Who Are The Inquisitors In Kenobi Series?

Disney’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series will start soon and many are questioning ” Who Are The Inquisitors In Kenobi Series? “. We will see Darth Vader, his former disciple, leading a group of evil mercenaries to hunt down the exiled Jedi Knights. However, according to the trailers, Vader won’t be the main villain of this series. The central villains are the Inquisitors, agents at the service of the Empire whose purpose is to exterminate the Jedi. Those who have not yet wholly entered the Star Wars universe may be wondering who the Inquisitors are. Join us as we show you more about this group of ruthless mercenaries. 

The Inquisitors have already appeared in other Star Wars films, such as Star Wars Rebels. Although their appearances could be somewhat secondary in these films, their participation will be more prominent in this new spin-off. Now let’s see what attributes these characters of the Star Wars universe have.  

Who Are The Inquisitors?

(Image: Disney/Lucasfilm)

Sith Inquisitors are Padawans, former Jedi or people with a strong affinity to the force that changed to the dark side. These could be members of the old order who have survived and switched sides. There were also Jedi subdued by Palpatine and brainwashed with dark techniques.

Thus was born this small army commanded by Vader and Palpatine, who had two apparent missions. The first was to eliminate the remaining Jedi, including Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The second was to find force-sensitive children, destroy them, or bring them to the dark side as inquisitors.

This group had one mission: to prevent the Jedi from regaining the power they once had. To do this, they stopped any possibility of them training new Jedi members and eliminating any trace of them. The weapon that this army used was double lightsabers linked with spinning disks.

The inquisitor army was not cataloged as Sith. At least, that is what Emperor Palpatine had in mind. This aim was due to the Sith custom he followed of the duality of Master and Disciple. Recall that there can only be two Sith, Master and pupil. And that the Master must be annihilated by his apprentice when the latter surpasses him. Therefore, he did not consider this group part of his race. And because of his knowledge of the Jedi, he was often wary of them.

The group was trained by Vader himself, who taught them how to use the lightsaber. In the case of former Jedi, he wanted them to forget the old defensive techniques and focus on offense. The Sith’s training was brutal, as he taught them how to mutilate their enemies using henchmen.

Dark-side Organization Serving the Empire

(Image: Disney/Lucasfilm)

The Inquisitors are organized by hierarchy, starting with the Grand Inquisitor, the group’s leader. After him, Sith managed them with names like Second Sister, Third Brother, and so on. These always sought to raise in position by any means possible. They had no individual names nor any attributes that denoted their personality.  

Darth Vader’s outfit inspired the Inquisitors’ uniform, dark clothes, and a mask. They also resemble the army led by Han Solo’s son in the last trilogy, The Knights of Ren.

They were classified as a low-level offensive force not having so much importance for Vader or Emperor Palpatine. Their level as dark soldiers is not classified as Sith. They are just tools or experiments the Emperor himself made.

The group consisted of 12 inquisitors; there probably were more of them in their history. However, they were likely eliminated by other Jedi Masters, as well as by the resistance. The Emperor usually filled those vacancies with talented people in the force found by the same group.

There is a lot of information about these characters in the Marvel Comics series, Star Wars: Darth Vader. One crucial aspect addressed in these comics is the Inquisitors’ training. The Sith master was ruthless with them, and many died during this period. Moreover, this training forced them to confront each other; sometimes, it was a duel to death. So it is presumed that many of the inquisitors or candidates did not make it past this stage.

Who Are The Inquisitors In Kenobi Series?

(Image: Disney/Lucasfilm)

The first inquisitors were the former Jedi and Padawan. They were either subjugated by Palpatine or had resentments towards the former Jedi order. Because of that resentment and hatred, they switched to the dark side and made a deal with Palpatine.

A great example is the original Grand Inquisitor. He was one of the guardians of the primary Jedi temple and wanted access to their confidential library records and information. However, he was constantly obstructed by the Jedi Masters and the order’s librarian herself. As a result, he held a particular grudge against the latter.

Another example was The Second Sister, a former Padawan-in-training who defected from Trilla Siduri. She appears in Star Wars Rebels. In this series, we can learn more about her former identity and part of her past. The rest of the Inquisitors are other Padawans or children who had some Force sensitivity.

Palpatine usually brainwashed these, then Darth Vader would make them receive bloody training. The Inquisitors were trained enough to take on Padawan or low-level Jedi but not enough to take on veteran Jedi one-on-one. The main reason is that Palpatine feared this group might become powerful and reveal themselves in arms.

(Image: Disney/Lucasfilm)

Another Inquisitor that we know their identity is The Third Sister, who will have an essential role in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. This character’s name is Reva. In contrast with other Inquisitors, the Third Sister has an individualistic personality. This feature presumes that Reva still has some of her Padawan traits, although it is not entirely sure.

The Star Wars Inquisitors: the Story so Far

Who Are The Inquisitors In Kenobi Series, as we can denote, have participated in the franchise since the movie The Revenge of the Sith. This group was born after the Empire took power with the mission to eradicate the Jedi. The Inquisitors do not appear in Episode 4, so Palpatine has likely eliminated them by then.

