The first two episodes shed light on the mysterious lightsaber-wielding duo as well as adding depth to an old acquaintance.
The much-anticipated Ahsoka TV series is finally here, and the first two episodes are getting rave reviews from critics and fans alike.
The latter are especially excited to see their favorite characters from the Star Wars Rebels series in live action for the first time, and although most of them are played by different actors than their animated counterparts, the new cast seems to be doing a great job.
The newcomers also caught the attention of viewers, as the show’s villains turned out to be much more intriguing than they first appeared.
Many fans speculated who the two mysterious lightsaber-wielding Force users Baylan Skoll, portrayed by Ray Stevenson (who tragically died on May 21, 2023), and Shin Hati, portrayed by Ivanna Sakhno, were.
It seems that they are not just Sith, as it was revealed that Baylan is an ex-Jedi who disappeared after the Clone Wars, and Shin is his apprentice (which was already speculated due to her wearing a Padawan braid).
What makes it interesting is that the two are apparently Gray Jedi turned mercenaries, which is a rare and fresh concept for Star Wars, as Baylan mentions that he is “well paid” for his work.
It also explains their unique orange lightsabers, as opposed to the red ones of the Sith and Imperial Inquisitors, since they apparently never officially joined the ranks of the Empire.
This is further supported by the fact that Baylan takes no pleasure in killing another Jedi, Ahsoka, because there are so few of them left, unlike the aforementioned Sith, who relish destroying their ancient adversaries, or the Inquisitors, who are specially trained to hunt and kill Jedi.
No doubt this moral dilemma for the Gray Jedi will play its part in the series.
In addition, Morgan Elsbeth, played by Diana Lee Inosanto, whom fans were already familiar with from her appearance in The Mandalorian season 2, turns out to be much more than just an Imperial Magistrate.
She is one of the few surviving Nightsisters of Dathomir, who were wiped out by Count Dooku and General Grievous during the Clone Wars.
She even uses the dark powers of her people, making it clear that she is much more dangerous than we were led to believe.
Considering that the show hasn’t even fully introduced its biggest villain, Grand Admiral Thrawn, portrayed by Lars Mikkelsen, Ahsoka has a good chance of having one of the most impressive antagonist sets in all of Star Wars media.
Episode 3 of the series will premiere on August 29, 2023.
