Summary

  • The Grand Inquisitor was Vader's right-hand man, with others like the Fifth Brother and Seventh Sister looking to take his place.
  • Reva, or the Third Sister, was merciless in her plan to take revenge on Darth Vader, before turning back to the light side.
  • Other Inquisitors like Marrok, the Ninth Sister, and the Second Sister to name a few have been part of wider Star Wars canon.

Star Wars canon has introduced several Imperial Inquisitors over the years, and here is every major one explained. Making their live-action debut in the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series, Inquisitors were first introduced in Star Wars Rebels. Star Wars' Inquisitors are not quite Sith Lords, but instead a Sith-aligned mysterious and deadly group of dark side users likely to continue being explored in upcoming Star Wars TV shows. There has never been an official Star Wars inquisitor list, but the members have been gradually revealed across different Star Wars media.

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The Inquisitors are a special division of fallen Jedi and Force-sensitives who aligned with the Empire. Trained by Darth Vader himself, the Inquisitors are Sith in all but name. Inquisitors are predominantly used in the Imperial era of the Star Wars timeline - meaning a potential appearance in shows like Andor season 2 - as the dark Force-wielders assist Vader in hunting down surviving Jedi and high-ranking Rebellion operatives. While it is unclear exactly how many Inquisitors have been under the Empire’s banner, here is every major appearance from Vader’s dark assistants, who each one is, and how their story played out.

14 Grand Inquisitor

The leader of the Inquisitors in Star Wars canon has been explored at length.

First appearance

Star Wars Rebels season 1, episode 1 - "Spark of Rebellion"

Played by

Rupert Friend in Obi-Wan Kenobi, voiced by Jason Isaacs in Star Wars Rebels

Making his live-action debut in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the very first known Inquisitor in Star Wars canon was their leader: the Grand Inquisitor. His true name is unknown, and he is referred to only by his title. Introduced early in the first season of Star Wars Rebels, he is a striking, menacing, Pau'an who pursues former Padawan Kanan Jarrus and prospective Jedi Ezra Bridger throughout the season. The Grand Inquisitor’s power in the dark side might be third only to Vader and Sidious within the Empire, but ultimately, he relies on inspiring fear to defeat his enemies above other tactics.

This ties perfectly into Kanan’s character arc in Star Wars Rebels season 1, as it was his ability to replace his fears with faith in the Force that allowed him to ultimately defeat the Grand Inquisitor. Though the Grand Inquisitor dies in the Star Wars Rebels season 1 finale, his origins are explored further in later material. Rebels season 2 reveals that, during his time as a Jedi, he was one of the Jedi Temple Guards, fitting the notion that most Inquisitor origins are Jedi-related in Star Wars canon.

The mishandling of both Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee by the Jedi - shown in the final arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 5 - caused the character to abandon the ways of the Jedi.

According to the reference book “Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition”, it was the bombing of the Coruscant Jedi Temple that began the Grand Inquisitor’s disillusionment with the Jedi Order. The mishandling of both Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee by the Jedi - shown in the final arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 5 - caused the character to abandon the ways of the Jedi. The character then became susceptible to the dark side - like Kylo Ren, Darth Vader, and countless other fallen Jedi across the Star Wars saga - to become the villainous Jedi hunter known only as the Grand Inquisitor.

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13 Reva - The Third Sister

Obi-Wan Kenobi's intriguing addition became one of Star Wars' most compelling Inquisitors.

First appearance

Obi-Wan Kenobi Part I

Played by

Moses Ingram

Played by Moses Ingram in Obi-Wan Kenobi, Reva - known by the Inquisitors as her title of the Third Sister - was introduced as an ambitious Star Wars Inquisitor baying for Jedi blood. Reva was a character created almost entirely for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Outside a brief mention in a DeAgostini “Star Wars Encyclopedia" in 2021 as a footnote in a section about Darth Maul and other dark side users, all that was known of Reva prior to Ingram's appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi came from the trailers and interviews with both her and the show’s production team.

Unlike the Grand Inquisitor, there was no prior Reva canon for the series to build on. This was more of a boon than a burden for Ingram since there were no existing fan expectations for the character. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Ingram stated this gave her a lot of freedom to make the character "fiercely intelligent and very quick on her feet” in a way that made Reva truly her own. Reva's backstory was subsequently revealed in Obi-Wan Kenobi, and it was filled with both shocking twists and essential canon-defining elements.

Reva was revealed as a youngling who survived Order 66, though not without witnessing Anakin Skywalker massacring the Jedi. She became an Inquisitor and fell to the Dark Side just to get close to Vader. Formulating a years-long plan to capture Obi-Wan and find a place at Vader's side, Reva intended to enact her revenge on the dark lord for massacring her fellow Jedi younglings during his attack on Coruscant’s Jedi Temple. This plan from Reva backfired though, as it transpired Vader had known Reva's identity the entire time.

