Today, Disney Plus revealed a surprise trailer and key artwork for Tales of the Empire, a brand-new Star Wars animated series.
This will be Dave Filoni's second instalment of the Tales franchise, a series that delves deep into the lore and history of the Star Wars universe. It follows Tales of the Jedi, which began in 2022.
Tales of the Empire will have six episodes examining the oppressive Empire's inner workings.
An official trailer was shown, giving fans a first glimpse into Tales of the Empire. The trailer starts with Admiral Thrawn asking Morgan Elsbeth, "Why do you seek imperial favor?" before showing us that she has lost everything and offering the Admiral her anger-fueled strength in return.
The second character we will see through the eyes of throughout this short six-episode series is former Jedi, Barriss Offee, who has had to adapt and do what it takes to survive a rapidly changing galaxy.
Star Wars: Tales of the Empire will be released on May 4, the day fans have lovingly deemed Star Wars Day.
From the announcement on the official website:
"Journey into the fearsome Galactic Empire through the eyes of two warriors on divergent paths — Nightsister Morgan Elsbeth and former Jedi Barriss Offee. Like the first season following Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku, Tales of the Empire focuses on previously untold events in the lives of the featured characters."
During the surprise announcement, some key artwork from the new show was also revealed (shown above). It showcases characters such as Thrawn, the Fourth Sister, General Grievous, the Grand Inquisitor, and Darth Vader, among others who will appear in the upcoming animated show.
Dave Filoni, known as George Lucas' protégé, who worked alongside the founding father of Star Wars while making the Clone Wars animated series, is the creator of Tales of the Empire and supervising director for the show.
The voice cast for the new animated show includes Diana Lee Inosanto (Morgan Elsbeth), Meredith Salenger (Barriss Offee), Rya Kihlstedt (Lyn aka Fourth Sister), Wing T. Chao (Wing), Lars Mikkelsen (Thrawn), Jason Isaacs (Grand Inquisitor), and Matthew Wood (General Grievous).