Two years later Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Star Wars finally confirmed the identity of a mysterious Inquisitor who hunted Ahsoka Tano – and that creates more continuity problems. No one was surprised when Dave Filoni Tales of the Jedi the series featured episodes centered on Ahsoka Tano, but episode 6 caused problems by adapting a much-loved section of E.K. Johnston’s novel Ahsoka. This narrative seemed to erase one of the Star Wars Canon’s first LGBTQ+ characters, while also featuring a very different design for an Imperial Inquisitor.
Copies of the new Star Wars Encyclopedia are starting to arrive and – as shared by an attentive reader, Jewel – the book confirms the identity of the mysterious new Inquisitor. According to the Star Wars Encyclopedia, this is officially the first brother. There is still very little biographical information, but the reference is particularly significant because it contradicts Ahsoka. There, the Inquisitor was definitively identified as the Sixth Brother. This can only mean Tales of the Jedi and Ahsoka they are not simple retellings of the same events; instead of, are two different stories of similar events.
What this means for Ahsoka Tano’s story
It’s a clunky solution that almost works – but doesn’t quite fit
Disney rebooted Star Wars Canon in 2014, promising that everything now mattered equally; the Lucasfilm Story Group was created to oversee continuity and keep problems to a minimum. Unfortunately, Star Wars TV hasn’t always seemed to follow this rule; Dave Filoni doesn’t seem to mind contradicting previous stories if he wants to tell a different version of the story. This has led some to argue Star Wars the canon is broken, but – as with the old Star Wars Expanded Universe – reference books like Star Wars Encyclopedia are an ideal opportunity to try to fix.
As solutions go, this one is clumsy. This means that similar stories happened twice before Ahsoka Tano decided to become a Fulcrum agent working against the Empire; she twice settled on farming planets or moons, going by the name “Ashla”, until she was tracked down by an Inquisitor she defeated in combat. Still, this has at least the virtue of signifying both the events of Tales of the Jedi and Ahsoka are equally canonical, therefore restoring aspiring LGBTQ+ rebel Kaeden Larte.
Our opinion on Ahsoka’s continuity
The devil is in the details
I admit it’s been a while since I read EK Johnston’s excellent novel, which means the significance of this revelation initially passed me by. The retcon reminds me a little of some of the ones I saw in the old Star Wars Expanded Universe, where authors attempted to make subtle adjustments to the lore to correct contradictions or apparent plot holes. It’s a shame this has become necessary.
Returning to the Inquisitor, I am fascinated to see that he is now called “First Brother”. Tales of the Empire suggested that he was part of the first wave of Imperial Inquisitors, so his name may indicate that he was the Grand Inquisitor’s first recruit. Recent retcons have suggested that the first Inquisitors were actually brought on board during the Clone Wars, even participating in Order 66, and this could also be true for this mysterious character. Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi This may be the end of your story, but I hope it doesn’t take long to Star Wars reveals more about him.
Source: Jewel