They aren’t Jedi, they aren’t Sith, but they’re dangerous and they’re coming after Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren.
So who are these two new antagonists in Ahsoka?
Master and Apprentice
The elder of the two, Baylan Skoll, is quickly revealed to be a fallen/Dark Jedi. Unlike many Jedi after Revenge of the Sith, it appears he survived the Jedi Purge and did not become an inquisitor like his comrade, Marrok. Instead, he is now a mercenary working with Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto). Baylan Skoll is played by the late Ray Stevenson, to whose memory the first episode was dedicated. Stevenson had previously voiced Mandalorian Governor Gar Saxon in Star Wars Rebels. This was his first time playing a live-action role in Star Wars.
Shin Hati is his apprentice, as denoted by her padawan braid and some visual references to Darth Maul. She appears to be distrustful of Morgan Elsbeth but trusts her Master’s judgment. The two do seem closer than a typical Sith Master/Apprentice, with their trust in each other feeling more like the mentorship of a Jedi and Padawan. Shin Hati is portrayed by Ukrainian actress Ivanna Sakhno.
Another thing to note about the two Dark Jedi is that their names actually come from Norse mythology. Hati and Sköll are the wolves that chase the moon and sun. If the two wolves catch the celestial bodies, it denotes the beginning of Ragnarök, the Norse apocalypse. Definitely doesn’t bode well as the two dark Jedi are searching for Grand Admiral Thrawn, whose return could bring terrible things to the New Republic.
(featured image: Disney+)
