The new year brings with it the promise of a second season of the acclaimed animated anthology series Tales of the Jedi, offering Star Wars fans a wide range of stories featuring some of the galaxy's greatest Force wielders. Season 1 gave us tales from the decades before the Battle of Naboo in The Phantom Menace until shortly after the end of the Clone Wars, which brought about the destruction and near extinction of the Jedi Order. Thus far, details on season two are close to non-existent, meaning that the series is likely to come to us in the later portion of the year.
One of the great parts of anthology storytelling is the freedom to explore a wide range of time periods. This is especially important in the galaxy far, far away, as the time from the beginning of the prequels to the end of the sequel trilogy spans more than sixty years. Year by year, decade by decade, the galaxy is an ever-changing place. Season 1 of Tales gave us a view of the galaxy that was very much from the point of view of the prequels/Clone Wars era and its notable characters. This makes sense, as the show borrows its animation style from The Clone Wars. But the freedom to not be centralized in any one time or place means that future seasons could take place anywhere, anytime, and with anyone.
A perfect place to start this expansion is with another beloved animated Star Wars series: Star Wars Rebels. The show took place in the years shortly before A New Hope as the Rebellion was gaining momentum. It also happens to feature Jedi from the time before the Clone Wars. Who from Rebels deserves the Tales of the Jedi treatment?
Kanan Jarrus is an obvious first pick. His story is a fascinating one. From being the apprentice of Jedi master Depa Billaba to becoming a wayward padawan during the dark times. He became a Knight in his own right and took Ezra Bridger to be his own pupil. His life between the fall of the Jedi and Rebels is touched on in comics and novels, but there is a whole life to explore that would be perfect for the crisp animation of Tales.
Ahsoka Tano already received her anthological treatment, but her stories were set no later than the early times of the Empire. Again, Tano’s time in the early stages of the Rebellion has seen some glimpses in the form of written media. Still, the two decades between trilogies can offer a huge wealth of stories that show her adjusting to life in the new, darker galaxy.
Ezra was already quite young when Rebels began, but his early adventures of being a misbehaving youth on Lothal could be an interesting opportunity for a story, as could his time being stranded in the new galaxy after the Liberation of Lothal. Exploring his early time on Peridea with Thrawn is a narrative that fans have been asking for.
This last one is more of an honorable mention, seeing as he only appeared briefly in Rebels. A short about Obi-Wan Kenobi, adjusting to his new life on Tatooine could be interesting. Maybe even one as the young apprentice of Qui-Gon Jinn could be an excellent opportunity to expand further on this legendary character.
These examples all show the extent to which Tales of the Jedi can go. With future entries in live-action promising to reveal life in the times of The High Republic and even the prehistoric dawn of the Jedi era, there is truly no limit to what can be shown through this series of animated anthologies.
Season two of Tales of the Jedi is scheduled to air sometime later this year on Disney +.