the center of the factory, pinned down by advanced shielded super tanks, Ahsoka and Barriss detonate the entire factory with themselves inside.
As the Clone Wars continue the two apprentices have several other missions together (one that includes worms that take over people’s minds). This joint act of self-sacrifice strengthens the bond between the two. This bond is again put to use when Ashoka is falsely accused of bombing the Jedi Temple. Imprisoned for a crime she did not commit and was framed for murder on several occasions, Ashoka attempts to find out who framed her. Anakin Skywalker eventually deduces that Barriss Offee is the criminal.
Moments before Ashoka is condemned, Anakin brings Barriss to the trial, where she freely admits that she committed the crimes and blames the Jedi for the Clone War.
In the end, Barriss is more right than wrong. The Jedi had lost their way, and there would be massive implications for the galaxy. After that, Barriss’s story is unclear. While the original script called for Offee to die in “The Wrong Jedi,” Dave Filoni said he “had plans” for Barriss during The Untold Clone Wars Panel.
While there has been no official casting call or announcement for Barriss in Ahsoka, there has been a call for Asian women aged 20-30. Given the distinct silence, evidence on casting, and influential Star Wars writer Dave Filoni comments, we are hopeful to see the return of Barriss and her story of survival through the Jedi Purge, Galactic Civil War, and the danger that followed.