When Does Tales of the Empire Take Place?

Loosely a sequel to 2022’s Tales of the Jedi, Star Wars: Tales of the Empire is the second animated anthology series on Disney+. Released May 4, 2024, this new iteration of the Star Wars: Tales anthology series explores the stories of Morgan Elsbeth and Bariss Offee. Like its predecessor, it jumps around the Star Wars timeline. Here is when Star Wars: Tales of the Empire takes place and how to watch the series in chronological order with the rest of the Star Wars films and shows.

What Is Tales of the Empire?

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire is a 2024 animated series created by Dave Filoni. It is a continuation of the Star Wars: Tales anthology series. As with the first season, Tales of the Jedi, it is considered canon in the Star Wars universe.

This second season focuses on the Nightsister Morgan Elsbeth and the former Jedi Padawan Bariss Offee. There are six total episodes, all of which were released on Star Wars Day – May 4, 2024.

The first three episodes explain Morgan Elsbeth’s backstory prior to her appearance in Season Two of The Mandalorian. The remaining three explore Bariss Offee’s path following her last appearance in Season Five of The Clone Wars.

Show creator Dave Filoni confirmed the series during Star Wars Celebration London in April 2023.

Kevin Kiner composed the music along with his children, Sean and Deana. Kiner had previously word on The Clone Wars, Rebels, and The Bad Batch.

Diana Lee Inosanto from The Mandalorian returns to voice Morgan Elsbeth. Meredith Salenger and Matthew Wood reprise their roles as Barriss Offee and General Grievous from The Clone Wars.

Star Wars: Rebels actors Jason Isaacs and Lars Mikkelsen return as the Grand Inquisitor and Admiral Thrawn. Rya Kihlstedt, who portrayed the Fourth Sister and former Jedi Lyn Rakish in Obi-Wan Kenobi, returns to voice the character.

As with the first season, fans are already theorizing about a potential third season. One of the leading ideas is a season focused on the Jedi of the High Republic era. Bounty hunters are another popular topic.

Still, these are just fan discussions. A third season has not been announced yet. But we could get details at either D23 in 2024 or at Star Wars Celebration Japan in 2025.

What is Tales of the Empire in the Legends Continuity?

Although not exactly identical, there is a similarly named book in the Legends continuity. Star Wars: Tales from the Empire is an anthology novel with stories about the Empire. When it was first released in 1997, it was originally part of the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

Edited by Peter M. Schweighofer, it contains ten stories from nine different authors set across the age of the Empire. This ranges from the period following the Prequel trilogy to the days just following the Original Trilogy.

Other than the name, the stories in the 2024 series are unrelated to those in the 1997 novel.

When Does Star Wars: Tales of the Empire Take Place?

The second season of Star Wars: Tales takes place between 20 BBY during the Clone Wars and 9 ABY around the time of The Mandalorian.

Here is how to watch the episodes of Tales of the Empire in chronological order, along with when they take place in the Star Wars timeline:

• Episode 1: “The Path of Fear” – 20 BBY
• Episode 4: “Devoted” – 19 BBY
• Episode 5: “Realization” – Approximately 19 BBY
• Episode 6: “The Way Out” – Between 9 and 0 BBY
• Episode 2: “The Path of Anger” – Between 8 and 2 BBY
• Episode 3: “The Path of Hate” – Between 5 and 9 ABY

Spoiler Warning: The following descriptions explain why the episodes appear where they do on the Star Wars timeline. However, this also includes potential spoilers for Revenge of the Sith, The Clone Wars, The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, and more. Please read with caution or skip ahead to the spoiler-free list of where Tales of the Empire fits on the timeline.

When Does the Morgan Elsbeth Arc Take Place? (Episodes 1, 2, & 3)

The first arc of the series begins during The Clone Wars episode”Massacre” in season four. It then jumps through time, ending around the time of the second season of The Mandalorian.

The first episode, “The Path of Fear,” is set in 20 BBY during the Battle of Dathomir. Also called the massacre of the Nightsisters, General Grievous and the droid army attacks the Nightsisters of Dathomir.

Episode two, “The Path of Anger,” is a little harder to place. Theoretically, it could take place anytime between the formation of the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY and the production of the TIE Defenders in 2 BBY.

However, Thrawn’s rank makes it easier to pinpoint an exact time. He introduces himself as “Admiral,” which places it between 8 and 2 BBY. Although still a large window, six years is much more precise than more than fifteen.

The third episode, “The Path of Hate,” takes place between 5 and 9 ABY. This is after the New Republic is established in 5 ABY but before Ahsoka Tano goes to Corvus.

While some suggest the episode happens immediately before The Mandalorian episode “Chapter 13: The Jedi.” But it seems likely that at least some time has passed.

