“The Inquisitors were the weapons of the Emperor, sent out into the galaxy after Order 66 to track down and kill any Jedi who remained.”
f you’re a fan of Star Wars: Rebels, then you know all about the Inquisitors. This group of former Jedi turned to the Dark Side after Darth Sidious ascended to full power over the galaxy at the end of his infamous Order 66. Clothed in solid black armor—each set individualized to fit the species and personality of its owner—and armed with one of the deadliest weapons in the galaxy, the Inquisitors were truly a Jedi’s worst nightmare.
Following the fall of the Republic, Emperor Palpatine designated these warriors to train under a single master, the Grand Inquisitor. Each of them dropped their former names to become known simply as one more Brother or Sister in the clan of Inquisitorius. And to further strip them of anything that could still define them as individuals, the Inquisitors often wore masks or helmets that covered their faces, blending them into one large enemy rather than several smaller ones.
The Inquisitors were first introduced to Darth Vader in the months following his transformation into a Sith Lord. Vader immediately saw the lowly Force users as unworthy competition for his spot as the apprentice to Darth Sidious. However, Sidious needed to teach Vader a lesson in humility, and he knew Inquisitorius would do exactly that. When faced with this sudden competition, Vader cracked down even harder, diving deeper into the Dark Side and growing stronger in the Force. He lashed out against the Inquisitors time and time again, only to be repeatedly reprimanded by his Master in a constant game of cat and mouse.
Unlike Vader, though, the Inquisitors had only one real job: to hunt down and kill any remaining Jedi in the galaxy. And that hunt didn’t end with the Jedi who were trained during the time of the Republic—it extended to Force-sensitive children born after the establishment of the Empire. Darth Sidious wanted no competition for his throne. When the Brothers and Sisters of Inquisitorius were not searching for hidden Jedi, they rooted out and destroyed factions of the Rebel Alliance. Oftentimes, the search for Jedi and the search for Rebels both led to the same place.
The most iconic aspect of the Inquisitors was the lightsaber assigned to each of them. With few exceptions, Inquisitors wielded red, double-bladed sabers equipped with a round extension that encircled the hilt. When caught in difficult situations—or faced with pursuit—these sabers had the unique ability to spin so quickly that the Inquisitors could use them to take flight. Similar to a Mandalorian’s jetpack or R2’s rocket boosters, the helicopter-like flight of Inquisitors was just enough to keep them in the air for a short period of time.
The reign of Inquisitorius over the galaxy’s hidden Jedi may not have lasted very long—by the time Luke Skywalker destroyed the first Death Star, little to nothing remained of the Inquisitors’ faction—but they still did plenty to instill fear in the hearts and minds of the citizens of the Empire, whether Force-sensitive or not. If you need more Inquisitorius in your to-read pile, check out the books and comics listed below.
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Books in this Collection
Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade
Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade
When the Jedi Order falls, an Inquisitor Rises.
Padawan Iskat Akaris has dedicated her life to traveling the galaxy alongside her master, learning the ways of the Force to become a good Jedi. Despite Iskat's dedication, peace and control have remained elusive, and with each setback, she feels her fellow Jedi grow more distrustful of her. Already uncertain about her future in the Jedi Order, Iskat faces tragedy when her master is killed and the Clone Wars engulf the galaxy in chaos.
Now a general on the front lines contributing to that chaos, she is often reminded: Trust in your training. Trust in the wisdom of the Council. Trust in the Force. Yet as the shadows of doubt take hold, Iskat begins to ask questions that no Jedi is supposed to ask: Questions about her own unknown past. Questions the Jedi Masters would consider dangerous.
As the years pass and the war endures, Iskat's faith in the Jedi wanes. If they would grant her more freedom, she is certain she could do more to protect the galaxy. If they would trust her with more knowledge, she could finally cast aside the shadows that have begun to consume her. When the Jedi Order finally falls, Iskat seizes the chance to forge a path of her own. She embraces the salvation of Order 66.
As an Inquisitor, Iskat finds the freedom she has always craved: to question, to want. And with each strike of her red blade, Iskat moves closer to claiming her new destiny in the Force—whatever the cost.
