The Unstoppable Force: Thrawn's Formidable New Army Unleashes a Marrok Twist, Outshining Moff Gideon's Failed Attempt

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Ahsoka episode 4.

Summary

Marrok's true nature, a marionette brought to life through Nightsister sorcery, unveils Morgan Elsbeth's formidable powers and prompts speculation about her involvement in Thrawn's grand scheme.

Upon his return to the primary Star Wars galaxy, Thrawn's initial objective is to swiftly assemble a formidable military, as the Empire witnessed significant losses following the battle of Endor.

The utilization of Nightsister magic and the ability to revive deceased individuals potentially grants Thrawn and Morgan the capability to amass an army of undead stormtroopers, presenting a significant danger to the New Republic.

In episode 4 of Ahsoka, Marrok's disappointing revelation may have inadvertently disclosed a crucial aspect of Thrawn's strategy to bring back the Empire. Despite the numerous speculations and theories surrounding Marrok's identity, he ultimately proved to be nothing more than a creation manipulated by Nightsister magic. Nevertheless, the mere existence of Marrok highlights the true power possessed by Morgan Elsbeth as a Nightsister. While most Nightsisters in the franchise possess a multitude of abilities and secrets, Morgan has barely hinted at her own capabilities. It is evident that her pursuit of Thrawn stems from her allegiance to the Empire, but she may also serve a much greater purpose within his plan.

After suffering a devastating defeat at the battle of Endor, the Empire faced a significant loss in its army. Many soldiers were casualties of the second Death Star's destruction, while others surrendered soon after. Currently, Morgan Elsbeth is on the verge of locating Thrawn. However, to his dismay, there is no longer an army at his disposal to command. Despite Thrawn's exceptional tactical skills, capable of causing substantial harm to the New Republic single-handedly, he still requires the presence of game pieces on the battlefield to execute his strategies. Following his return to the main Star Wars galaxy, Thrawn's primary objective will be to swiftly assemble a new army.

Marrok's True Identity Explained

The details regarding Marrok's role as a puppet have yet to be fully explained. However, based on the green magical ichor that escaped from him upon his demise, it is highly probable that he was a reanimated corpse. In "The Clone Wars" season 4, the Chant of Resurrection, a potent spell utilized by the Nightsisters, was introduced. This spell enables the user, such as Merrin in "Jedi: Fallen Order," to bring a deceased body back to life. As long as the controlling Nightsister, Morgan Elsbeth in this case, remains alive, the reanimated corpse obediently carries out its master's commands.

At some point, it is likely that Marrok served as a genuine Inquisitor under Darth Vader's command during the pursuit of the remaining Jedi. However, for reasons unknown, Marrok met his demise. Morgan then took it upon herself to locate his lifeless body and perform the Chant of Resurrection. The purpose behind this was to create an ally for Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati, as their Imperial remnants were significantly lacking in numbers. Choosing to reanimate Marrok's formidable body was a sound strategy, as it added another lightsaber-wielding combatant to their team and tipped the scales in their favor against Ahsoka and Sabine. Moreover, Morgan's recently revealed power could prove even more valuable if utilized on a larger scale.

Thrawn's Dead Stormtroopers Can Be Reborn With Nightsister Magick

The solution to Thrawn's army predicament lies dormant aboard the Star Destroyer where he was transported. By harnessing Morgan's ability to revive the deceased, they could potentially resurrect an entire battalion of stormtroopers and even bring back other beings to fight on their behalf. An army of zombie stormtroopers would pose a significant challenge for the New Republic, especially considering Morgan's access to a seemingly endless supply of deceased Imperials throughout the galaxy. Essentially, the adversaries that the Rebellion fought so hard to vanquish in the Battle of Lothal could abruptly return.

One may question why Morgan needs Thrawn if she can effortlessly summon her own personal army. However, if Morgan were to create an army now, the New Republic would swiftly recognize the threat and dispatch a force to neutralize it. She has intentionally kept her number of allies low to avoid detection, which explains why the New Republic did not intervene in their journey to reach Thrawn. Moreover, if she were to employ the Chant of Resurrection and then meet her demise, her entire army would revert back to lifeless corpses. Safeguarding Morgan's life and keeping her out of harm's reach poses a challenge that Thrawn's brilliance can easily tackle.

Star Wars Has Subtly Tied Its New Galaxy To Nightsister Magick

Resurrecting a large number of deceased individuals has been previously accomplished in The Clone Wars, specifically when an aged Nightsister named Old Daka revived numerous fallen Nightsisters simultaneously. However, the magnitude of magical power required for this task may exceed Morgan's capabilities within the recognized Star Wars galaxy. Nonetheless, Ahsoka episode 4 hinted at a potential connection between the starmap, the entities who utilized the Pathway to Peridea, and the Nightsisters and their magic. Consequently, Morgan, utilizing her Nightsister magic, successfully activated the starmap on Seatos.

The existence of these ancient beings possibly elucidates why Morgan's Nightsister magic could interact with the starmap. If Nightsister magic originated from another galaxy, it could add another dimension to Morgan's desire to journey there. In addition to her objective of locating Thrawn and restoring his power, Morgan may also be in search of the ancestral source of her abilities. In such a case, her time in the other galaxy could potentially enhance her skills to a level where she could resurrect the fallen stormtroopers en masse. It is even conceivable that other ancient Nightsisters may still be present in that galaxy.

Grand Admiral Thrawn's Plan Is Even Better Than Moff Gideon's

If Morgan and Thrawn's objective is to revive stormtroopers for the purpose of forming an army, then they have achieved what Moff Gideon failed to accomplish. Gideon's attempts in The Mandalorian to swiftly assemble a powerful force for the Empire were unsuccessful. His first endeavor involved creating a group of Dark Troopers, only for Luke Skywalker to effortlessly defeat them. In The Mandalorian season 3, Gideon then aimed to produce Force-sensitive clones of himself. However, both of these strategies demanded a significant amount of financial resources to execute. On the other hand, Morgan simply needs to recite the Chant of Resurrection to effortlessly acquire an army of the undead.

Rebels demonstrated that some of Thrawn's subordinates from the Empire were unable to follow his orders, ultimately hindering his plan to conquer the Rebellion. Thrawn would have undoubtedly triumphed in the Battle of Lothal if it weren't for Ezra's unforeseen allies, the purrgil. However, with an army of mindless undead stormtroopers under his control, Thrawn would become nearly invincible.

It is uncertain whether Morgan will utilize her Nightsister magic to bestow Thrawn with an army of undead stormtroopers. Filoni typically incorporates the abilities of characters like Nightsisters into the plot, so it is likely that Morgan's magic will have a significant impact on the New Republic unless Ahsoka and Sabine are able to intervene. Regardless, if Thrawn acquires an undead army by the conclusion of Ahsoka, he will become nearly unstoppable. New episodes of Ahsoka premiere on Disney+ every Tuesday at 6pm PT / 9pm ET.