Neither Jedi nor Sith, the Inquisitors of the Star Wars galaxy, appearing prominently in the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series, are a lethal cadre of Force Adepts trained in the dark side by Darth Vader himself. Informed by the real-life Spanish Inquisition, which sought out and punished so-called heresy against the Catholic Church in Spain, the Inquisitors’ historical connotations here would be disturbing enough, but their mission to hunt down Jedi who survived Order 66 in the last days of the Clone Wars is what makes them so uniquely menacing.
Originally developed for the sourcebook for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game by Bill Slavicsek and Curtis Smith in 1987, Inquisitors first appeared in the animated series Star Wars Rebels in 2014. They show up in other canonical places, from the mobile game Galactic Defense, to the mobile real-time PvP game game Force Arena, to the single-player Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and its five-issue comic tie-in, Dark Temple. They also feature prominently in issues 6–20 of the Marvel Comics series Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, and E. K. Johnston’s prose novel Ahsoka.
The live-action debut of the Inquisitors has been one of many highly anticipated moments to be revealed in Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+. Including who we’ve seen there, here’s a list of every Inquisitor in Star Wars canon:
Grand Inquisitor
Voiced by Jason Isaacs in the Star Wars Rebels animated series and played by Rupert Friend in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the character who became the Grand Inquisitor was originally from the planet Utapau. He earned the rank of Jedi Knight and became a Temple Guard until he lost faith in the Order. After Barriss Offee bombed the Jedi Temple and used Ahsoka Tano as a scapegoat, the future Grand Inquisitor was quickly transformed into an unflinching strategist who reported directly to Darth Vader. And because Darth Vader is apprentice to Darth Sidious, that means the Grand Inquisitor moved into a position only two degrees of separation from the Emperor himself. His political power is far-reaching, and his Force abilities and lightsaber skills are absolutely malignant.
Second Sister
The principle antagonist of Jedi: Fallen Order, the Second Sister was previously a Jedi Padawan named Trilla Suduri. She and her Master, Cere Junda, survived Order 66 and escaped, hiding in exile like Obi-Wan Kenobi. But Cere Junda was captured by Inquisitors and tortured until she exposed her Padawan’s location. In a sequence of events that recalls Anakin Skywalker’s surrender to the Dark Side, Trilla Suduri felt betrayed by her Master and pledged herself to the Inquisitorius.
Reva the Third Sister
Anyone with access to Netflix during shelter-in-place in 2020 will remember Moses Ingram as Jolene from The Queen’s Gambit. In Obi-Wan Kenobi, she plays Reva, a character created specifically for this limited series. The character was first mentioned as the Third Sister in an issue of DeAgostini’s Star Wars Encyclopedia reference booklets titled Darth Maul and Other Dark Side Followers, but only revealed as Inquisitor Reva the Third Sister in the March 9, 2022 issue of Entertainment Weekly. She hasn’t received an entry in the Star Wars Databank yet, so little is known of her at the time of this writing. What is known is that she’ll be a captivating presence on onscreen.
Fourth Sister
The Fourth Sister first appeared in the comic Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle, in which the character was actually revealed to have been Rebel Alliance Commander Lina Graf in disguise all along. Lina Graf wore Imperial Inquisitor armor and hid her face in a full-coverage helmet to infiltrate Fortress Vader on Mustafar, where she rescued Rebel Lieutenant Thom Hudd from captivity by Darth Vader’s aide Vaneé. Although not named in the story space, the character had been referred to as the Fourth Sister in the script. She was formally named in the “Darth Maul and Other Dark Side Followers” reference booklet, and appears in live action for the first time in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Played with intimidating intensity by Rya Kihlstedt, the Fourth Sister is immediately recognizable by her agile physique and facial tattoos.
Fifth Brother
Voiced by Philip Anthony-Rodriguez when he was introduced in Star Wars Rebels season 2, Fifth Brother is played by Sung-Ho Kang of Fast & Furious fame in Obi-Wan Kenobi. He’s a ferocious character who dueled with Ahsoka Tano and threatened Sabine Wren’s life, so this live-action Inquisitor is definitely one to watch.
Sixth Brother
Once known as Bil Valen, the Sixth Brother first appeared in the prose novel Ahsoka and was further developed in Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith. He tracked Ahsoka Tano to the moon of Raada, and after a harrowing lightsaber duel, Ahsoka used the Force to extract the kyber crystals from his double-bladed lightsaber, which killed him, and allowed her to use the crystals to build the two lightsabers she wields in The Mandalorian.
Seventh Sister
Methodical and relentless, the Seventh Sister hunted Jedi alongside the Fifth Brother throughout Rebels season 2. She was of the Mirialan species, like Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and her Jedi Knight Barriss Offee. But by the time she became an Inquisitor, the Seventh Sister usually covered her green skin and red tattoos with an Imperial-issue helmet and a blast shield-style mask. Voiced with unsettling serenity by Sarah Michelle Gellar, the Seventh Sister was ultimately destroyed by Maul.
Eighth Brother
Once a member of the Jedi Order before being inducted into the group of Force Adept assassins, the Eight Brother first appeared in Rebels and then again in Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith. He was nimble and well-armored but met his death in the second season finale of Rebels, when he used a damaged lightsaber while fleeing a confrontation.
Ninth Sister
A secondary antagonist in Jedi: Fallen Order, the Ninth Sister was once known as Jedi Masana Tide, until, like Trilla Suduri, she was captured by Inquisitors and tortured until she relinquished her mind to the Inquisitorius. Her character is more fully developed in Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith.
Tenth Brother
Formerly known as Prosset Dibs, the Tenth Brother first appeared as a Jedi in the Jedi of the Republic – Mace Windu comics, and then as an Inquisitor in Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith.
Unnamed Inquisitors
A onyx-skinned Twi’lek Inquisitor appears for only a moment in Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, alongside an Inquisitor of an unknown crimson-skinned species who also appears for the first and last time in Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith.
(Featured image: Disney+)
