Darth Vader’s Inquisitors have been introduced more and more to the Star Wars galaxy, but one vital story has still been left untold. First introduced in the animated Star Wars Rebels series, the Force-sensitive Imperial Inquisitors have become an important part of the Dark Times, working at Vader’s side to continue the purge of the Jedi post-Order 66. In the years following their debut, the Inquisitors have now made their way through many types of media – novels, games, and even live-action. Their history is growing, but there’s still a lot that has yet to be revealed.
Most of these stories have to do with the origin of the Inquisitors. While it’s been known that they were inducted into the Inquisitorius directly following Order 66 and the formation of the Empire, much of their individual backstories and origins still remain a mystery. With approximately sixteen Inquisitors now known about, there’s a lot of rich storytelling material for Star Wars to use in terms of providing these Inquisitors with interesting backgrounds, though there’s one specific Inquisitor they should set their focus on first.
The Grand Inquisitor’s Full Backstory Has Yet To Be Explored
The Grand Inquisitor’s title speaks for him, as his role in the Inquisitorius is easily the most important. Despite this, the origin story of the Grand Inquisitor still remains a mystery for the most part. Creators have at least shared some details about the Grand Inquisitor, such as the fact he was once a guard at the Jedi Temple who witnessed the arrest of Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee, but otherwise not much else has been revealed about him. Given the Grand Inquisitor’s major influence and his many years of service to the Empire, it’s interesting that his history hasn’t been explored in more depth yet, especially since other Inquisitors have had the chance to develop their backstories more fully.
When Did The Grand Inquisitor Turn To The Dark Side?
The Grand Inquisitor is the first to become an agent of Emperor Palpatine by the time Order 66 takes place, which means that his fall to the dark side predates that of Anakin Skywalker himself. Barriss’ speech at her sentencing is what prompted the Grand Inquisitor to turn, so there’s quite a gap between his turn to the dark side and dedication to Palpatine and the future of the Inquisitorius. Given how vital the Grand Inquisitor becomes to the work of the Inquisitors, this is a massive story that ought to be told, especially as it could provide context to how the Inquisitorius was first formed.
The work of a guard at the Jedi Temple is also very sacred, which makes the Grand Inquisitor’s story even more interesting. For Barriss’ speech to have inspired his turn to the dark side, there must have already been other elements putting that event into motion beforehand. Going back to the Grand Inquisitor’s origin and perhaps even learning more about his time as a guard at the Jedi Temple could be a huge and rich story for Star Wars to tell in any kind of medium.
