This article contains spoilers for Episodes 1-3 of Tales of the Underworld.
Tales of the Underworld is not the first time Star Wars fans have witnessed a resurrection. In The Clone Wars, Ahsoka Tano was brought back from death by a powerful Light Side user, the Daughter. Somehow, Palpatine returned in The Rise of Skywalker. Troopers who had just been slain by Ahsoka, Sabine Wren, and Ezra Bridger staggered to their feet like zombies in Ahsoka.
Now, Asajj Ventress can be added to the list of characters who have persisted against death. As with the soldiers in Ahsoka, Ventress returned to life using Dathomiri Shadow Magic. However, her return appears far more permanent than anything we have seen the Dathomir witches perform. Unlike their typical zombies, Ventress is fully conscious and has complete agency over her actions.
As we watch her emerge from the pool of water, hearing the voices of her fallen sisters, a question arises as to how her resurrection was possible. In the Dark Disciple book, the pool of water is called the Water of Life. This Water contains Dark magic and was once a source of power and healing for the Nightsisters. When Ventress was placed in the pool, she was reconnected with her people and her life.
The cost of using this power was her heart's desire, her relationship with Jedi Quinlan Vos, whose love gave her this chance in the first place. Such a fee was certainly heartbreaking for Ventress, but what are the limits of this payment? If she ever sees him again, could she drop dead? Her life could be forfeit if she ever seeks a new relationship with him. Perhaps this is the reason she decides not to continue searching for Vos in Episode 3, "One Warrior to Another."
Another question around the payment for a new life revolves around what happens if she ever fully relinquishes her love of Vos. If she gained a new heart's desire, could she use the Water of Life to return to life a second time? Sure, it sounds like a sad existence to continually give up what you care about most, but it also sounds like the key to continued survival after death, provided you have someone to drop you off at Dathomir. Maybe love from another is all you need to get the resurrection process started. In this case, Ventress could use some more friends or love interests. Her reluctant parenting role she dons around young Jedi Lyco could come in handy in more ways than one.
If Ventress had known about the full powers of the Water, maybe she could have helped her fallen sisters come to life again after Dooku decimated their army in The Clone Wars episode "Massacre." Furthermore, because Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Nightsister leaders arrived on Dathomir in the finale of Ahsoka season 1, it is possible that the Water of Life will become a major source of power and security for their army. The limits of the resurrective properties are untested. Maybe the Water could only be used for resurrection a few times or only on specific individuals.
If that is the case, it comes as no surprise that of the Nightsisters, Ventress would be the one to come back to life. Her resilience and power have always been qualities that made her stand apart from others. She is a survivor, through and through.