The Real Reason Star Wars’ Inquisitors Aren’t In A New Hope Is Seriously Dark

by

After the events of Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and the near-total destruction of the Jedi, Darth Sidious and Darth Vader began reshaping the galaxy to fit their vision. Despite the Jedi’s defeat, many survived and posed a threat to the newly formed Galactic Empire. To combat this, the Sith Lords gathered surviving Jedi with questionable morals, along with children strong in the Force, and formed The Order of Inquisitors. Some individuals willingly joined the program, while others were forced to through torture.

The Inquisitors first appeared in the premiere episode of Star Wars: Rebels, titled “Spark of Rebellion,” and quickly became fan favorites. They were immediately compelling thanks to their unique spinning double-bladed lightsabers, striking uniforms and masks, and unusual naming system – each Inquisitor is designated with a sibling title and number, like ‘Tenth Brother’ or ‘Seventh Sister.’ This all contributed to their mysterious and dangerous reputation. Even now, the total number of Inquisitors remains unknown. While at least 16 have appeared in official Star Wars stories, no film, television show, book, or comic has ever revealed the complete count.

The biggest question about the Inquisitors is what became of them. Though not Sith themselves, they served Darth Sidious and spent years, between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, tracking down the last of the Jedi. But then they simply disappeared, with only one Inquisitor remaining whose story only deepens the enigma. So, what happened to them?

The Inquisitors Were All Killed Before A New Hope Began

Information about what became of the Inquisitors can be found in the book Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire. Written by historian Dr. Chris Kempshall, the book is presented as an in-universe historical novel written by Beaumont Kin, a character within the Star Wars universe and a historian himself. Kin, portrayed by Dominic Monaghan in the sequel trilogy, is officially part of the Star Wars story. Within the book, Kin details the fate of the Inquisitors, stating:

We can’t know exactly how many Jedi the Inquisitorius killed, but it’s obvious they were very effective at hunting them down.

Kin proposes that the Inquisitors were highly effective at eliminating the remaining Jedi, preventing them from ever rebuilding and opposing the Empire. Interestingly, Kin notes that all the Inquisitors disappeared before the Battle of Yavin. The only information about their fate comes from the personal logs of Emperor Palpatine, discovered on Exegol, where he simply states they were no longer needed – or “obsolete.”

Kin suggests that Sidious and Darth Vader eliminated the Inquisitors because they believed all Jedi were gone and wanted to prevent any potential rebellion from within the group. However, as Kin points out in The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire, the exact number of Inquisitors remains unknown, so it’s possible some survived the Empire’s collapse. The series Ahsoka confirms at least one Inquisitor did survive—or was brought back to life.

The First Brother Was Also The Last Inquisitor (That We Know Of)

Marrok, also called First Brother, is one of the earliest Inquisitors in the Star Wars universe. He first appeared in the Ahsoka series, working for the Nightsister Morgan Elsbeth. When fans saw his unique spinning lightsaber, they immediately recognized him as an Inquisitor, but wondered why he hadn’t been seen during the original trilogy. Later episodes revealed that Dave Filoni, the creator of Ahsoka and a former student of George Lucas, had already considered this question and had an explanation.

After Ahsoka defeated Marrok, he let out a chilling scream and dissolved into green mist, hinting he wasn’t truly alive and had been resurrected by Elsbeth for her own purposes. The cause of his original death is currently unknown, but may be revealed in the Maul: Shadow Lord comic series. Marrok was a key figure in the first season, and it’s likely both he and the Eleventh Brother – who Ahsoka will eventually kill – will reappear in the second season.

Seeing Marrok show up in Ahsoka, even as a ghostly figure, officially makes him the last Inquisitor we know of. It’s fascinating because he was one of the first Inquisitors introduced, and now he’s seemingly the one who lasted the longest. Honestly, I’m really hoping the show delves deeper into his backstory, and explores what happened to the other Inquisitors we’ve met – there’s a lot of potential there, and I’m eager to see if they follow through.

Read More

2026-05-10 01:39