Ahsoka on Disney+ is going to reintroduce some legendary characters from Star Wars‘ past. Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, Ezra Bridger, and Grand Admiral Thrawn will all make their live-action debuts on the spinoff. We expect other familiar faces will join them in surprise cameos. But we now know there will be an appearance by someone we never expected to see. The series will feature one of Darth Vader’s elite Jedi hunters, an Inquisitor. Who is this mysterious Force user? What do they want with Ahsoka now? And most importantly, at what point in the Star Wars timeline will this Ahsoka Inquisitor show up?
Empire‘s latest issue provides new insights into what to expect from the Rosario Dawson-led series when it arrives later this summer. That includes how Sabine Wren will be dealing with the guilt of not finding her friend Ezra just yet. It also examines how Ahsoka Tano will be following a lonely path. But the most intriguing revelation from the magazine is the photo of a masked Inquisitor.
Inquisitors worked for Palpatine and Vader during the reign of the Empire. Typically seen using spinning double-bladed red lightsabers, the deadly Force-sensitive unit hunted down Jedi across the galaxy. They’ve previously appeared on Star Wars Rebels, in Cal Kestis’ Jedi games, and in live-action on Obi-Wan Kenobi. Known by numbers (such as Fifth Brother or Third Sister), many have died on-screen.
While the group’s numbering system indicates we have yet to meet all of them, it certainly seemed as though most (if not all) died by the time the Empire collapsed. None have ever appeared in a post-Return of the Jedi timeline. And that’s when Ahsoka will take place, same as The Mandalorian, so it is surprising to see the presence of an Inquisitor.
So how and why will an unknown Inquisitor appear on the Ahsoka series? (Their mask is unlike any we’ve seen before.) There are three logical explanations. The first is simply that not all of them died and stopped hunting Jedi after the Rebel Alliance won. It’s very possible at least one Inquisitor was still around years later, loyally serving her dead Emperor. (We know lots of officers did just that.)
They also might have sought vengeance against Ahsoka, who had many run-ins with Inquisitors. And with Grand Admiral Thrawn still alive, we might learn those leftover Inquisitors ended up working for him directly. They might even know about the plan to resurrect Palpatine.
It’s also possible this Inquisitor will appear in a flashback in Ahsoka, or that the show will begin at an earlier point than we expect. Ahsoka could open with a sequence set during the era of the Empire, which would more than explain why she would encounter an Inquisitor.
But the third possible explanation is the most intriguing. The show has teased a return to the World Between Worlds, a dimension outside of time and space. The appearance of an Inquisitor on the series might mean Ahsoka will go back in time to the past when the elite unit was operational. Or even that one of the Inquisitors will hop forward in time. That could mean this actually is an Inquisitor we met before and seen die.
You can see Ahsoka‘s Inquisitor in even more action via the latest trailer for the series. They certainly look like they spell trouble for Ahsoka, but also like they’ll give us one epic lightsaber duel.
Whatever the explanation for their presence, we’re excited that an Inquisitor is returning to the galaxy far, far away in Ahsoka. Inquisitors are always bad news for Jedi. But they do make for exciting television.
Originally published on June 5, 2023.
