Star Wars Confirms Barriss Offee’s Criticisms of the Jedi Order

Star Wars has officially confirmed that Barriss Offee was “100% right” about the Jedi Order. A Jedi Knight during the Clone Wars era, Barriss eventually became disillusioned with the Order’s actions during the galactic conflict. Although her resulting actions were undoubtedly misguided, it’s now an indisputable fact that her criticisms were completely valid.

Trained by Luminara Unduli, Barriss Offee was a Jedi healer and one of Ahsoka Tano’s closest friends. However, Barriss was eventually corrupted by the dark side near the end of the Clone Wars, harboring bitter resentment toward the Jedi Order. However, Star Wars has made it quite clear that Barriss Offee’s criticisms of the Jedi were very much justified.

Barriss Offee Was Right About The Jedi

Barriss Offee's Trial with Barriss standing in front of Jedi Temple Guards, all with their lightsabers ignited — Barriss Offee’s Trial with Barriss standing in front of Jedi Temple Guards, all with their lightsabers ignited

As the Clone Wars continued, Barriss Offee grew increasingly discouraged and disgusted by all the corruption, violence, devastation, and specifically, the Jedi Order’s role within it. After all, the Jedi Council agreed to have the Order become generals for the Grand Army of the Republic, rather than remaining peacekeepers according to their traditional mandates as guardians of peace and justice.

This ultimately pushed Barriss to the dark side, motivating her to bomb the Jedi Temple in the Clone Wars episode “The Wrong Jedi”, framing it all on Ahsoka. However, Tano’s name was eventually cleared after Anakin Skywalker discovered the truth and captured Barriss. It was during her subsequent trial that Barriss confessed, making her criticisms publicly known:

“I did it, because I’ve come to realize what many people in the Republic have come to realize: that the Jedi are the ones responsible for this war, that we’ve so lost our way that we have become villains in this conflict. That we are the ones who should be put on trial. All of us! And my attack on the temple was an attack on what the Jedi have become. An army fighting for the dark side, fallen from the light that we once held so dear. This Republic is failing! It’s only a matter of time.”

Of course, Barriss was right, as seen in Revenge of the Sith. The Republic fell, the Jedi Order was destroyed, and the dark side overcame the light. However, StarWars.com’s trivia page for the episode makes Offee’s comments explicitly accurate: “Barriss’ rebuke against the Jedi Order, though they led to dark actions, is a hundred percent true“.

What Happened To Barriss After She Accused The Jedi

Close up of Barriss Offee looking pensive in Tales of the Empire with blood on her face — Close up of Barriss Offee looking pensive in Tales of the Empire [STAR WARS]

After the Republic fell, Barriss Offee was recruited by the Empire to become one of Darth Vader’s Imperial Inquisitors, as seen in the animated Tales of the Empire miniseries.

Although she was trained in the dark side and became a Jedi hunter, Barriss eventually left the Empire after witnessing their cruelty, choosing instead to become a healer in remote parts of the galaxy, helping Force-sensitives and their families evade the Empire (presumably alongside the secret network known as The Path).

Adult Barriss Offee in Star Wars: Tales of the Empire season 1 looking older — Adult Barriss Offee in Star Wars: Tales of the Empire season 1

Barriss’ was eventually found and killed by Fourth Sister. However, Offee still offered forgiveness and encouragement that her once fellow Inquisitor could also find redemption. By the series’ end, the implication is that the Inquisitor does leave her fellow Inquisitors, having left her lightsaber behind while carrying Barriss’ body out of the caves where they had their final confrontation.

At any rate, the full scope of Barriss Offee’s life is quite impressive. Likewise, Barriss’ sentiments and criticisms toward the Jedi Order were right on the money, despite the dark actions she took before the Clone Wars’ end.