It's been almost 20 minutes since the last Star Wars speculation so it was time for the rumor mill to start cranking out something for us to mull on over the weekend.
The powers that be settled on a twist on a classic that's been circulating for months. Ever since Lupita Nyong'o and Gwendoline Christie were officially cast, fans and journalists have been scrambling to guess their roles. Now it seems one of them might play the villain.
Of course this is old news to anyone who's had their ear to the ground listening for Star Wars tidbits like the people of Tatooine listen for the slightest whisper of the approach of Sand People. As far back ,as April there were rumblings of a female villain to contrast the sausage fest that has been 'Star Wars' Sith Summits. Before she was even confirmed, anonymous sources had Lupita Nyong'o pegged to play Asajj Ventress.
Please, please, please let this rumor be true. Asajj Ventress is hands down one of two of the best villains to come out of the animated 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars.' The other obviously being bounty hunter Cad Bane (who, let's be real, also deserves time on the big screen). Her lack of morality and commitment to eradicating the Jedi from the galaxy makes Darth Vader look like a big fluffy kitten. Plus, she has all this going for her.
#1 – She is a ruthless assassin.
Men, women, children? No one is safe from death if Ventress has decided it is best for them to die. Anakin Skywalker's massacre of the younglings is basically how she spends a typical Saturday night. However, like all the best villains she is complex and follows her own moral code. Society says killing kids is always wrong; Ventress knows this isn't boring and also a lie. This makes her unpredictable and dangerous, two of the best ingredients for compelling storytelling. When last we saw her (in official canon) she had become a bounty hunter and even made an enemy of the infamous Boba Fett. This gives her cross-movie appeal. Just sayin' Disney.
#2 – She's wicked good with duel-wielding lightsabers.
What good is a Star Wars movie without a brutal lightsaber battle? From a visual perspective alone, watching Ventress fend off multiple attackers, slicing through her foes with both blades and wit, would be worth the price of admission. Hell, the climatic twist could even be after the young Skywalker(s) disarms her and think they've won, Ventress beats them down in unarmed combat. Dodging lightsaber attacks with nothing to deflect or parry with other than the Force and winning is something movie audiences haven't seen yet. And now that I think about that, quite frankly I'm outraged.
#3 – She's viciously sassy.
Pre-battle banter is a hobby. Goading your enemy into making fatal mistakes by wounding them without even engaging in physical combat is an art. And Asajj Ventress excels at finding any weak links in the mental armor of her opponent. After all, why fight the enemy when you can make the enemy fight themselves? Star Wars is practically built on one-liners and everyone knows villains get the best quotes.
#4 – She was obsessed with Obi-Wan. Legitimately straight up bunny-boiler obsessed.
Asajj Ventress and Obi-Wan Kenobi had a weird antagonists relationship. Constantly trying to kill each other, constantly flirting, constantly dancing as near to the 'sleeping with the enemy' line as a children's cartoon would allow. And who knows? By the end of 'The Clone Wars' Ventress is far from a good guy but she and Obi-Wan seemed to have come to an accord. And rumor has it Kenobi had a biracial kid. And last I checked, Jedi don't asexual reproduce via budding. WE DO NOT SPEAK OF THE MIDICHLORIAN IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.
#5 – She outlived them all.
An assassin of the highest caliber and a tool of Count Dooku, Ventress wanted nothing more than to join the ranks of the Sith and wipe the Jedi from the galaxy. This was never to be despite her mastery of the Force and high kill count. Ostensibly because she never mastered her fear, but in reality because Sith is a boy's club and Count Dooku is a dick. Betrayed by her master, Ventress is definitely the type to enjoy the irony of surviving where the Sith have died. With the way cleared of challengers, who better to rise and set the galaxy on its correct path?