The Ahsoka Disney+ TV show is confirmed to feature the return of one of Darth Vader's Inquisitors, and here are nine theories about his identity that blow Star Wars canon wide open. Disney has now begun the main marketing push for Ahsoka, the Disney+ TV show starring Rosario Dawson. A recent Ahsoka image featured an Inquisitor, one of Darth Vader's Jedi hunters - the first time an Inquisitor has been seen in the timeline since before the Star Wars original trilogy.
Ahsoka is set a few yars after the original trilogy, as part of The Mandalorian era. Until now, it had generally been believed the Inquisitors - Force-sensitives and fallen Jedi who served Darth Vader - were all killed before Luke Skywalker left Tatooine. Every known Inquisitor should be dead by the time of Ahsoka (as, of course, is Darth Vader himself). That means there's a lot of excited speculation about who Ahsoka's Inquisitor really is - and here are nine theories.
9 Could Ezra Bridger Be Ahsoka's Mystery Inquisitor?
Ahsoka's close friend Ezra Bridger is a Jedi Padawan who disappeared into the Unknown Regions when he ambushed Imperial strategist Grand iral Thrawn. Ahsoka owes Ezra a great deal - he saved her life in Star Wars Rebels season 4, episode 13 - and she's sworn to find out what happened to him. By now, Ezra has been missing for a decade, leading many to believe he has fallen to the dark side and become a villain in the interim. If so, Ezra Bridger could be Ahsoka’s Inquisitor.
Ezra flirted with the dark side of the Force a few times during Rebels, going as far as opening a Sith holocron. What's more, Ezra has lost his master, Kanan Jarrus, and probably had to align himself with Thrawn to survive in the Unknown Regions. Ezra becoming a villain in Ahsoka would be a major twist, but it's not unprecedented and shouldn't be ruled out. The Inquisitor costume may be just whatever suit Ezra is now wearing to perform missions for Thrawn.
8 Is Star Wars' New Inquisitor Actually Barriss Offee?
Barriss Offee was one of Ahsoka's best friends during the Clone Wars, but she ultimately turned to the dark side and betrayed the Jedi. Barriss launched a terrorist attack on the Jedi Temple itself, and framed Ahsoka for the crime. Barriss was arrested, but Star Wars avoided confirming what happened to her - she wasn't executed for her crime. Darth Vader's Inquisitors were mostly former Jedi who felt wronged by the Order, and it always seemed logical Barriss would have become one of them. Viewers have long theorized various Inquisitors could turn out to be Barriss - notably during the build-up to Jedi: Fallen Order - but so far none of these theories have come true. The Ahsoka Disney+ TV show is the perfect opportunity to address this, given the personal history between Ahsoka and Barriss.
7 Ahsoka's New Villain Shin Could Be A Former Inquisitor
Ahsoka has been targeted by Inquisitors since before the events of the first Star Wars movie, later titled A New Hope. There are currently 12 known Inquisitors in Star Wars canon, most of whom already met their fate by that point in the timeline. Still, Star Wars could easily add another Inquisitor to that list, as it has been doing since Rebels season 1. Shin Hati, Ahsoka’s new villain, could be a former Inquisitor who once faced Ahsoka Tano in combat and has now returned with new powers. That would easily explain why there is a new Force-sensitive villain in Ahsoka. However, it would raise the question of whether Baylan Skoll is a former Inquisitor as well.
6 Ahsoka Could Be Facing An Inquisitor In A Flashback
A simple yet very plausible theory is that Ahsoka’s Inquisitor appears in a flashback. Ahsoka is set after Return of the Jedi, but there is no reason to assume there cannot be flashbacks throughout Ahsoka's Star Wars timeline. If this is a flashback, then Ahsoka's Inquisitor could be one who has already met their end, perhaps the Eighth Brother (an Inquisitor whose costume resembles the mystery Inquisitor's). Perhaps Ahsoka’s mission of finding Ezra began before Rebels’ epilogue, meaning that Vader and the Inquisitors would still be around.
5 Is Ahsoka's Inquisitor The Eighth Brother (Is He Alive?)
While the mysterious Inquisitor’s costume by itself is not enough to settle who they are, it is difficult not to notice the similarities between Ahsoka’s Inquisitor and the Eighth Brother. However, the Eighth Brother seemly died in Star Wars Rebels season 2’s finale, “Twilight of the Apprentice.” Star Wars has retconned several deaths, not to mention how the Grand Inquisitor survived what should have been a lethal wound in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Therefore, the Eighth Brother might have walked out of Malachor alive. This would still not explain who the Inquisitor is working for, of course.
4 Is This An Inquisitor Who Was Sent To The Unknown Regions?
Ahsoka is expected to deal with a vast area of unexplored space called the Unknown Regions. Palpatine was deeply interested in exploring the Unknown Regions, and he could have had an Inquisitor sent there - perhaps to find Grand iral Thrawn. Navigation of the Unknown Regions requires use of the Force, meaning an Inquisitor would be the perfect tool. If Ahsoka's Inquisitor was sent to the Unknown Regions during the age of the Empire, he may simply have never returned home.
3 Is Ahsoka’s Inquisitor A Clone?
The Mandalorian has focused on cloning since season 1, and season 3 hinted the entire Imperial Shadow Council - now commanded by Thrawn - has an interest in cloning and genetic engineering. The so-called "Mandoverse" is heavily inspired by the old Star Wars Expanded Universe, drawing heavily from Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire, which also dealt with clones. It's entirely possible Thrawn has been working on creating Force-sensitive clones, setting up Palpatine's return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Ahsoka’s mysterious new villains have been theorized to be clones, which would tie into Heir to the Empire’s Dark Jedi. However, Ahsoka’s Inquisitor could also be a clone of a former Jedi hunter, perhaps a proto version of a more elaborated warrior. The Empire has been interested in cloning research since its inception, as Star Wars: The Bad Batch proved it. Therefore, it is not far-fetched to imagine that the Empire conducted closing experiments based on their own Inquisitors. That would explain how the Imperial Shadow Council was able to clone a deceased Inquisitor.
2 Is Ahsoka’s Inquisitor Star Wars’ Canon Starkiller?
Galen Marek, also known as Starkiller, was Darth Vader’s apprentice in the Legends Star Wars: The Force Unleashed games. Despite being a very popular Star Wars character from before Disney bought Lucasfilm, Starkiller was never revisited in the new canon. In theory, the Imperial Inquisitors replaced Starkiller’s role as Darth Vader’s apprentice in Star Wars. As such, bringing Starkiller back into canon as an Inquisitor would make a lot of sense. In addition, Ahsoka could create a great parallel between Ahsoka Tano and Starkiller. Ahsoka was Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan, whereas the Starkiller was Darth Vader’s apprentice. Interestingly, Dave Filoni considered using Starkiller in Rebels, but it never happened.
1 Is Ahsoka’s Inquisitor Star Wars’ Canon Mara Jade?
Mare Jade is another popular Star Wars Legends character who could make their canon debut as an Inquisitor. In the Expanded Universe, Mara Jade was the Emperor's Hand, Palpatine's personal agent; canon could reinvent her as an Inquisitor quite easily. If this is Mara Jade, then the Inquisitor clothes would suggest Mara is still loyal to the Empire. Timothy Zahn's novel Heir to the Empire was essentially the story of Mara's redemption, and Ahsoka could be a step toward telling the same story. This would be an even more important addition to Star Wars canon than Grand iral Thrawn himself, delighting lovers of the old Expanded Universe.