Two years afterStar Wars: Tales of the Jedi,Star Warshas finally confirmed the identity of a mystery Inquisitor who hunted Ahsoka Tano - and this creates more continuity problems. Nobody was surprised when Dave Filoni’sTales of the Jediseries featured episodes centered on Ahsoka Tano, but episode 6 caused problems by adapting a much-loved section of E.K. Johnston’s novelAhsoka. This telling seemed toerase one ofStar Warscanon’s first LGBTQ+ characters, while featuring a very different design for anImperial Inquisitor.
Copies of the newStar Wars Encyclopediaare beginning to arrive, and - as shared by one attentive reader,Gem- the book confirms the identity of the mystery new Inquisitor. According to theStar Wars Encyclopedia,this is officially the First Brother. There’s still very little biographical information, but the reference is particularly significant in that it contradictsAhsoka. There, the Inquisitor was definitively identified as the Sixth Brother. This can only meanTales of the JediandAhsokaare not simple retellings of the same events; rather,they are two different tales of similar events.
What This Means For Ahsoka Tano’s Story
It’s a clumsy fix that just about works - but doesn’t fit well
Disney rebootedStar Warscanon back in 2014, promising that now everything mattered to the same extent; the Lucasfilm Story Group was established to supervise continuity and keep problems to a minimum. Unfortunately,Star WarsTV hasn’t always seemed to follow this rule; Dave Filoni doesn’t appear to mind contradicting earlier stories if he wants to tell a different version of the tale. This has led some to argueStar Warscanon is broken, but - as with the oldStar WarsExpanded Universe -reference books like theStar Wars Encyclopediaare an ideal opportunity to attempt to fix it.
As fixes go, this is a clumsy one. It means similar stories happened twice before Ahsoka Tano decided to become active as a Fulcrum agent who worked against the Empire; she settled down twice on agricultural planets or moons, going by the name “Ashla,” until she was tracked down by an Inquisitor who she defeated in combat. Still, this does at least have the virtue of meaning both the events ofTales of the JediandAhsokaare equally canon, thusrestoring the LGBTQ+ would-be rebel Kaeden Larte.
Our Take On Ahsoka’s Continuity
The devil’s in the details
I admit, it’s been a while since I read E.K. Johnston’s excellent novel, meaning the significance of this reveal initially passed me by. The retcon reminds me a little of some of the ones I used to see in the oldStar WarsExpanded Universe, where authors attempted to make subtle adjustments to the lore to fix contradictions or apparent plot holes. It’s something of a shame this became necessary, though.
Not all the continuity problems have been fixed, of course.Tales of the JediandAhsokaboth describe what is meant to be Ahsoka’s first meeting with Bail Organa, when she comes up with the “Fulcrum” codename, and they’re far too different.
Circling back to the Inquisitor, I’m fascinated to see he’s now called “First Brother.“Tales of the Empirehinted he was one of the first wave of Imperial Inquisitors, so his name may indicate he was the Grand Inquisitor’s first recruit. Recent retcons have hinted the first Inquisitors were actually brought on board during the Clone Wars, even participating in Order 66, and that may well be true of this mysterious character as well.Star Wars: Tales of the Jedimay be the end of his story, but hopefully, it won’t be long beforeStar Warsreveals more about him.
Source:Gem
Ahsoka Tano
The apprentice of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano was an accomplished Padawan who served during the Clone Wars. Ahsoka left the Jedi after she became disillusioned with the Jedi Council, but returned to serve in the Siege of Mandalore at the end of the Clone Wars. She survived Order 66, becoming a Rebel agent during the Dark Times of the Empire’s reign, and her adventures continue in the New Republic era. Ahsoka was last seen stranded in a distant galaxy, having failed to prevent Grand Admiral Thrawn’s return.
