Easily one of the most fascinating parts of Ahsokawas the character of Baylan Skoll, whose mysterious nature eluded audiences in the very best way. Played brilliantly by the late Ray Stevenson, Baylan's antagonistic character instantly stood apart for more than just his orange-colored lightsaber. As a former Jedi general during the Clone Wars, Baylan had a rich Jedi history prior to his work as a mercenary on Morgan Elsbeth's behalf, though his Force alignment was never quite clear - particularly because he openly had an apprentice, with the braid designating her as a Padawan more than anything else.
Now, Star Wars has answered to this in EA's kit reveal for Baylan Skoll's character in their mobile game Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes. The kit reveal tells players which categories Baylan's character will fall under, with his main alignment being as a dark side character. In addition to being filtered as a leader and a mercenary, Baylan is also an "unaligned Force user," proving that he has truly cut all ties to his own Jedi past. While he may not be a Sith or aggressively dark side aligned, this is clearly where he's heading if Star Wars sorts him as such.
What Baylan Skoll's Force Alignment Means For Star Wars
A mysterious and enigmatic Jedi Master, Baylan Skoll survived Order 66 and took on Shin Hati as his apprentice. He operated in the galaxy's shadows for years, only emerging when he took on an assignment for the Imperial Morgan Elsbeth - a mission that took him to the distant planet Peridea. There, he continues to advance his own mysterious agenda.
Alliance Dark Jedi
Race Human
Perhaps the biggest conclusion from this kit reveal is that Baylan is far from being a "gray Jedi," as he is very clearly being separated from a Jedi identity. Though Baylan may not be fully committed to the dark side, as evidenced by him being categorized as an unaligned Force user, he's still trending in that direction. This has implications not only for Baylan's origins and his character, but also for what he's seeking in Ahsoka season 2.
Baylan Skoll is an Order 66 survivor turned mercenary in the New Republic Era, but where was he during the original Star Wars trilogy?
Throughout season 1, Baylan speaks of wanting to bring true balance back to the galaxy, of correcting the cyclic rise and fall of the Jedi Order and the Sith. It's heavily foreshadowed that he intends to use the Mortis gods in some way to help him achieve this balance, though it's unclear exactly how he'll do that. Given this confirmation that Baylan is unaligned in the Force but trending towards the dark side, these actions must be coming from a darker place than Baylan's let on about, which makes his future even more intriguing.
Baylan Skoll Remains One Of Disney Star Wars' Most Interesting Villains
These Mysteries Make Him More Intriguing
All in all, these reveals about Baylan in Galaxy of Heroes simply prove the point that Baylan is one of Disney Star Wars' most interesting villains yet. Because he's not fiercely devoted to the dark side, Baylan's character has a nuance that's utterly refreshing. His motivations and end goal being mysterious also adds fascinating intrigue to his character, causing viewers to follow along with the story even more closely to learn more and watch everything unfold. Hopefully, Baylan's story is given a chance to be finished in Ahsoka season 2, as Stevenson's brilliance deserves to live on.
Ahsoka is a Sci-Fi television series based in the Star Wars universe developed by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. Starring Rosario Dawson, this series follows Ahsoka Tano as she works with Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), her trusty droid Huyang (David Tennant), and Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) to prevent the return of the villanious Grand Admiral Thrawn. Ahsoka acts as a live-action continuation of the animated series Star Wars: Rebels.
Custom Image by Debanjana Chowdhury
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