The second half of the series follows Barriss Offee, who infamously turned against the Jedi, framed Ahsoka for her crimes and was imprisoned for life.

Where Morgan’s story follows her into the dark, Barriss’ follows her out into the light. It’s a more palatable choice but it’s also one which gives every aspect of the cast and crew more to play with.

Starting with the voice cast, Meredith Salenger does superb work here as three different ages of the troubled former Jedi. ‘Devoted’ picks up on the day of Order 66 and follows her journey into the order of Inquisitors, ‘Realization’ sees her faced with the moral vacuum of the Empire and ‘The Way Out’ picks up years later as a reformed Barriss reckons with her actions. It’s a stunningly good performance, fragile and wounded and resolute and it’s part of the heart of the story.

The other part is Rya Kihlstedt’s work as Lyn Rakish, Barriss’ partner turned Fourth Sister. She’s a murderer, with blood on her hands almost before we meet her and a resolute loyalist in the exact way Barriss is not. Kihlstedt and Salenger’s work bounces off each other to create a clear eyed look at two warriors who are victims as much as they are perpetrators. They also embody the central premise of both the Rebellion and the Resistance. No one gets left behind. No one is irredeemable.

The rest of the voice cast also impress in particular Ry Chase as an exhausted Jedi, World Beyond’s Nicholas Cantu as another recruit and Jason Isaacs as the Grand Inquisitor but it’s these two who stay with you.

Nicolas Anasatassiou and Matt Michnovetz’s scripts also smartly cover a lot of ground in a short space of time. Like the Morgan story this takes place across different time periods but while that was impressive, this feels deeper and more resonant. Both Morgan and Barriss had no choice but to go into the dark. But Morgan stayed there and seeing Barriss fight her way back to herself is a very powerful experience in a short space of time.

It’s also worth noting the entire series has very well rounded supporting characters. Nadura and Wing in the opening story and a host here including Cantu’s doomed fellow recruit and Isaacs’ gloriously oleaginous murderous diplomat. These are massive stories told on intensely personal scales and it works very very well.

The direction impresses too and each episode here has a strong visual note that tie together in a graceful circle of metaphor. Barriss earns her position in a horrific, constricting arena where she’s forced to fight a fellow student to the death. She gains her moral compass again witnessing a lightsaber fight in deep fog illuminated only by the blades clashing. Her story finishes (maybe…) on a clear day on a snowy world where it becomes Lyn’s turn to crawl out of the dark. The moment that really hits here is a beat where Lyn throws her saber around a tiny ice cave and you see just how boxed in she is. By her training, her choices, her location.

Verdict: It’s a powerful note followed by another which suggests Barriss and Lyn may have more to do. I’d love to see that, because these are two of the most interesting characters in recent Star Wars history. Even if we don’t, this is a very strong ending to a strong series and one that feels like both closing a circle and, perhaps, starting something new. 10/10

Alasdair Stuart