In Tales of the Jedi, audiences were introduced to a new Inquisitor in the last episode, titled “Resolve,” but who was he? Beware – spoilers for episode 6 of Tales of the Jedi.
Tales of the Jedi is a new animated project that continues to explore the morality of the Star Wars universe, with Filoni’s reliable animation style and production delivering powerful shorts, adding more depth to well-known characters. In the final episode, “Resolve,“ Ahsoka‘s hiding place after Order 66 is discovered by the Empire, who dispatches a new Inquisitor to deal with her. Naturally, this Inquisitor is quickly defeated, but his sudden appearance and death have raised questions about who he is.
What do Inquisitors do?
Inquisitors are part of the Order of Inquisitors, first developed for the sourcebook Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game by Bill Slavicsek and Curtis Smith in 1987. They have since shown up in animation, video games, books, and comics. Most recently, the Inquisitors have been in the live-action show Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Knowing that some Jedi would escape Order 66, Palpatine created the Inquisitorius to hunt any Jedi survivors. Inquisitors are themselves fallen Jedi, trained and led by Darth Vader. They aren’t Sith but are Dark Side Force Adepts. Inquisitors are often accompanied by Purge Troopers, former clones, and later stormtroopers specially trained to hunt Jedi.
There are currently 12 Inquisitors, but their true number is unknown. Their base, Fortress Inquisitorius, is on the moon Nur, which orbits Mustafar. Inquisitors have a unique kind of lightsaber, with a circular hilt allowing the blade to spin. It can also be used to make the Inquisitors fly.
By the time of A New Hope, the Inquisitors no longer exist. Many of them are dead, and the Empire believes that there aren’t any Jedi left, so don’t train new ones.
Who was the Inquisitor in Tales of the Jedi?
Inquisitors are known by their titles, with male Inquisitors being labeled Brother and female Inquisitors labeled as Sister. Each of them takes a number in their name.
Tales of the Jedi introduces audiences to a new, unnamed Inquisitor, but who was it? Voiced by Clancy Brown (whose previous Star Wars roles include voicing Montross in the Jango Fett videogame, Savage Opress in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Ryder Azadi in Rebels, and playing Burg in Chapter six of the first season of The Mandalorian), this Inquisitor doesn’t come with the usual title telling audiences who he is. There is no indication in the subtitles or credits for the episode.
It’s likely that this Inquisitor in Tales of the Jedi is the same one that Ahsoka encounters in the novel Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston, making him the Sixth Brother. Resolve takes many cues from this book, with Ahsoka hiding on a farming planet after Order 66 and Bail Organa rescuing the survivors after the Empire destroys the town.
Why is this Inquisitor the Sixth Brother?
While there is no confirmation in the episode of the Inquisitor’s exact identity, Dave Filoni has heavily implied that the Inquisitor is the Sixth Brother. In an interview with Nerdist he explained that “It’s [the episode] based on the same outline I gave publishing for the novel. It was always the same story.”
The story of the Sixth Brother in Tales of the Jedi is similar to the Ahsoka novel. In both, the Sixth Brother is killed by his own lightsaber, but the exact way differs slightly. In the novel, Ahsoka cracks the hilt of the lightsaber, causing an explosion that kills the Sixth Brother. In the episode, Ahsoka snatches the lightsaber from the Sixth Brother and uses it to kill him.
The design of the Inquisitor is different from his comics design, but that’s likely due to differences between adapting him for a comic and for an animated show. In the comics, the Sixth Brother has a white mask and hood but no cloak. In Tales of the Jedi, the Sixth Brother appears wearing a cloak and a mask made of bone, similar to plague doctors in the 17th century.
Why is this Inquisitor different in Tales of the Jedi?
The Sixth Brother is more ruthless than other Inquisitors, showing no appreciation for the help the farm boy has given him in locating Ahsoka. He burns the village and kills the rest of the inhabitants simply because Ahsoka wasn’t there when he was. While previous Inquisitors are shown to have typical Dark Side qualities like selfishness and pride, the Sixth Brother is harsher than the rest.
This is likely because of the tone of the short. Tales of the Jedi is tonally similar to The Clone Wars, which wasn’t afraid to be violent or brutal. The Inquisitors in Rebels, while evil, were constrained by the show’s lower rating.
More Stories on Tales of the Jedi
