The Ahsoka series introduced the late Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll with a bang, as he began episode 1 by mimicking Darth Vader’s iconic hallway slaughter. This has even more significance when he reveals that he once knew Anakin Skywalker, and that he knows Anakin transformed into Vader. In the finale, Baylan discovers statues of the ancient Mortis gods from The Clone Wars and Rebels, who are supposedly what he’s been searching for the entire show. In more ways than one, the fact that Baylan knows about Anakin’s failure and the fact he’s searching for the Mortis gods are intrinsically tied together.
Baylan’s experience with Order 66 is the key to his story. The utter destruction of the Jedi Order taught him how fragile power can be. Anakin—who many Jedi knew as the fabled “Chosen One”—was meant to lead the Jedi into an era of peace and balance against the dark side. Instead, he turns on the Order he’d come to call home and slaughters the Jedi indifferently. Baylan watched as the one who was meant to save them ended up becoming their downfall, and this acts as a catalyst for his character in Ahsoka. His whole quest revolves around preventing the atrocities of Order 66 from ever happening again.
Anakin Skywalker’s Mission Was To Bring Balance To The Force
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace changed Anakin Skywalker’s story by introducing the prophecy of the Chosen One. From that moment, his purpose in Star Wars was to bring balance to the Force. And despite his promising career as a Jedi in the prequels, Palpatine seduced him into throwing it all away and joining the dark side. Nevertheless, Anakin managed to put off Darth Vader and redeem himself right before his death in Return of the Jedi. However, Baylan Skoll likely had no idea about Anakin becoming good in the end.
To Baylan, Anakin failed his mission to bring balance to the Force. Nevertheless, Star Wars seems to believe Anakin really did balance the Force, either in Return of the Jedi or after. For someone who doesn’t know the true end of Anakin’s story, the logical conclusion is that Anakin was not the Chosen One and instead just a traitor to the Order. Therefore, Baylan’s goal in Ahsoka is to fulfill what he believes should’ve been Anakin’s role. He is trying to find where the cycle of dark and light began in order to manually bring balance to the Force.
Ahsoka’s Finale Put Baylan In The Place Of Balance
Baylan’s goal of bringing balance to the Force is solidified by the imagery in the finale. He stands in the center of the Mortis statues on the arm of the Father, who was traditionally the one who kept the balance between his children. The Daughter represented the light side of the Force, while the Son represented the dark side, but Baylan doesn’t hold to either of their ideologies. Instead, he seeks to balance the Force as the Father did, and as Anakin was supposed to.
Baylan Skoll has used any means necessary in order to arrive at the footsteps of Mortis. His dream of balancing the Force could actually be realized in season 2, but given Ray Stevenson’s unfortunate passing, it will be interesting to see whether Filoni recasts Baylan Skoll. It’s a shame to leave Baylan stuck staring at his goal, but it could also be intriguing to see a different character carry on his legacy and reach Mortis in his stead. Either way, if Baylan manages to reach Mortis, an even more difficult question arises.
How Does Baylan Intend To Bring Balance To The Force?
Star Wars has always been vague on how the Force is actually supposed to be balanced, as well as how the Force even works in the first place. There’s a certain charm to the mystical, unknown aspect of the Force where the viewer is left to guess how it works, whereas The Phantom Menace and The Clone Wars tend to take a more realistic approach. In the Mortis arc, the Father explains that his children are literally the embodiment of the Force in the galaxy, with the realm of Mortis acting as a nexus through which all the Force flows; whoever controls the children controls the Force.
The problem Baylan faces is how to control the Daughter and the Son. Anakin’s sheer power as the Chosen One was able to subdue them, but Baylan doesn’t really compare to Star Wars’ more powerful Jedi. The Mortis gods are immensely powerful, and controlling them brought Anakin near to the breaking point. Either way, Baylan may be biting off more than he can chew by finding Mortis. And if the gods are still there, he’s going to have a difficult time subduing their immense power in Ahsoka season 2.
