One of the great additions to Star Wars lore in the modern era has been the Imperial Inquisitors. But who are the Inquisitors exactly? Well, we first met these dark side warriors in the animated Star Wars Rebels, where they were the main antagonists for the crew of the Ghost. Essentially, the Inquisitors were former Jedi or Padawans who survived Order 66, but were then turned to the dark side by the Sith. Later, the Inquisitors were a major threat on the Disney+ Star Wars series Obi-Wan Kenobi, and another on the current Star Wars: Ahsoka.
Not quite Sith-level, the Empire uses the so-called “Red Blades,” almost like bloodhounds, to track down any surviving Jedi and kill them. It is unknown how many Imperial Inquisitors existed altogether in the Star Wars universe, but the number is believed to be 12. That’s an important figure in numerology, especially when it comes to pop culture, history, and literature (12 Olympian Gods, 12 Apostles, 12 Knights of the Round Table, etc). Aside from the Grand Inquisitor and Marrok, all of Star Wars’ Inquisitors are titled “Sister” or “Brother” alongside a number, making their count easy to track. Here is each member of the Imperial Inquisitorius, who they are, where they appear, and everything else that you should know about them.
The Grand Inquisitor
The first Inquisitor we meet is the head guy himself, The Grand Inquisitor. He appears in the opening scene of the first episode of Star Wars Rebels, taking orders from Darth Vader himself. We know more about him than most of his brethren. He was a Jedi Temple Guard before the Great Purge, a Pa’un by birth. Voiced by Jason Issacs on Rebels, he appeared in Obi-Wan Kenobi played by Rupert Friend.
The Second Sister
This Inquisitor first arrived in the Star Wars universe in Jedi: Fallen Order. She was the primary adversary for Cal Kestis, and was formerly the Jedi Padawan Trilla Suduri. After she and her master escaped Order 66, they hid for a brief time. But eventually, the Empire captured her, tortured her, and eventually brainwashed her into joining the dark side. She was a deadly Inquisitor until she showed some compassion. For that crime, Darth Vader killed her for her failure.
The Third Sister
Known as Reva, we met the Third Sister in episode one of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Actress Moses Ingram portrayed this Inquisitor. She operated approximately ten years after the Jedi Purge and had ambitions of becoming the Grand Inquisitor herself. Although on Obi-Wan Kenobi they say Reva came “from the gutter,” she was actually a former Jedi Padawan who went full dark side, after Darth Vader nearly killed her as child during Order 66.
The Fourth Sister
Also introduced in Obi-Wan Kenobi, we saw the Fourth Sister working alongside the Grand Inquisitor, the Third Brother, and the Third Sister. She was fairly silent, letting her fellow Inquisitors hog the spotlight. She doesn’t seem to be around during the time of Star Wars Rebels, so it’s possible she was killed before then.
The Fifth Brother
Originally introduced in season two of Rebels, the Fifth Brother is part of an unknown alien species. In that timeline, he frequently works together with his fellow Inquisitor the Seventh Sister, making life difficult for the crew of the Ghost. At the moment, we don’t know too many details about this Inquisitor’s backstory. Chronologically speaking, the Fifth Brother first appears in Obi-Wan Kenobi hunting Jedi on Tatooine. He eventually dies at the hands of Darth Maul on the planet Malachor on Rebels. Fast and the Furious star Sung Kang in Obi-Wan Kenobi plays the Fifth Brother.
The Sixth Brother
This member of the order was first introduced in the canon novel Ahsoka, and his true name is Bil Valen. (Yes, a lethal dark side warrior has the first name “Bil.”) He was a particularly brutal member of the order, accompanying Lord Vader on many missions to kill not only Jedi, but anyone Force-sensitive that could pose a threat. A former member of the Jedi Order, He eventually died at the hands of Ahsoka Tano, two years into Imperial rule.
Ahsoka also fought and killed another Inquisitor, who was not given a proper name or a designation, in the animated series Tales of the Jedi. Some fans believe he was meant to be The Sixth Brother. But his appearance does not match the one from the comics. Perhaps Ahsoka killed two distinct “Sixth Brothers” on different occasions? It’s a dangling mystery.
The Seventh Sister
After the death of the Grand Inquisitor at the end of Rebels season one, the Seventh Sister was the main antagonist in season two. A deadly member of the Mirialan species, the Seventh Sister was more cunning and calculating than her frequent partner, the Fifth Brother. She met her end at the hands of Darth Maul on the Sith world of Malachor, approximately three years before the Battle of Yavin IV. Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar played her, whose real life husband played her frequent foe, Jedi Kanan Jarrus. The Seventh Sister also appeared in several issues of Marvel’s Darth Vader series.
The Eighth Brother
We don’t know much about this Inquisitor. The Eighth Brother appeared briefly in season two of Rebels, fighting alongside the Seventh Sister and the Fifth Brother. He was a known “Terrelian Jango Jumper,” like the Seventh Sister and the Fifth Brother. This means he was “A tall, slender humanoid…known for [his] acrobatic abilities.” The Eight Brother faced his final fate at the hands of Kanan Jarrus, three years before the Battle of Yavin IV.
The Ninth Sister
This is another member of the Inquisitorius who debuted in the game Jedi: Fallen Order. This Imperial Inquisitor was a supporting villain to the Second Sister and had a similar and familiar origin story. Also once a Jedi Padawan, the Empire captured and tortured the Ninth Sister until she broke. She then succumbed to the dark side, becoming a powerful threat. It’s not entirely clear, but it appears she died at the hands of Jedi Cal Kestis in Fallen Order.
The Tenth Brother
Prosset Dibs was a Clone Wars-era Jedi, who fought alongside Mace Windu during the conflict. Surviving Order 66, Prosset Dibs became corrupted by the new Empire and joined the Inquisitors as Star Wars‘ Tenth Brother. The Tenth Brother first appeared in Marvel’s Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith comics, and he died when a Jedi Padawan convinced some old clone troopers to execute Order 66. Though the Tenth Brother cut ties with the Jedi Order, he was still a former Jedi, and thus was killed by the clones.
Have We Met the Final Inquisitors, Eleventh Sister and Twelfth Brother?
These two members of the Inquisitorius appeared only briefly in the pages of Darth Vader. Their names and designations are never officially given, but it can be assumed they are the “siblings” Eleventh Sister and Twelfth Brother. The Twelfth Brother is a Twi’lek, and the Eleventh Sister is a red-skinned humanoid. Whatever their backstories were, they broke the Inquisitorius’ rules and fell in love. This caused Vader to end their careers as Inquisitors and their lives.
Marrok
By the time of A New Hope, it appeared all the Inquisitors were gone. Or were they? In Star Wars: Ahsoka, a mysterious former Inquisitor has appeared, named Marrok. They are working as a mercenary for former Jedi Baylon Skoll, and carrying a classic Inquisitor saber. We know nothing of Marrok’s true identity under their mask, although we have our theories. Interestingly, the official Star Wars site does not give Marrok’s former “number.” Did Marrok replace one of the previously mentioned dead Inquisitors years ago? The Jedi evaded extinction, why couldn’t Marrok? We have a feeling there’s a lot more to know about this latest member of the dark side warriors.
Originally published on June 2, 2022.