The forest is completely destroyed, and the remains of the starship are missing from the clearing in front of the city walls. Unless this is a retcon, it seems unlikely that it disappeared overnight.

When Does the Barriss Offee Arc Take Place? (Episodes 4, 5, & 6)

The second arc begins with Jedi Barriss Offee serving a life sentence for her acts in the Rogue Jedi arc (episodes 17 – 20) in the fifth season of The Clone Wars. It concludes sometime between the Obi-Wan Kenobi series and Episode IV: A New Hope.

Episode four, “Devoted,” begins almost immediately after Order 66 in 19 BBY, likely concurrently with events of Revenge of the Sith, The Clone Wars, and The Bad Batch.

“Realization,” the fifth episode, likely takes place sometime in 19 BBY as well. Although she was an Inquisitor, she still seemed to have doubts about the Empire.

Given what we know about the Empire and the Inquisitorius, it seems likely that the Grand Inquisitor or Darth Vader would have sensed her doubt. They would have taken measures to ensure her loyalty, even if it meant killing her.

It is not entirely clear when the sixth and final episode, “The Way Out,” takes place. It could be set any time between 9 and 0 BBY.

Since Lyn Rakish returns to the light side of the Force, it has to take place after the Obi-Wan Kenobi episode “Part IV.” And that series is set in 9 BBY.

While we do not know the fate of all the Inquisitors, the Inquisitorius is believed to have been dissolved sometime between 3 and 0 BBY. This is largely because most of the Inquisitors were dead or had left the order.

Where Does Star Wars: Tales of the Empire Fit in the Star Wars Timeline?

Here is the spoiler-free timeline of when the six episodes of Tales of the Empire fit in relation to other Star Wars. The episodes in this season of the Star Wars: Tales anthology series are in bold.

• The Acolyte – Season One (2024) – Approximately 132 BBY
• Tales of the Jedi – Episode 3: “Choices” (2022) – Between 50 and 42 BBY
• Tales of the Jedi – Episode 1: “Life and Death” (2022) – 36 to 35 BBY
• Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) – 32 BBY
• Tales of the Jedi – Episode 4: “The Sith Lord” (2022) – 32 BBY
• Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) – 22 BBY
• The Clone Wars (2008) – 21 BBY
• The Clone Wars – Season One (2008-2009) – 21 BBY
• The Clone Wars – Season Two (2009-2010) – 21 BBY
• The Clone Wars – Season Three (2010-2011) – 21 to 20 BBY
• The Clone Wars – Season Four (2011-2012) – 20 BBY
• Tales of the Empire – Episode 1: “The Path of Fear” (2024) – 20 BBY
• The Clone Wars – Season Five (2012-2013) – 20 to 19 BBY
• The Clone Wars – Season Six (2014) – 19 BBY
• The Clone Wars – Season Seven (2020) – 19 BBY
• Tales of the Jedi – Episode 5: “Practice Makes Perfect” (2022) – c. 21 to 19 BBY
• Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) – 19 BBY
• Tales of the Empire – Episode 4: “Devoted” (2024) – 19 BBY 
• The Bad Batch – Season One (2021) – 19 BBY
• Tales of the Empire – Episode 5: “Realization” (2024) – Approximately 19 BBY
• Tales of the Jedi – Episode 6: “Resolve ” (2022) – 19 BBY, then between 18 and 5 BBY
• The Bad Batch – Season Two (2023) – 18 BBY
• The Bad Batch – Season Three (2024) – Approximately 18 BBY
• Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) – 13 BBY
• Obi-Wan Kenobi – Season One (2022) – 9 BBY
• Tales of the Empire – Episode 6: “The Way Out” (2024) – Between 9 and 0 BBY
• Tales of the Empire – Episode 2: “The Path of Anger” (2024) – Between 8 and 2 BBY
• Andor – Season One (2022) – 5 BBY
• Rebels – Season One (2014) – 5 to 4 BBY
• Rebels – Season Two (2015) – 4 to 3 BBY
• Rebels – Season Three (2016) – 2 BBY
• Rebels – Season Four (2017) – 1 BBY
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) – 0 BBY
• Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) – 0 BBY / 0 ABY
• Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – 3 ABY
• Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) – 4 ABY
• Tales of the Empire – Episode 3: “The Path of Hate” (2024) – Between 5 and 9 ABY
• The Mandalorian – Season One (2019) – 9 ABY
• The Mandalorian – Season Two (2020) – 9 ABY
• The Book of Boba Fett – Season One (2021-2022) – 9 ABY
• The Mandalorian – Season Three (2023) – 9 ABY
• Ahsoka – Season One (2023) – 9 ABY
• Skeleton Crew – Season One (Expected 2024) – 9 ABY
• Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015) – 34 ABY
• Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017) – 34 ABY
• Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019) – 34 ABY