Summary
- Disney's addition of the Inquisitors in Star Wars Rebels adds depth to the story by showcasing Vader's elite Jedi-hunting task force.
- The Inquisitors were trained by the Empire to track down surviving Jedi following Order 66.
- Filoni's decision to introduce the Inquisitors serves to enhance the original trilogy by offering more lightsaber battles and a new way to explore the Empire's reign.
Thus far, one of the biggest changes Disney has made to Star Wars was introducing Darth Vader’s Inquisitors in Star Wars Rebels. But these lightsaber-wielding Jedi hunters have slowly become one of the most brilliant additions to Canon. When they were initially revealed, some thought the Inquisitors’ existence broke Darth Bane’s Rule of Two for the Sith, seeing as Palpatine and Vader should be the only lightsaber-wielders active during the original trilogy. But Dave Filoni deftly established that the Inquisitors were on a short leash; they did not have free rein to do as they pleased in the Empire.
The Inquisitors were a select group of Force-sensitive individuals trained by the Empire to hunt, capture, and kill the remaining Jedi scattered throughout the galaxy. They were often cowardly former Jedi who survived Order 66; they chose to serve the Empire rather than be killed by it. This meant many Inquisitors hunted old allies and friends, further fueling their descent toward the dark side. Each of them was issued a spinnable double-bladed lightsaber to aid them in their quest to deal with rogue Jedi, though they were never allowed to gain enough power to oppose the Empire.
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Why Lucasfilm's Dave Filoni Created The Inquisitors
Dave Filoni introduced the idea of the Inquisitors in the first episode of Star Wars Rebels, showcasing Jason Isaacs’ Grand Inquisitor reporting directly to Darth Vader himself. In Star Wars Insider #153, Filoni explains that it didn’t make sense to have Vader “chasing this small-scale band of rebel ros,” in Rebels. Vader had bigger fish to fry than chase rogue Jedi around the galaxy for the whole series, which is why Filoni added the Inquisitors instead. Their existence serves to foil characters like Kanan Jarrus, who continues to hold onto the fallen Jedi Order.
The Inquisitors represent a shift from George Lucas’ original vision for how many Jedi survive order 66. Instead of Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Yoda being among the last Jedi to remain, Disney’s Canon is filled with dozens of notable Jedi who have managed to evade capture by the Empire. So, while it was feasible for Vader in Legends to personally hunt down and execute the few remaining Jedi, it makes more sense for the Inquisitors to take some of the smaller assignments on his behalf. They exist to tackle the Jedi beneath his notice.
The Inquisitors Fill A Need In The Star Wars Story
The way the original trilogy is presented, the audience only ever gets to see lightsaber combat on the rare occasion Vader pulls out a blade to fight Luke or another rogue Jedi. But by introducing the Inquisitors, Dave Filoni gives the audience even more lightsaber battles than before. Additionally, the Inquisitors add an element of surprise to Star Wars that Darth Vader cannot. Vader will always survive every duel he’s in due to his importance as the Chosen One, whereas the Inquisitors are expendable; many of them can die for the sake of the Empire.
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Considering how many Order 66 survivors Disney keeps introducing in Canon, the Inquisitors are even more necessary to Star Wars now. Perhaps Filoni had the foresight to anticipate just how many stories Disney would tell about rogue Jedi struggling to survive in the Imperial Era, which is why the Inquisitors have only become more relevant to Canon as time goes by. And since the exact number of Inquisitors is still unknown, Disney has a somewhat infinite group of enemies to draw upon if their stories need an antagonist in the Imperial Era.
The Imperial Inquisitors Define The Empire's Reign
While the Inquisitors first appeared in Star Wars animation, they’ve now shown up in Star Wars live-action, video games, novels, and comics. The Obi-Wan Kenobi series saw Rupert Friend take over Isaacs’ role as the Grand Inquisitor, while also other Inquisitors like Reva, the Fifth Brother, and the Fourth Sister. Meanwhile, the Star Wars Jedi games show Cal Kestis facing off again the Second Sister and the Ninth Sister. Additionally, several Inquisitors have also appeared throughout Star Wars’ novels and comics, with some stories—like Delilah S. Dawson’s Rise of the Red Blade—told directly from an Inquisitor’s perspective.
Not only have Inquisitors permeated almost every medium in the franchise, but they’re also iconic within the Star Wars universe itself. Few of the Empire’s everyday citizens saw Vader in real life. And the unfortunate ones who did—such as the child on Mapuzo in Obi-Wan Kenobi—didn’t live long to tell the tale. On the other hand, the Inquisitors represented a mere fraction of Vader’s brutality. While they occasionally torture or slaughter innocents who get in their way, they did not have license to terrorize the galaxy in the same way Vader did.
The Inquisitors Are Set To Become Even More Important
Star Wars’ next tv show is set to delve even further into the Inquisitorius program by showing the audience exactly how Inquisitors are recruited and trained by the Empire. Tales of the Empire will continue how Darth Vader trained his Inquisitors to be cold-blooded killers.
All episodes of Tales of the Empire release on Disney+ on May 4th.
Furthermore, The Acolyte may also help to establish and clarify the Inquisitor’s relationship with the Sith. There won’t be any Inquisitors present in The Acolyte given where it is in the Star Wars timeline, but the Inquisitors themselves are vaguely similar to Sith Acolytes from Legends. They train alongside a Sith Lord and are often fed false hopes of rising through the ranks. While The Acolyte’s plot details are still shrouded in mystery, it's likely the series will explain Darth Vader’s Sith title, and why he’s the “Lord of the Sith,” when it’s really just him and Palpatine.
In any case, Disney will continue to utilize Filoni’s original concept for the Inquisitors in Rebels. They’re versatile; they can act as minor villains or tragic antiheroes. Nevertheless, the Inquisitorius exists to serve a purpose. Once their usefulness has run its course, they will be discarded by the Empire they so faithfully served. Many Jedi who are caught by the Empire are forced to face the grim choice of being executed quickly, or dying in service of the Empire. There is no middle ground for these tragic Star Wars characters, since no Inquisitors will end up leaving the program alive.
Tales of the Empire
- Release Date
- May 4, 2024
- Directors
- Dave Filoni
- Writers
- Dave Filoni
- Franchise(s)
- Star Wars
- Streaming Service(s)
- Dis
- Creator(s)
- Dave Filoni
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