Ahsoka
After the events of Order 66, survivors of the Jedi Purge must navigate the galaxy undetected. It's been a year since Ahsoka Tano watched the Galactic Republic fall, and she's leaving yet another planet to dodge Imperial suspicion and start over. Again. Something strange is happening, however, and she can't help but let her curiosity get her into serious trouble.
E.K. Johnston's young adult novel builds an important bridge between the Ahsoka we knew from The Clone Wars and the Fulcrum we meet in Star Wars Rebels. It's in this story that our hero must come to terms with her past and discover the role she is meant to play in her darkened galaxy's future.
Lords of the Sith
The most iconic Sith duo is that of Darth Sidious and Darth Vader. When it comes to the films, the immense power of their strengths combined remains to be seen. Lords of the Sith offers the display of unrivaled power that we deserve, and Paul S. Kemp delivers those brutal moments in vivid detail.
The magnitude of chaos and destruction unleashed by the Sith Lords is emphasized alongside the sheer terror and hopelessness of the rebels attempting to fight against them. Their despair is even more apparent through the eyes of Cham Syndulla, Hera Syndulla’s father and rebel leader of Ryloth, showing that even the most courageous minds are no match for the dark side.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . .
When the Emperor and his notorious apprentice, Darth Vader, find themselves stranded in the middle of insurgent action on an inhospitable planet, they must rely on each other, the Force, and their own ruthlessness to prevail.
“It appears things are as you suspected, Lord Vader. We are indeed hunted.”
Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, is just a memory. Darth Vader, newly anointed Sith Lord, is ascendant. The Emperor’s chosen apprentice has swiftly proven his loyalty to the dark side. Still, the history of the Sith Order is one of duplicity, betrayal, and acolytes violently usurping their Masters—and the truest measure of Vader’s allegiance has yet to be taken. Until now.
On Ryloth, a planet crucial to the growing Empire as a source of slave labor and the narcotic known as “spice,” an aggressive resistance movement has arisen, led by Cham Syndulla, an idealistic freedom fighter, and Isval, a vengeful former slave. But Emperor Palpatine means to control the embattled world and its precious resources—by political power or firepower—and he will be neither intimidated nor denied. Accompanied by his merciless disciple, Darth Vader, he sets out on a rare personal mission to ensure his will is done.
For Syndulla and Isval, it’s the opportunity to strike at the very heart of the ruthless dictatorship sweeping the galaxy. And for the Emperor and Darth Vader, Ryloth becomes more than just a matter of putting down an insurrection: When an ambush sends them crashing to the planet’s surface, where inhospitable terrain and an army of resistance fighters await them, they will find their relationship tested as never before. With only their lightsabers, the dark side of the Force, and each other to depend on, the two Sith must decide if the brutal bond they share will make them victorious allies or lethal adversaries.
Rebels: The Rebellion Begins
Rebels: Droids in Distress
Rebels: Battle to the End
Servants of the Empire: Edge of the Galaxy (Book 1)
Aftermath: Life Debt
While the Emperor and Vader have been defeated, Imperial strongholds still prevail throughout the galaxy. One such stronghold is none other than Chewie’s homeworld of Kashyyyk, which has been transformed by the Empire into a world-wide labor camp. After a failed attempt to free the Wookies from slavery, Chewbacca is imprisoned in Ashmead’s Lock. Han Solo, Norra Wexley, and a handful of other rebels must undertake the mission to free not only Chewbacca, but all of Kashyyyk.
Chuck Wendig continues the post-ROTJ storyline with this, the thrilling middle chapter of his Aftermath trilogy. The book also stars fan favorite characters, including Wedge Antilles, Han Solo, and Chewbacca.
The galaxy is changing, and with peace now a possibility, some dare to imagine new beginnings and new destinies. For Han Solo, that means settling his last outstanding debt, by helping Chewbacca liberate the Wookiee's home world of Kashyyyk.
