This article contains spoilers for Tales of the Underworld episodes 1-3.
When Asajj Ventress reappeared on The Bad Batch after a long absence, fans were shocked. She was believed to be dead after the events of the Dark Disciple novel by Christie Golden. Then, years after her supposed death, she shows up, just as powerful as ever. At the conclusion of her episode, "The Harbinger," Ventress tells the Bad Batch that she isn't afraid of the Empire, saying, "I still have a few lives left."
Ventress wasn't kidding around with that statement. Like a cat, Ventress has had many different lives. As a baby, she was taken from her homeworld and enslaved by pirates. She was rescued by a Jedi and trained to be one herself, harnessing her considerable Force abilities for good. When her Jedi Master was killed, she found power in the Dark Side. Count Dooku recognized her power and trained her as his acolyte and assassin. She would later use those skills against him after he betrayed her.
When Ventress lost yet another role model in Count Dooku, she decided to fight back by calling upon the aid of her first family, the Nightsisters. She reaffirmed her connection to her people by becoming a Nightsister herself. Unfortunately, her plot was foiled and the entire Nightsister army was massacred. Bereft and without a home, Ventress turned to bounty hunting and began to find her way back toward the Light. Slowly, she found a balance in the Force and in herself. It was at this time that she met Jedi Quinlan Vos and agreed to help him assassinate Count Dooku once and for all. Along the way, they fell in love and through that love, she was able to save Vos from the Dark Side. His redemption came at the cost of her life.
Now, Tales of the Underworld provides a whole new level of context for her statement to the Bad Batch. She has spent a lifetime switching the way she defines herself and taking on new lives when her old one is stolen from her. Then, her life was more literally taken, and she returned to life again with the help of Dathomiri magic.
Though she seeks a peaceful life after the chaos she has survived, her connection to the Light and her care for others have brought her into a new role. In the first episode of Tales of the Underworld, "A Way Forward," Ventress cannot help but stand up for a Force-user in need, Lyco. Through the show, we see her step into a reluctant mentor role and a friendship she never expected.
Lyco teaches Ventress to listen and respect the power of open conversation. She has the experience of a multitude of lives, yet she still finds lessons to learn from others. In turn, she helps protect him from the consequences of his naivety and teaches him how to protect himself from the new dangers of the Empire. As their partnership blossoms, we can expect to see great things from them.
By the time we see her in The Bad Batch, she has committed to her protector role, seeking out Omega to determine if she can help her. Ventress has more fully aligned herself with the light side of the Force and will likely move even further in that direction if she continues to spend time with Lyco. Maybe in addition to her new position as a mentor, she could take on the responsibilities of a rebel.
Her experience has shown her that both sides of the Clone Wars conflict were misguided, and their failures have caused the entire galaxy to suffer. She can't change the person she was in the past, but she can fight to end the current tyranny of the Empire
Slave. Jedi. Sith. Nightsister. Bounty Hunter. Assassin. Mentor. Protector. Asajj Ventress is perhaps the only character in all of Star Wars to have held all of these titles. Each one represents a life lived. Yet, she is not finished. Whether she will join the rebels or take on another unexpected role remains to be seen. Tales of the Underworld shows she still has a few lives left, and she will make the most of them.