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One Star Wars Sith apprentice who never became an actual Sith Lord found the balance between the dark side of the Force and the Jedi way that some of Star Wars’ most iconic villains never could. Between Darth Vader and Kylo Ren, Star Wars has seen several Force-sensitive characters who started as Jedi but later joined the dark side of the Force. That includes the Inquisitors, all of whom joined Palpatine after Order 66, but Jedi joining the Sith had been happening since long before the fall of the Jedi Order.
The fact that so many Star Wars villains were once Jedi highlights the problem with the Jedi Order’s code, and it also explains why many of those villains ended up being redeemed. Star Wars has always been an uplifting tale about hope, with those seemingly lost forever having the chance to right their wrongs. In fact, even an assassin trained by a Sith eventually found her own path.
Asajj Ventress Was Better Off Not Being A Sith
Asajj Ventress, who had once been a Jedi Padawan, ended up being trained in the dark side of the Force and becoming Count Dooku’s personal assassin. That said, Ventress was never an actual Sith. While the Rule of Two itself established that Count Dooku could not have a Sith apprentice of his own given that Darth Sidious was still alive, it seemed like Dooku had no intention of making Ventress into an actual Sith Lord anyway. Asajj Ventress not being a Sith Lord was ultimately the best for the character, as it was never too late for Ventress to disown Count Dooku’s Sith teachings.
Ventress was betrayed by Count Dooku and replaced with Savage Oppress, Darth Maul’s brother, which put her on a path of revenge. Though Ventress never got to kill Dooku, Darth Tyranus’ former assassin eventually got to break free of the Sith’s schemes. Ventress became a bounty hunter, which in the Star Wars universe means living on your own terms. Similar to characters like Boba Fett or the Mandalorian, Asajj Ventress now only answered to herself, a most fitting ending for a character who had already been part of both the Jedi Order and the Sith’s secret ploys. Ventress’ redemption arc was then concluded in Christie Golden’s Dark Disciple.
How Asajj Ventress’ Redemption Made Her A Unique Star Wars Character
Compared to other Star Wars villains who received a redemption arc or that tried to act solo, Asajj Ventress had a unique character journey. Both Darth Vader and Kylo Ren died right after being redeemed, meaning that they never had the chance of correcting their wrongs or following a new path. Count Dooku, who died right as he realized that he was but a pawn in Darth Sidious’ plans, had once tried to betray Palpatine by asking Obi-Wan Kenobi to join him, but failed. Darth Maul did break free of Palpatine’s influence, yet he would soon lose everything and be hunted down by the Empire.
Asajj Ventress survived Count Dooku’s betrayal and got to embark on a solo journey that was not defined by whatever the Jedi or the Sith wanted to achieve. While Ventress’ solo journey was short, it made her into a unique Star Wars character. Ventress became a one-person army during the Clone Wars, someone who was not a Sith but was also not a hero. That is a dynamic Star Wars has rarely explored when it comes to Force-sensitive characters. More recently, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Reva entered a similar path to Ventress – the former Third Sister is neither an Inquisitor nor a Jedi by the end of the show, with her future in her own hands.
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