Ahsoka: Who is Marrok?

❘ Published: 2023-09-05T16:52:04

Disney+

Ahsoka has a new fan-favorite villain: Marrok, the mysterious Inquisitor on the Jedi’s tail – but who is he? Here’s our thoughts.

After Order 66, the Galactic Empire assembled a death squad of force-sensitive assassins to hunt down any remaining Jedi who evaded the cull across the galaxy – they were known as Inquisitors.

“During the early years of the Empire, the red blades of the Inquisitorius cut a swath through the galaxy as they wiped any remaining traces of the Jedi Order from existence. Once the Jedi were finally considered extinct by the Empire, the Inquisitorius vanished into the darkness as well,” Luke Skywalker once explained.

However, at least one remains in the era of the New Republic in Ahsoka: Marrok, serving at the behest of Baylan Skoll and Morgan Elsbeth – but who is he… or she?

Who is Marrok in Ahsoka?

Marrok’s true identity in Ahsoka has yet to be confirmed.

The character’s official Star Wars bio reads: “Once an Inquisitor hunting Jedi for the Empire, the mysterious Marrok now works as a mercenary hired by Morgan Elsbeth to carry out dark deeds. Fully encased in battered battle armor, the warrior still carries a red double-bladed saber with a circular hilt.”

We know they work alongside Baylan and Shin Hati, and in Episode 2, they face off against Ahsoka in a brief duel in Corellia. They’re referred to as a “he”, but we still don’t know who’s actually under the mask, so they could be male or female.

Is Marrok… Ezra Bridger?

Eman Esfandi as Ezra Bridger in the Ahsoka cast

A common theory is that Marrok is actually Ezra Bridger, the Jedi Padawan who sacrificed himself by taking himself and Thrawn into the Unknown Regions at the end of Star Wars Rebels.

There are hurdles to overcome if that’s the case; mainly, how did he manage to make it back from the Unknown Regions, and why would he have turned to the dark side after his arc in Rebels?

The name itself may present a curious hint: Sir Marrok was an Arthurian knight who was briefly transformed into a wolf, and Ezra has a connection to Loth-wolves, animals with a strong connection to the light side of the force.

One Redditor suspects they’re “setting up some kind of Father, Son, Daughter return to balance via the World Between Worlds, with Ashoka being the Daughter and Ezra the Son and a redeemed Vader or full potential Anakin as the Father.”

While many have cited the fact that Marrok was once an Inquisitor for the Empire, the same user pointed out: “If Ezra ended up in the World Between Worlds after him and Thrawn go into hyperspace, then he could have actually been… in two places at once at certain points while doing things in the past.”

Is Marrok… Starkiller?

Galen Marek, aka Starkiller in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Starkiller, aka Galen Marek, was Darth Vader’s secret apprentice in The Force Unleashed. The games aren’t considered canon, but many fans have suspected (and hoped) Marrok could mark the character’s arrival, even if it’s been “remixed” somewhat.

First of all, their name is incredibly similar, and its reveal had people hyped at the prospect of Starkiller coming to live-action. Secondly, once upon a time, Dave Filoni considered making him an Inquisitor in Rebels. “Dave did share with me, by the way, he considered making Starkiller an Inquisitor in Star Wars: Rebels,” Sam Witwer, the actor behind the character, told Gizmodo.

“It didn’t quite fit the story they were telling, but he did think about it because he thought that would be interesting.”

Now, this comes from someone who has long dreamed of Starkiller’s debut, but it’s only fair if we admit some issues: he’s probably the most overpowered character in Star Wars history, so he’d need to be nerfed, and if it is him, why has he never been mentioned at all in any other movie or show, even in folklore?

There could be workarounds; what if it’s a clone of Ezra, or perhaps someone else entirely? Moff Gideon was trying to get Grogu’s blood to create force-sensitive clones – maybe Thrawn has already succeeded in such a feat? “I’m hoping it’s a remix of Starkiller. He was Vader’s apprentice and on the verge of completing his training when Vader was killed. Now, he’s out for revenge. The apprentices of Vader and Anakin fighting each other would be sooooo cool,” one Redditor wrote.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if it was something as convoluted and crazy as a failed clone of Galen. Everybody is cloning now, Hux is doing it, Gideon is doing it. I wouldn’t mind if Thrawn or Pellaeon started cloning too to keep up with the trend. Might explain why this random Inquisitor didn’t die in the first five mins against Ahsoka. Even as a failed clone of Galen, he should still be somewhat OP,” another wrote.

In Episode 2, right at the very end of the credits, Sam Witwer is listed as having provided additional voices – could our dreams be coming true?

Is Marrok… Barriss Offee?

Barriss Offee was a Jedi Knight who betrayed Ahsoka by framing her for the bombing of a temple, which caused her to leave the Jedi Order. She’s not been seen since, and some fans think she could be Marrok.

Funnily enough, the special features on a Revenge of the Sith Blu-ray revealed axed plans for a scene that would have seen her brutally murdered as part of Order 66. Instead, her survival and whereabouts are unknown.

This would be a substantial, emotional reveal in Ahsoka, given her personal connection to the Jedi, but there’s a problem: right now, the assumption is that Marrok is a he, and he was also an Inquisitor, unlike Barriss.

Is Marrok… someone else?

Marrok may not be anyone we’ve suspected – but there’s good reason to believe it’s a major character under the mask, given the only casting detail for him right now is his stuntman, Paul Darnell.

Other predictions include the Eighth Brother, an Inquisitor who seemingly fell to his death in Rebels, and some sort of connection to the Knights of Ren.

Ahsoka Episodes 1-3 are available on Disney+ now, which you can sign up for here. You can check out our other coverage below:

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