Anakin just namedropped a major Star Wars character who was supposed to appear in the prequels

News
By published

Asajj Ventress has a surprisingly long Star Wars history

Ahsoka
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)

In what could be his final live-action appearance, Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker left messages for his one-time Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. In Ahsoka episode 7, he namechecks a handful of villains she should be wary of in the then-upcoming war: Count Dooku, General Grievous, and Asajj Ventress.

While the first two will be familiar to most Star Wars fans, it’s Ventress who could raise a few eyebrows for those who bypassed The Clone Wars series.

Her history with the franchise, however, goes back even further – to Attack of the Clones. Previously-surfaced concept art from artist Dermot Power shows that Ventress – or someone resembling her – was supposed to play a significant role in Episode 2, potentially supplanting Count Dooku as that movie’s villain.

Never one to waste a good idea, Lucasfilm eventually took the character design, and her trademark curved lightsabers, and introduced the character in The Clone Wars. Despite Anakin’s warning, Ahsoka and Ventress clashed a handful of times – with the pair even teaming up on one occasion.

For more from Ahsoka, check out our guides, spoiler breakdowns, and explainers from the Disney Plus series.

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.