The Star Wars Story That Made The Prequels Worth It

3. How Dark Disciple Gave Clone Wars Fans A Proper Conclusion

Asajj Ventress Dark Disciple
Disney

So why does Dark Disciple - out of all the hundreds of Star Wars stories that emerged out of the Prequels - somewhat justify all their shortcomings? Well first off it must be said that it isn't the only Star Wars story to have made effective use of the Prequel Trilogy (other such works to have done so include Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca's Darth Vader comic, as well as Rebels and even aspects of The Last Jedi), but it is the one that best embodies its potential.

Set during the bloodiest days of The Clone Wars, and with no end to the conflict in sight, the Jedi Council hatch a daring plan to bring it to a close - they sanction the assassination of Count Dooku. Surreptitious conflict isn't exactly the first thing you think of when you think of the Jedi Council, and it's a decision they eventually come to agonise over, while it's clear for the reader to see that it's possibly the moment the Order was consumed by Darth Sidious' conflict.

The actual conspiracy itself is also fairly rotten, but it spotlights one of the most beloved characters to have joined the Star Wars canon from that era: Asajj Ventress. Ventress, a former apprentice of Count Dooku's, quickly endeared herself to fans thanks to her sleek design, unique lightsabers and partially her verbal sparring with Obi-Wan Kenobi. By the time Dark Disciple is set, however, Ventress has long since parted ways with Dooku, and is instead operating as a Bounty Hunter on the literal underworld of Coruscant.

The Jedi surmise, given the manner in which Ventress parted with Dooku, that she'd be the perfect candidate to kill him - and they're right. Ventress was betrayed by Dooku once Darth Sidious became aware of her existence, and has since harboured a vendetta with her former master. They also know, however, that she isn't likely to want to fight Dooku of her own accord, with the bounty hunter carving out a comfortable living for herself bringing in fugitives of a vastly different (lower) calibre.

With this in mind, Obi-Wan recommends that the council deploy Quinlan-Vos - a Jedi who has dabbled with the dark arts and is an expert in undercover operations - to pose as a bounty hunter, gain Ventress' trust, and then strike at Dooku when the Sith Lord least expects it.

It's a fascinating premise, and a story worth seeing unfold for yourself.

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WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.