Ironically, much like Anakin, Reva became the very monster she had sworn to destroy, committing many atrocities on her quest. Unlike the Chosen One himself Anakin, however, Obi-Wan was able to redeem Reva and put her back on the path toward the light side of the Force. Exactly how well this went for Reva, or what her eventual fate was after Obi-Wan Kenobi, is still yet to be revealed. While many hope for this in Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2, all signs indicate that Lucasfilm does not intend to craft a continuation of the 2022 series.

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12 Marrok

Star Wars' most-theorized Inquisitor became a suitable misdirect in Ahsoka season 1.

First appearance

Ahsoka: "Part One: Master and Apprentice"

Played by

Paul Darnell

One of the characters confirmed for Ahsoka pre-release was a mysterious Inquisitor who went by the name of Marrok. Marrok was confirmed as a mercenary for hire working for Morgan Elsbeth to put an end to Ashoka’s search for Thrawn. Given the unlikelihood of an Inquisitor appearing in the New Republic era after the fall of the Empire, several theories were concocted concerning Marrok’s hidden identity beneath the mask. From Vader’s secret apprentice Starkiller to Ahsoka’s old Clone Wars ally-turned-traitor Barriss Offee and missing Jedi Ezra Bridger, the theories ranged from the credible to the near-impossible.

However, despite endless theorization and speculation, Ahsoka episode 4 revealed the true identity of Marrok. Rather than be a known Star Wars character beneath the armor, it was revealed that Marrok was a reanimated husk of a Nightbrother created to do Morgan Elsbeth’s bidding. This has been seen in Star Wars before, particularly with the Nightsister Merrin in the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order video game. After Ahsoka defeated Marrok in combat, he dissipated into green smoke, proving his Nightsister Magick origin while simultaneously proving all outlandish theories about his identity incorrect.

11 The Fifth Brother

Another Inquisitor who connected the stories of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Star Wars Rebels.

The Fifth Brother leads stormtroopers through Daiyu in Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer

First appearance

Star Wars Rebels: "Relics of the Republic"

Played by

Sung Kang in Obi-Wan Kenobi, voiced by Philip Anthony-Rodriguez in Star Wars Rebels

After the death of the Grand Inquisitor in Star Wars Rebels, a subsequent power vacuum was formed among the Empire’s other Inquisitors. Introduced early in Star Wars Rebels season 2 as a result, the Fifth Brother hoped to replace the Grand Inquisitor by hunting down the two prospective Jedi who defeated him. Unlike the Grand Inquisitor, who pursued Jedi with a balance of wit and power, the Fifth Brother was almost entirely uninterested in finesse, opting to use brute strength almost exclusively in his various conflicts with Kanan and Ezra.

Kenobi also showed that the Fifth Brother was more measured than Reva, as he was less willing to extract information from the Tatooine populace using violence...

Throughout Rebels season 2, he worked with the Seventh Sister, a fellow Inquisitor. Though the two were a deadly brains-and-brawn duo, the Fifth Brother ultimately met his end on Malachor, where former Sith Lord Maul killed him during his short-lived truce with the Rebels crew. The Fifth Brother also featured prominently in Obi-Wan Kenobi as a thorn in Reva's side, attempting to inhibit her ambitions wherever possible. Kenobi also showed that the Fifth Brother was more measured than Reva, as he was less willing to extract information from the Tatooine populace using violence, instead preferring to bribe them if possible.

10 The Second Sister

A compelling Star Wars video game character provides an equally investing Inquisitor storyline.

First appearance

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Voiced by

Elizabeth Grullon

A tragic villain, the Second Sister is the main antagonist of the 2019 video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Previously the Padawan Trilla Suduri, she and her master Cere Junda survived Order 66 and hid from the Empire for a time. Junda was eventually captured by the Imperials and subjected to torturous interrogations, finally succumbing and giving away Trilla’s location. Feeling betrayed by her master and subjected to the same torture, Trilla fell to the dark side, becoming one of the cruelest and most formidable Inquisitors.

Out of all the Inquisitors in Star Wars, the Second Sister would perhaps have been the one best suited to becoming the second Grand Inquisitor, had the narrative timeline aligned for this event. The Second Sister was as tactful as she was powerful, nearly killing the Jedi Cal Kestis multiple times. Kestis ultimately defeated her at the Inquisitor fortress on Nur, however, and the Second Sister came agonizingly close to forgiving her master before Darth Vader himself intervened and killed her for her sentiment and failures as an Inquisitor.

