The Dark Enforcer: The Menacing Recruitment Strategy of the Grand Inquisitor in Star Wars

The Grand Inquisitor's chilling ultimatum for surviving Jedi who turned to the dark side is revealed in Star Wars. The Inquisitors have been a prominent part of Star Wars storytelling for many years, serving Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. These fallen Jedi are tasked with hunting down and eliminating any surviving Jedi from Order 66. Although various Inquisitors have been featured in comics, video games, animation, and live-action, a new tie-in novel will now delve into the life of one particular Inquisitor in great detail.

Delilah S. Dawson's upcoming novel, titled Star Wars: Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade, will be released on July 18, 2023. It narrates the story of Iskat Akaris, a young Jedi Padawan who miraculously survived Order 66 but tragically became an Inquisitor after the Clone Wars. In an exclusive excerpt revealed by USA Today, it is unveiled that Dawson's Star Wars novel will explore Iskat's journey towards becoming an Inquisitor, including her descent to the dark side and the terrifying ultimatum presented to her by the Grand Inquisitor.

Iskat's dissatisfaction with the Jedi Order leads her to make the decision to join the Inquisitorius. This choice becomes straightforward for her, as she cannot fathom leaving the Order. It raises the question of how someone who was trained to promote peace and education is affected when they are unexpectedly thrown into a war they were never equipped to engage in.

Did The Grand Inquisitor Receive The Same Ultimatum From Palpatine?

Trilla Suduri from the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order game, along with some other Inquisitors, had their backgrounds explored in greater detail. Suduri experienced feelings of abandonment by her master, hopelessness in the face of darkness, and endured torment until reaching a breaking point. After enduring such anguish, the choice to join the Inquisitors or face death became easier. Joining the Inquisitors allowed them to channel their rage, pain, and anger into vengeance and violence, rather than giving up. This method proved to be terrifyingly effective, albeit different from the one experienced by the Grand Inquisitor himself.

However, the 2017 comic miniseries Star Wars: Darth Vader by Charles Soule unveiled a different story. Emperor Palpatine personally offered the Grand Inquisitor access to the secrets of the Jedi Order and its entire archive, as well as the opportunity to learn the powers of the dark side. It can be assumed that the Grand Inquisitor harbored frustration towards the Jedi, as he was denied permission to delve into the Order's hidden knowledge. Palpatine exploited this knowledge to his advantage. Under orchestrated circumstances by Palpatine, a violent clash between the Grand Inquisitor and Darth Vader occurred in the Archives at the Jedi Temple, shortly after Vader's embrace of the dark side awakening in Star Wars.

Source: USA Today