Like Tales of the Jedi before it, Star Wars: Tales of the Empire is a story of two halves where one is noticeably stronger than the other. The added edge here is this show being completely unafraid to go to some really dark territory. Star Wars hasn't been this dark since Revenge of the Sith and just like that film, hope is still present deep down. Diana Lee Inosanto's Morgan Elsbeth and Meredith Salenger's Barriss Offee were thinly sketched characters but thanks to just 30 minutes of screen time for each of them they've got so much more depth and both actors are given a lot to work with. Diana Lee charts a strong course through the journey of the dark side and Meredith Salenger brings a wise presence to the redemption of Barriss. The Clone Wars animation style only gets better with every new show that uses it. The level of detail in the environments is incredible and the character designs at this stage have none of the stilted nature that the show started off with. Kevin Kiner's score is amazing with a more mournful quality as the show spends almost all of its time in the bleakest parts of the Star Wars timeline.

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