Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for Star Wars: Tales of the Empire.
Star Wars: Tales of the Empire‘s sixth and final episode, “The Way Out,” sees Barriss Offee sustain a seemingly fatal injury. But does Barriss Offee really die in Tales of the Empire?
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Barriss Offee’s Fate in Tales of the Empire, Explained
It’s currently unclear whether Barriss Offee survives Tales of the Empire‘s final installment. Certainly, getting stabbed by Lyn Rakish/Fourth Sister’s lightsaber didn’t do her health any good. Yet Barriss is still breathing when the credits roll on “The Way Out,” and lightsaber stabbings aren’t always fatal. Sabine Wren bounced back from a similar skewering in Ahsoka Season 1. That said, Qui-Gon Jinn died after being stabbed with a lightsaber in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. A key difference between these two examples is that Sabine received immediate medical treatment, whereas Qui-Gon didn’t. As Fourth Sister is lugging Barriss off to the nearest bacta tank when “The Way Out” ends, it’s possible – but not yet confirmed – that Barriss doesn’t die.
Related: Tales of the Empire: Where Every Episode Fits on the Star Wars Timeline
Don’t expect any help from the official Star Wars databank in clearing up the matter, either. While Barriss Offee’s databank profile references her stint with the Inquisitorius in Tales of the Empire, it doesn’t go into detail about what happens after. Her redemption and subsequent showdown with Fourth Sister? Not covered at all. So, for now, you’ll have to decide for yourself if Barriss truly is a goner. But, for our money, she’s probably still alive. The closing moments of “The Way Out” mirror the conclusion of Episode 5, “Realization,” in which Barriss saves a wounded Jedi’s life. Given the symmetry at play here, the odds are good that Fourth Sister likewise averted Barriss’ death.
Didn’t Barriss Offee Die in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith?
Nope – but she was supposed to. Star Wars creator George Lucas originally planned to include Barriss Offee among the Jedi killed during Revenge of the Sith‘s Order 66 montage, however, he scrapped this material from the finished film. A version of Barriss’ death scene appears in the (now non-canon) Revenge of the Sith comic book adaptation.
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Lucas’ decision not to depict Barriss’ demise in Revenge of the Sith freed up Star Wars: The Clone Wars supervising director Dave Filoni to devise a different arc for her, instead. Clone Wars Season 5 outs Barriss as a fallen Jedi who frames Ahsoka Tano for bombing the Jedi Temple. However, Barriss’ deception fails and she’s arrested, setting up her return in Tales of the Empire.
All six episodes of Star Wars: Tales of the Empire are currently streaming on Disney+.
