Star Wars audiences loved the Star Wars timeline, one thing has been clear: the Jedi are on the light side of the Force, and the Sith are on the dark. While that tenant has continued to hold true, there have been some interesting deviations, particularly of late.
Star Wars has increasingly explored what it means for Force s to be neither Jedi nor Sith, not only with groups such as the Nightsisters of Dathomir but also with individual characters, such as Asajj Ventress. Baylan Skoll is among the latest additions to this list, and the success of his character arc has interesting implications for the franchise. Could it be that audiences have grown a bit tired of the black-and-white Jedi good, Sith bad dichotomy?
Baylan Skoll Was One Of The Most Popular Ahsoka Characters
Even As A Brand-New Character, Baylan Skoll Was A Hit (As Was Shin Hati)
The Ahsoka cast was full of returning beloved characters, including Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, and even Thrawn, in addition to Ahsoka Tano herself. Despite the cast packing a punch in of fan-favorites, Baylan Skoll ended up being one of the most popular characters on the show. This is a particularly impressive feat, not only because the Ahsoka characters were already quite loved, but also because Star Wars has long struggled with successfully introducing new characters.
Typically, there is significant pushback against new additions to the franchise, be it characters or shows, yet that couldn't be further from the truth with Baylan. In fact, the real-life ing of Baylan Skoll's actor, Ray Stevenson, led many to be concerned that the character's time in Star Wars movies and TV shows would be over, which would have been a major disappointment, to say the least. While this is partially to do with Stevenson's brilliant acting, the love for this character is also indicative of the need for Star Wars to change the franchise's approach to the Jedi.
10 Actors Who'd Make The Perfect Baylan Skoll For Ahsoka Season 2
With Baylan Skoll actor Ray Stevenson's tragic death in 2023, many have wondered whether Star Wars will recast the role for Ahsoka season 2.
Baylan Doesn't Fit Into The Standard Light Side/Dark Side Binary
Baylan Not Fitting The Mold Contributed To His Popularity
Part of what makes Baylan so compelling is that, despite being a Force , Baylan doesn't fit fully into either the light side or the dark side. While he's arguably much more aligned with the dark than the light, Baylan isn't a Sith by any stretch. He has Shin Hati as an apprentice, yes, but it's quite clear that he and Shin are not meant to be a new Sith master and apprentice duo.
Likewise, he's not a Jedi, nor is he all that connected to the light side of the Force. Even so, Baylan has a genuine respect for the Jedi that sets him apart from other dark side Force s, including those who weren't Sith. He actually laments what happened to the Jedi, specifically Order 66, and he views the loss of Force s as a terrible waste.
Baylan has a genuine respect for the Jedi that sets him apart from other dark side Force s, including those that weren't Sith.
This reverence for the Jedi doesn't automatically make Baylan a 'good' character (although it does make him more interesting than the average dark side Force ), but it does mean he's more morally ambiguous than most. This is precisely why Baylan proved so popular and why he is representative of how the Jedi need to change. Based on this aspect of Baylan's character and the reception of Baylan in the fanbase, Star Wars audiences are ready for the franchise to move beyond the same old Jedi good, Sith bad binary.
Audiences Found Baylan Compelling Because He Offers Something New
...But That Doesn't Mean Simply Doing The Opposite
While it's true that Baylan bringing something new to Star Wars is part of why he was so effective, that doesn't mean Star Wars should suddenly flip the Jedi and the Sith completely on their heads. In fact, just the opposite. Star Wars would benefit from making the Jedi, the Sith, the light side, and the dark side more nuanced, but making the Jedi suddenly bad and/or the Sith suddenly good—or anything close to that—would arguably be the most boring way to do that.
This is partly where The Acolyte went wrong. I didn't hate The Acolyte, and I actually found many of the show's characters and storylines compelling. Where the show fell short was in its representation of the Jedi and the Sith. The Acolyte leaned too heavily on the idea that the Jedi were perhaps 'bad' after all, not only with Master Sol murdering Mother Aniseya and Master Indara (accidentally) wiping out the Witches of Brendok, but also with Vernestra Rwoh and Yoda evidently covering everything up just to protect the Order.
The Acolyte Ending Explained: The Shadow Of Darth Vader Descends In The High Republic Era
The Acolyte episode 8 wraps up season 1 of the High Republic show by casting the shadow of the dark side, and Darth Vader, over the Jedi Order.
That is one reason audiences disliked The Acolyte, and I have to it, I agree on that front—though I wholeheartedly disagree with the part of the fanbase that simply didn't like the show being diverse. The prequel trilogy made it clear that the Jedi were flawed, but that never meant they were evil, except for those who actively fell to the dark side and were therefore no longer Jedi at all. This is why Baylan Skoll works so well.
Baylan isn't a Jedi, nor is he entirely changing what the Jedi are, but he demonstrates that the light side and the dark side are not so black and white. This is precisely the type of nuance Star Wars needs to embrace moving forward. No, the Jedi are not evil, and the Sith are not suddenly good, but Baylan Skoll proved in Ahsoka that audiences are more than ready for the Force to be significantly more nuanced than it has been thus far.
Ahsoka
- Release Date
- August 22, 2023
- Network
- Disney+
- Showrunner
- Dave Filoni
Cast
Ahsoka Tano
Sabine Wren
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Steph Green, Jennifer Getzinger, Peter Ramsey, Rick Famuyiwa
- Writers
- Dave Filoni
- Franchise(s)
- Star Wars
- Creator(s)
- Dave Filoni
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