The Untold Connection: Why Ahsoka Tano's Surprising Appearance Fills the Inquisitor Void in Star Wars Rebels

Summary

The Inquisitors were killed off in Star Wars Rebels to align with Tarkin's comments about Force usage being a bygone era in A New Hope.

The presence of Marrok, a surviving Inquisitor in Ahsoka, brings about confusion within the Imperial structure and raises queries as to why the character still retains the title of Inquisitor. Marrok's survival implies that he may have escaped the clutches of the Empire before Darth Vader could execute the remaining Inquisitors. However, the motive behind his decision to persist as an Inquisitor remains ambiguous in Ahsoka.

The key line in A New Hope provided a justification for why the Inquisitors were eliminated in Star Wars Rebels. However, there is still one remaining Inquisitor in Ahsoka, causing confusion. Originally known as "the Inquisitor," the Grand Inquisitor served as the primary antagonist for Jedi Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger as they fought to spark rebellion in the galaxy. After the Grand Inquisitor's demise, more Inquisitors were introduced and subsequently defeated, seemingly bringing an end to the Inquisitorius in the Star Wars timeline. In a 2016 interview with Slash Film, series creator Dave Filoni explained the reason behind Rebels shifting away from the Inquisitors as the main villains.

Rebels season 3 occurring only two years prior to A New Hope made it necessary to eliminate the presence of the Inquisitors. This decision aligns with Tarkin's conversation with Vader aboard the Death Star, where he suggests that Force wielders are a thing of the past. It would have been a major inconsistency to keep these modern Force users in such close proximity to the established timeline. Therefore, removing the Inquisitors from the show was a crucial move to avoid any major plot holes.

Why Is There An Inquisitor In Ahsoka?

Adding to the complexity is Marrok, the newly introduced Inquisitor in Ahsoka. Created by Filoni, recent hints about Ahsoka's enigmatic antagonist reveal that Marrok was previously an Inquisitor and is now employed as a mercenary, working under the Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth. After their defeat on Malachor in Rebels, Inquisitors were not replaced, marking the apparent end of the Jedi hunters. Marrok's survival further muddles the Imperial hierarchy.

If Marrok became a mercenary, it suggests that the character escaped the clutches of the Empire before Darth Vader could eliminate their last loyal servant. With the disastrous failure at Malachor and the Jedi nearly extinct, the Imperial Inquisitors' services were no longer in demand after Rebels. While the reasons for Marrok's escape seem evident, the decision to continue posing as an Inquisitor complicates their involvement in Ahsoka's story.

Source: Slash Film