9 The Ninth Sister

The secondary antagonist of Jedi: Survivor behind Trilla's Second Sister.

Star Wars Ninth Sister

First appearance

Darth Vader #6 by Charles Soule & Giuseppe Camuncoli

Voiced by

Misty Lee

A secondary enemy Inquisitor in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the Ninth Sister has tragic origins, not unlike those of the Second Sister. In “Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith”, it was revealed that, despite her natural Dowutin strength, the Ninth Sister's real power came from her aptitude for accurately reading people. This was a fitting specialty for her during her days as the Jedi Masana Tide, but like Trilla Suduri, she was tortured by the Empire to a breaking point, falling to the dark side and using her empathic powers for evil.

Moreover, the torture that turned Masana into the Ninth Sister left her with a frightening callousness to pain and even dismemberment. The Ninth Sister lost an eye to Darth Vader during a training session and a leg to the Sixth Brother in a cowardly moment of betrayal. Given her proven resistance to pain and injury, it was revealed in the sequel to Jedi: Fallen Order - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor - that the Ninth Sister survived her duel with Cal Kestis on Kashyyyk, only to be killed by her Jedi rival at the beginning of the sequel in a duel on Coruscant.

8 The Seventh Sister

The common companion of the Fifth Brother in Star Wars Rebels.

 Seventh Sister and Fifth Brother Inquisitors in Star Wars Rebels.

First appearance

Star Wars Rebels: "Always Two There Are"

Played by

Sarah Michelle Gellar

This Mirialan Inquisitor was a persistent antagonist of Rebels season 2, along with her partner, the Fifth Brother. Like her cohort, the Seventh Sister was vying to become the next Grand Inquisitor, with her strategic methods and crafty use of ID9 Parrot Droids complimenting the Fifth Brother’s brute force. The two came dangerously close to defeating Kanan and Ezra numerous times before both were killed by Maul on Malachor. The Seventh Sister was subdued by Maul, who goaded Ezra to give in to the dark side and execute the helpless Inquisitor. Ezra refused, prompting Maul to finish the job himself.

7 The Eighth Brother

A minor Inquisitor who served as a similarly small antagonist for the crew of the Ghost.

The Eighth Brother faces Ahsoka, Kanan, and Ezra in Star Wars Rebels

First appearance

Star Wars Rebels: "Twilight of the Apprentice"

Voiced by

Robbie Daymond

With only brief appearances in Star Wars Rebels and the “Star Wars: Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith” comic series - written by Charles Soule - to date, very little is still known about the Terrelian Jango Jumper known among the Inquisitors as the Eighth Brother. One of the deadliest Inquisitors in Star Wars, he is something of a halfway point between the Fifth Brother and Seventh Sister. The character was often shown to make use of his species’ natural agility as well as explosives, highlighting his versatility in combat.

Like the others, the Eighth Brother died on Malachor, with his defeat mirroring that of the Grand Inquisitor.

The Eighth Brother played a small but important role in Rebels’ season 2 finale, having been dispatched to Malachor to track down Darth Maul. Upon discovering the Jedi duo of the Ghost crew, however, the Eighth Brother summoned the Fifth Brother and Seventh Sister for assistance. Like the others, the Eighth Brother died on Malachor, with his defeat mirroring that of the Grand Inquisitor. Kanan, no longer afraid of the Inquisitors, damages his opponent's lightsaber, resulting in the Eighth Brother falling to his death.

6 The Sixth Brother

One of the more outright dislikable Inquisitors even among villainous company.

The Sixth Brother in Star Wars comics

First appearance

Ahsoka novel, by E.K. Johnston

This Inquisitor first appeared in the 2016 novel Ahsoka and was later expanded on in the aforementioned comic series, “Star Wars: Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith”. The Sixth Brother, once known as Bil Valen, is notable for being an overconfident bully who brutalizes the weak and defenseless yet stands no chance against powerful opponents such as Ahsoka Tano. An unarmed Ahsoka was able to kill the Sixth Brother by using the Force to sabotage his lightsaber, detonating it and resulting in the Inquisitor’s demise.

The Sixth Brother’s lightsaber crystals were then purified by Tano, turning them from red to white, before being used in her lightsabers seen in Star Wars Rebels, The Mandalorian, and Ahsoka. The Sixth Brother was also shown to be a coward with no sense of camaraderie with his fellow Inquisitors. When surrounded by mind-controlled, traitorous purge troopers, he cuts off the Ninth Sister’s leg to allow himself to escape. Unsurprisingly, he was not well-liked by the rest of the Inquisitors or even Darth Vader himself.

5 The Tenth Brother

An intriguing Inquisitor whose pre-Empire life has also been explored in Star Wars canon.

