The Untold Secrets: Unraveling Lord Baylan Skoll's Mysterious Connection to Anakin Skywalker

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Ahsoka episode 4.

Summary

Understanding Baylan Skoll's role in Ahsoka is crucial, as his backstory and connection to Anakin Skywalker, with whom he fought alongside as a Jedi during the Clone Wars, play a significant part.

Baylan, the first Dark Jedi in Star Wars' new canon, defies the traditional Jedi or Sith categorizations.

Understanding Baylan Skoll's Jedi backstory and his connection to Anakin Skywalker is crucial to grasping his role in Ahsoka. The story takes place approximately nine years after the Empire's collapse in Return of the Jedi, and the usual Star Wars villains are absent. The Sith only resurface decades later in Star Wars: Episode III - The Rise of Skywalker, and Darth Vader's demise marks the end of the Imperial Inquisitors' Order. Consequently, Ahsoka introduces new antagonists, namely Lord Baylan Skoll and his apprentice, Shin Hati. Notably, Baylan Skoll was once a Jedi, and Ahsoka verifies his familiarity with Anakin Skywalker.

Baylan Skoll informed Ahsoka Tano in episode 4 of "Ahsoka" about Anakin Skywalker's admiration for her. Not only was Baylan familiar with Anakin, but he also possessed knowledge about Skywalker's fate after the Clone Wars. Baylan referred to Anakin's legacy as one of devastation, clearly alluding to his transformation into Darth Vader. Having endured both the Clone Wars and the Galactic Civil War, Baylan Skoll shares a similar level of experience with Ahsoka Tano, if not more. Ahsoka and Baylan's journeys mirror each other in various aspects, including their loss of trust in the Jedi Order and their apprentices. Interestingly, the title "Fallen Jedi" applies to both Ahsoka, Anakin, and Baylan.

Baylan Served With Anakin Skywalker During The Clone Wars

According to Huyang in Ahsoka episode 1, Baylan Skoll departed from the Jedi Order after the Clone Wars. This suggests that Baylan served as a Jedi during the Clone Wars alongside notable Jedi like Anakin Skywalker. Despite the large number of Jedi during that period, Anakin was particularly renowned. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that any Jedi from that era would be familiar with Anakin. Baylan's discussions of Anakin imply that they had a personal connection and fought together during the Clone Wars.

While Baylan Skoll's age in Ahsoka has not been officially confirmed, it is likely that he was a Jedi Knight during the Clone Wars, considering that Ahsoka takes place approximately 30 years after Order 66. Baylan is probably around the same age as Anakin was during the events of Ahsoka, which creates an intriguing parallel between the protagonist and the antagonist. Baylan's armor also resembles the attire worn by Jedi during the Clone Wars, combining a traditional Jedi robe with shoulder armor pieces. Similar to the Inquisitors, Baylan Skoll survived Order 66 but managed to outlive the Empire.

Baylan Was Already Unusual Even Among The Jedi

Baylan stands out as a unique character in the Star Wars universe, distinguishing himself from both Jedi and Sith. Not even the title of "Inquisitor" adequately describes him. In fact, Baylan's uniqueness extends beyond his status among Jedi. Huyang, who possesses information on every lightsaber constructed in the original Jedi Temple over the past 20,000 years, confirms the singularity of Baylan's lightsaber. Specifically, there has been no similar lightsaber design for the past 500 years. This distinction likely refers to Baylan Skoll's orange lightsaber, which has yet to make an appearance in any live-action, canon Star Wars story.

Unlike the Expanded Universe, the current Star Wars canon does not provide a specific explanation for each lightsaber color. Nevertheless, thematically, Baylan's orange lightsaber aligns perfectly with his character. A red lightsaber signifies the kyber crystal being bled and is associated with the Sith and other dark side users. However, Baylan is neither an Inquisitor nor a Sith Lord. This "fallen Jedi" even expresses remorse when having to engage in combat with Ahsoka Tano due to the scarcity of Jedi. An orange kyber crystal does not necessarily signify a "Dark Jedi" or "Grey Jedi," but it visually communicates that Baylan stands apart from villains such as Darth Vader or the Grand Inquisitor.

Baylan is Star Wars' First Real Dark Jedi

Terms such as Grey Jedi or Dark Jedi originated from the Expanded Universe and are sometimes wrongly associated with characters in the current Star Wars canon. It is important to note that Rey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was not a Dark Jedi, and Ahsoka Tano was never a Grey Jedi. Nonetheless, Ahsoka might have introduced the concept of a true Dark Jedi to the new Star Wars canon through the character of Baylan Skoll, drawing inspiration from Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire. A specific reference to this is the use of the term "heir to the Empire" to describe Thrawn in Ahsoka episode 4. Baylan appears to be Ahsoka's interpretation of Joruus C'baoth, the Dark Jedi from the Thrawn trilogy.

Although Baylan Skoll does not appear to be a clone, his portrayal aligns with Joruus C'baoth's role in Heir to the Empire as a villain who is not a Dark Lord like Darth Vader or the Emperor. Additionally, Baylan serves as a parallel to Ahsoka as both have chosen unconventional paths. Ahsoka, despite not being a Jedi, still upholds most of the Jedi's values. In contrast, Baylan has "lost faith" and leans towards the dark side of the Force rather than the Jedi Way. Another similarity between Baylan and Ahsoka is that they both mentor apprentices.

Regardless of any official designations, such as Grey Jedi or Dark Jedi, it is truly refreshing to have a Force-sensitive character who does not belong to any established order. In the vast Star Wars universe, there have been numerous Jedi Padawan who managed to survive the dreaded Order 66 and went into hiding, as well as young Jedi who made the decision to depart from their order and eventually became Inquisitors. Not to mention the presence of several Sith or Sith-like antagonists, ranging from the menacing Maul to the conflicted Kylo Ren. Ahsoka, however, stands out as an extraordinary Jedi, and that's precisely why her story demands an extraordinary adversary. The appearance of Anakin Skywalker in Ahsoka episode 4 indicates that the show will continue to delve into the intriguing concept of a "fallen Jedi."

How Does Baylan Know Anakin Skywalker Became Darth Vader?

Although Ahsoka episode 4 shed light on Baylan Skoll's backstory, there is still much about his past that remains unknown. One question that lingers is how Baylan came to learn about Anakin Skywalker's transformation into Darth Vader. This revelation was immensely guarded within the galaxy, with only a select few knowing the truth during the Age of the Empire and beyond. It wasn't until Claudia Gray's Bloodline novel, set 25 years after Return of the Jedi, that the galaxy finally discovered Darth Vader's true identity. Nonetheless, certain characters, like Reva and Ahsoka, had already uncovered this secret beforehand.

Still, these examples are quite unique. Reva witnessed the moment when Anakin took the lives of the Younglins, whereas Ahsoka, having a deep connection with her former master, could sense his presence whenever Vader was nearby. It is unclear if Baylan had any affiliation with the Emperor, adding to the intrigue surrounding him. Not even those close to Vader's inner circle within the Imperial ranks knew that the Sith Lord was once the Jedi Knight, Anakin Skywalker. Whether Ahsoka will disclose more information about Baylan's past remains uncertain. Nevertheless, as another "fallen Jedi," Baylan's presence in Ahsoka's story is significant, despite much of his history still being shrouded in mystery.

Catch new episodes of Ahsoka every Tuesday at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Disney+.