The Grand Inquisitor

The Grand Inquisitor is one of the three main antagonists (alongside Darth Vader and Grand Admiral Thrawn) of the 2014 animated television series Star Wars: Rebels, serving as the main antagonist of its first season, and as a posthumous antagonist in its second season. Four years before the theft of the Death Star's plans, The Inquisitor was the leader of the Inquisitorius and was tasked with tracking down and eliminating all known Jedi Knights who survived Order 66 in the campaign known as the Great Jedi Purge. He was trained in the ways of the dark side by Darth Vader, the latter of which took the Inquisitor's place as the main antagonist of Season Two.

He was voiced by Jason Isaacs, who also played Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter film franchise and Gabriel Lorca in the first season of Star Trek: Discovery.

Personality and Traits

The Grand Inquisitor was a tall male Pau'an with greyish-white, lined skin and blood-red tattoos adorning his face. He wore black armor emblazoned with the crest of the Galactic Empire and carried a red double-bladed lightsaber, which had the ability to spin; the Inquisitor used this type of lightsaber in order to intimidate his opponents. In particular, he was able to throw inexperienced Jedi off-balance. Because Jedi relied on balanced emotions, the imbalance gave the Inquisitor an edge in combat. Although he was a physical opponent for Jedi and tapped into the dark side of the Force, he did not appear overly emotional, instead of operating as a cold and analytical mind. Whatever intensity he showed was a result of his purpose in completing his mission.

Through the dark and villainous side, the Grand Inquisitor was able to learn about individual Jedi and use their secrets against them. He studied the records of the Jedi Temple to not only identify Jedi but also have an understanding of their combat forms and traditions. His knowledge was extensive enough that he could identify who a Jedi was trained by, such as when he identified Depa Billaba as Jarrus' Jedi Master within moments of their first duel. He utilized this, like his lightsaber, to inflict an opponent with fear, which was his most powerful weapon against his enemies. Once in combat, he did not show mercy, having been tasked with judging and eliminating Jedi survivors.

As the highest-ranking Imperial Inquisitor, the Grand Inquisitor was fiercely devoted to the Empire and held a deep respect for his superiors, most notably his master, Darth Vader, and Grand Moff Tarkin, although with the former it was founded deeply on fear, as the Grand Inquisitor chose to commit suicide rather than face Vader's wrath.

Powers and Abilities

The Grand Inquisitor was a practitioner of the Dark side of the Force and trained in lightsaber combat. He wielded a double-bladed lightsaber, which he used in multiple settings; single-bladed, double-bladed, as well as double-bladed with the blades spinning on the hilt. In addition to using the weapon to unnerve his enemies, he wielded it in order to quickly and efficiently end combat with as little effort as was required. This allowed him to skillfully execute the Jedi he encountered. The Inquisitor also demonstrated skill in the use of dual blades to the point of using a single-bladed lightsaber and his double-bladed spinning lightsaber at the same time, such as when he fended off a giant fyrnock in Fort Anaxes. 

In addition to being a formidable lightsaber duelist, the Grand Inquisitor was skilled in the use of telekinesis. He possessed enough telekinetic power to easily push Kanan Jarrus clear across a hall, send Ezra Bridger flying backward, and throw his lightsaber with lethal precision. The Inquisitor had a keen Force Sense, which he demonstrated during his pursuit of Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger on Empire Day. He was also a great pilot, skillfully flying a new Imperial fighter prototype while dodging and countering Chopper blaster fire with considerable ease.

Appearances

Trivia

• The Inquisitor was created as one of the main antagonists of the animated television series Star Wars Rebels. When designing the character, who is voiced by actor Jason Isaacs, the look and species went through several different iterations and was a topic of much discussion at Lucasfilm. The production team wanted to ensure that the character was not a carbon copy of past iconic villains such as Darth Maul or Darth Vader. At one point, the Inquisitor was designed as a Chagrian. Eventually, it was decided that they would make the character a Pau'an, which, according to series executive producer Dave Filoni, was when the character fell into place. Fellow executive producer Simon Kinberg felt it gave the character a real and human quality, while at the same time evoking a creaturely, terrifying, and nightmarish look.
• In further differentiating the Inquisitor from past villains, the production team crafted him as a cold and analytical character who presents himself as elegant, sophisticated, and educated. Furthermore, they did not want him to be similar to villains from cartoons from the 1980s, which Lucasfilm's Pablo Hidalgo described as having the villains lose in every episode yet still be presented as a credible threat. Instead, the Inquisitor is meant to be someone whose arrival is a significant event and a challenge to the rebels.
• The Inquisitor was the first character announced for Star Wars Rebels. The character was revealed at New York Comic Con 2013 during a panel about the show, in which a video was shown introducing the Inquisitor as a Jedi hunter who would be a recurring antagonist for the heroes. The character's action figure was revealed on December 30, 2013, with a more in-depth video about the character, as well as an announcement about Isaac's casting, released on July 17, 2014. The Inquisitor made his first on-screen appearance in Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion, which premiered on October 3, 2014. Spark of Rebellion re-aired on October 27 on ABC, with a new scene at the beginning of the episode featuring the Inquisitor speaking with Darth Vader.
• The Inquisitor was rumored to serve as the main antagonist in the upcoming film, Star Wars Episode VII, set to premiere in 2015. However, it is revealed that Kylo Ren is the main antagonist.
• The Inquisitor's Lightsaber is most likely based on a General Grievous Lightsaber toy from Hasbro.
• Star Wars Rebels creator Dave Filoni confirmed that the future Grand Inquisitor is one of the Jedi Temple Guards who takes Barriss Offee away after her confession in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 5 finale. It is possible he took her speech about the corruption of the Republic and Jedi Order to heart, and that this may have convinced him to join the dark side.

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