Tenth Brother in Star Wars comics

First appearance

Jedi of the Republic: Mace Windu #1 by Charles Soule & Giuseppe Camuncoli

The Miraluka Prosset Dibs made his first appearance not as a Star Wars Inquisitor, but as a Clone Wars-era Jedi in the “Star Wars: Jedi of the Republic – Mace Windu” comics, written by Matt Owens. It was during the Clone Wars that Dibs lost his faith in the Jedi for their role in turning the Order, who were meant to be peacekeepers, into soldiers. Prosset’s disenchantment was not unlike that of the Grand Inquisitor and his fall from grace was cemented when he tried (unsuccessfully) to kill Jedi Master Mace Windu.

The lesser-known Inquisitor Prosset Dibs appears once more in the “Star Wars: Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith” comics, now as an Inquisitor known as the Tenth Brother. Despite his objection to the Jedi acting as warriors, he has since completely abandoned his values and embraced the dark side. Accompanying Darth Vader and other Inquisitors to hunt his former comrades, the former Jedi now acts as a soldier of the Empire, proving how the dark side can allow Force users to covet power over personal moral codes.

In one final irony, the Tenth Brother is killed when his squad of purge troopers is mind-controlled by a former Padawan to execute Order 66 on their Inquisitor leaders. In this way, the Tenth Brother died as so many Jedi did at the end of the Clone Wars. This squad of Purge Troopers was made up of the final members of would-be Republic clone troopers, cementing the irony of an Inquisitor falling to an altered version of the Jedi Purge.

4 The Thirteenth Sister

One of the subjects of an Inquisitor-centric novel in Star Wars canon.

Star Wars Red Skinned Inquisitor

First appearance

Darth Vader #19 by Charles Soule & Giuseppe Camuncoli

The story of Iskat Akaris is told in Delilah S. Dawson's novel Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade. Knighted after the Battle of Geonosis, Iskat Akaris proved an unstable Jedi Knight simply because of her natural connection to the dark side. Palpatine deliberately manipulated Iskat, with his agents in the Jedi Temple encouraging her to distrust the Council before offering her the chance to join the Inquisitors as part of Order 66. Iskat took fellow Inquisitor Tualon Yaluna as her lover, earning Darth Vader's ire. Overconfident and aggressive, Iskat attempted to kill Darth Vader - and it did not go well.

3 Tualon Yaluna

Star Wars Twilek Inquisitor

First appearance

Darth Vader #19 by Charles Soule & Giuseppe Camuncoli

Knighted after the Battle of Geonosis, the Twi'lek Tualon Yaluna was always close to Iskat Akaris. His full story is something of a mystery; he was left for dead by Iskat during Order 66 but recruited by the Inquisitors all the same. Tualon's story ended in Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli's Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith series.

He displayed a soft side that was decidedly un-Imperial, but notable all the same. He dutifully participated in the mission resulting in former Jedi Master Eeth Koth being murdered by Darth Vader, as well as his infant daughter being kidnapped. The relationship between Iskat and Tualon led to their being targeted by Darth Vader, and he too died at the Sith Lord's hand. Tualon's Inquisitor name is still a mystery, although Delilah S. Dawson has hinted this story could be told elsewhere.

2 Tales Of The Jedi's Unnamed Inquisitor

A visually impressive albeit narratively inconsequential Inquisitor.

A new inquisitor from Tales of the Jedi

First appearance

Tales of the Jedi: "Resolve"

A mysterious Inquisitor was introduced in Tales of the Jedi season 1, episode 6, tasked with pursuing Ahsoka Tano. The encounter did not go particularly well for the unnamed Inquisitor, who was killed by Ahsoka with his own double-bladed spinning lightsaber. His Star Wars story came to an abrupt end, with many originally thinking he was an adaptation of the Sixth Brother from the Ahsoka novel.

It has not been confirmed whether Ahsoka's encounter with the unnamed Inquisitor is different from the confrontation with the Sixth Brother or whether they are simply two interpretations of the same event.

1 An Unnamed Inquisitor Killed Seeking Jedi Artifacts

An Inquisitor who met an untimely fate.

Star Wars Crimson Climb Cover

First appearance

Crimson Climb by E.K. Johnston

An unnamed Inquisitor is introduced in E.K. Johnston's novel Crimson Climb, which tells the story of Han Solo's first love, Qi'ra, as she ascends through the ranks of the criminal empire Crimson Dawn. At one point, Qi'ra is sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient Jedi artifact from a temple. She discovers the body of an Inquisitor outside the temple, killed by its defenses. This Inquisitor is officially Star Wars' latest addition to the ranks of the Inquisitors.