Star Wars Rebels holds the first mention of this group. At the beginning of the series, they are slightly mentioned, and we see the Grand Inquisitor sporadic appearances. He dies in a battle at the end of the first season, punished by Darth Vader himself, who locks his spirit in an old Jedi temple.

Image via Lucasfilm

The rest of the Inquisitors appear in the following seasons, with approximately 12 soldiers. All these agents desire to avenge their leader, although they have a hidden purpose of occupying the vacant position that the Grand Inquisitor left. They appear in several fights with the resistance.

At the end of this series, the Inquisitors are defeated by The Resistance. The new target from that moment on is The Empire’s Grand Admiral, leaving this group of soldiers behind. Most likely, Palpatine and Darth Vader discarded or killed them as an experiment that did not work.

Sometime later, these appear in another production called Marvel’s Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith. This one shows the beginning of the activities of this Sith Master in the Empire. We see the training he made the Inquisitors undergo to hunt down the remaining Jedi.

Image: Marvel Comics)

Until now, they hadn’t appeared or had a leading role in other productions. However, with their inclusion in the new Disney series, they will regain importance in the Universe of the Star Wars franchise.    

The Sith Inquisitors: Powers and Abilities

The Inquisitors have limited powers and abilities due to restrictions imposed by Emperor Palpatine. As individuals, each inquisitor is not that strong. As mentioned above, they do not have the power to take on a veteran Jedi individually. However, in a group, the Inquisitors can be extremely dangerous.

They tend to attack in groups using mainly their lightsaber skills. Their lightsaber is of the spinning type, similar to the one used by General Grievous. Since Darth Vader focused their training on lightsaber skills, they don’t control the force as well as the Jedi or Vader.

(Image: Disney/Lucasfilm)

Inquisitors can perceive the force in other beings, especially children who cannot control it. Thus they can detect kids who influence the force to convert them to their group or eradicate them. 

Regarding physical strength, they have a power similar to a Jedi Knight. Inquisitors also have a similar jumping ability that we saw in the battles between Sith and Jedi. They also have the strength to wield the lightsaber properly.

How Sith Inquisitors Fit Into Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Plot

The Inquisitors enter the new Disney spin-off as the soldiers who seek to eliminate the remaining Jedi. Among these are Obi-Wan Kenobi himself and Master Yoda, who are in exile and biding their time to strike back against the Sith’s resurgence in the Universe.

This group seeks to eliminate any vestige Jedi Order, either by converting its members to the dark side of the force or by intercepting them. They are on the hunt for Obi-Wan Kenobi, who is in Tatooine, watching over the growth of Anakin Skywalker’s son, Luke Skywalker.

Image via Disney/Lucasfilm

The Inquisitors show up feeling the presence of the force, pushing them to go elsewhere to draw the dark soldiers’ attention. Thus they would leave the desert planet, preventing them from noticing his pupil’s son and protecting him. Consequently, a battle between Obi-Wan and those who want to get rid of him at all cost begins.

Obi-Wan Kenobi will run away from The Inquisitors throughout the Universe, especially on Candor’s planet, where most battles will occur. The Jedi Master is forced to be on the run to fulfill his mission. Obi-Wan must protect Vader’s son, Luke Skywalker, the Jedi Order’s last hope. 

Darth Vader will lead this group, which suggests that he could have a confrontation with his former mentor at some point. This battle is the most anticipated moment for Star Wars Universe fans. It has the peculiarity of exciting two generations. First, in the first trilogy, fans were able to see a confrontation between Vader and Kenobi in the 1970s. Secondly, the fans who experienced the epic fight between Master and Pupil in Revenge of the Sith (2005).

Countdown to the Premiere of  Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi

(Image: Disney +)

The new series of the Star Wars franchise is about to begin. It will allow us to learn more about Master Obi-Wan Kenobi’s life after the defeat against the Sith. We’ll see a group of assassins called the Inquisitors, led by the Empire, hunting the remaining Jedi. 

Now that we got a glimpse of the Inquisitors in Star Wars Rebels, one could presume that not all members will die in this series unless the producers decide to link both stories at a given point. For now, we will have to see how Obi-Wan Kenobi deals with this group of assassins led by his former friend.

Inquisitors are not so strong when fighting individually, but they can put any Jedi master in trouble as a group. Inquisitors have great physical strength and agility and are trained in the art of wielding lightsabers. They can track people with the presence of The Force to destroy them or convert them to the dark side.

This group appeared after The Revenge of the Sith (2005) and died before the movie The New Hope (1977). Their last appearance was in Star Wars Rebels saga, discarded by the Empire at that time.

We will see their beginnings as the combat between Obi-Wan Kenobi and this group’s members unfolds in the spin-off. To know the details, we will have to wait until May 27th, when the series premieres on Disney+. Undoubtedly Obi-Wan Kenobi will take us back to the most emotional moments of the franchise, such as the battles between Obi-Wan and Anakin/Vader. We will have fights with lightsabers, using The Force, and interplanetary travel. Nor should we forget that during this period, Master Yoda is alive in exile. Our favorite green Master, will we see?

Featured Image Via Disney/Lucasfilm

 

I am a circus aerialist influenced by Dick Grayson and Spider-Man. Fortunate to write about the characters that inspired me. I also have a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in International Trade.