Meanwhile, Norra Wexley and her band of rebels pursue Admiral Rae Sloane and the remaining Imperial leadership across the galaxy. Sloane, increasingly wary of the mysterious fleet admiral, desperately searches for a means to save the crumbling Empire from oblivion. Even as Imperial forces fight to regain lost ground, Princess Leia and the New Republic seek to broker a lasting peace.
But the rebel's hunt for Admiral Sloane is cut short after the disappearance of Han Solo and Chewbacca. Desperate to save them, Leia conscripts Norra, Sinjir, Jas, and the rest of their team to find the missing smugglers and help them in their fight for freedom.
Force Collector
Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith: Volume 1 (Hardcover Omnibus)
Explore Darth Vader's early history! Picking up directly where Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith ends, follow Vader as he receives his legendary red lightsaber and witness Vader's rise to power as a Dark Lord of the Sith! When Anakin Skywalker fell, both to the pull of the dark side and the blade of Obi-Wan Kenobi, he rose back up, more machine than man. Having lost everything that was once dear to him, he now takes his first steps into a darker world...beginning by hunting down and eradicating the galaxy's remaining Jedi! But Jocasta Nu, librarian of the Jedi Temple, is making a desperate effort to gather and preserve whatever she can of the religion's legacy. Palpatine views her as a particular threat to the Empire - does her knowledge make her a one-woman Jedi Order?
Kanan Vol. 1: The Last Padawan (Trade Paperback)
Kanan Jarrus is a valued member of the Ghost crew from the show Star Wars Rebels. His backstory is a fascinating one that’s been explained to a certain extent (like the fact that his name before Order 66 was Caleb Dume), but a lot of it was still left somewhat of a mystery. This comic series gives fans more of his origins as a Jedi Padawan.
Caleb Dume was Padawan to Master Depa Billaba to whom he idolized greatly and felt at peace with. After losing his master to Order 66, Caleb must learn how to survive the aftermath of the purge without the Jedi Order to guide him. He starts by changing his name to Kanan Jarrus to hide his identity before accepting his new life.
In Star Wars: Rebels, Kanan Jarrus is a cocky, sarcastic renegade fighting the Galactic Empire alongside the ragtag crew of the Ghost. But years before, during the Clone Wars, he was known as Caleb Dume, a Jedi Padawan training under Master Depa Billaba. Neither master nor apprentice ever suspected that their "loyal" Clone Troopers would turn on them upon the issuing of Order 66 — the Emperor's directive to execute all Jedi. How did Caleb Dume escape the Jedi purge? How did he learn to survive on his own after his master fell? And how did he become the man we know as Kanan Jarrus? What can a Padawan do when being a Jedi makes him a target? Join young Caleb for a tale that bridges the years between the Clone Wars and Rebels! Collecting KANAN: THE LAST PADAWAN #1–6.
Star Wars (2020) Vol. 01: The Destiny Path (Trade Paperback)
Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path
A trade paperback compilation of Marvel Comics Star Wars (2020), collecting issues 1–6 from the ongoing series.
"No…I am your father."
In the wake of the events following The Empire Strikes Back, it is a dark time for the heroes of the Rebellion. The Rebel fleet…scattered following a disastrous defeat at the Battle of Hoth. Han Solo…lost to the bounty hunter Boba Fett after being frozen in carbonite. And after being lured into a trap on Cloud City and bested in a vicious lightsaber duel against the evil Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker…learned the horrible truth about his past. Vader did not kill Luke's father, Anakin - Vader is Luke's father! Now, after narrowly escaping the dark lord's clutches, and wounded and reeling from the revelation, Luke, Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian, the Wookiee Chewbacca and the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 must fight their way back to the Rebel Alliance - for the fate of the entire galaxy is at stake! After so many losses, is victory still possible? But, what Leia, Luke and their ragtag band of freedom fighters do not realize is that they have only traded one Imperial trap for another! Enter the cunning and vengeful Imperial Commander Zahra, at the helm of the Tarkin's Will! Writer Charles Soule (DARTH VADER) and artist Jesús Saiz (DOCTOR STRANGE) are taking us all to the galaxy far, far away!
COLLECTING: STAR WARS (2020) 1-6
