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The Problem with Inquisitors

Discussion in 'General TV Series Discussion' started by cawatrooper, Aug 3, 2021.

  1. cawatrooper

    cawatrooper Dungeon Master

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    Inquisitors are one of my favorite additions to post-acquisition Star Wars. Having dark side acolytes hunting down the Jedi during the Dark Times (my new favorite period in the series) is just a stroke of brilliance. I really like how they are all unique in their design, but still have elements of uniformity with each other.

    But man, they just keep dying. Like, at any given point, an Inquisitor is almost guaranteed to die in the medium they're introduced.

    Like, just for an idea:

    Grand Inquisitor- Introduced in Rebels S1, killed in Rebels S1
    Second Sister- Introduced in Fallen Order, killed in Fallen Order
    Fifth Brother- Introduced in Rebels S2, killed in Rebels S2
    Seventh Sister- Introduced in Rebels S2, killed in Rebels S2
    Eighth Brother- Introduced in Twilight of the Apprentice, killed in Twilight of the Apprentice

    As far as I know (with the possible exception of lesser known Inquisitors in the comics or books), the Ninth Sister is one of the few who have actually been instrumental in multiple mediums before being eliminated.

    I get Star Wars isn't told chronologically and that Vader and Palpatine (as well as other Imperials) can take on roles of great magnitude in Inquisitor stories. But it feels like there should be an Inquisitor who weaves between these stories a little more naturally. Maybe the Ninth Sister is that, but I also feel like she hasn't really taken on much of a leadership position to really make that all too compelling yet.

    With Inquisitors rumored for the Kenobi show, I'm excited! Again, I love the idea of the secret order of acolytes. But man, I can't help but worry that we'll just get another Inquisitor introduced just to die again at the end of the season.
     
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  2. MandoChip

    MandoChip Hate me later. Work now.
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    Yeah I agree they deserve more screenrime before getting killed off, they're interesting and quite tragic characters. Second Sister/Trilla was so well portrayed.

    As for Ninth Sister she might not be dead, I mean Cal just yeets her away but we don't actually see her die. Just a thought
     
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  3. cawatrooper

    cawatrooper Dungeon Master

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    Right, I'm kinda counting on her surviving Kashyyyk.

    And she's cool (I LOVE her design) but I feel like she's not really written all that strongly yet to be this unifying thread of the Inquisitors' story. Like, she's cool, but not particularly interesting (which, hey, puts her in good company in Star Wars I guess). Maybe she'll be really fleshed out in the next thing she's in.
     
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  4. Embo and His Pet Anooba

    Embo and His Pet Anooba Jedi Commander

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    The comic book inquisitors were all either killed by vader, shot, or blown up. And they never did anything useful either
     
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  5. Jedi Knight Fett

    Jedi Knight Fett Jedi General

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    They are Vader but killable. People want to have force user villains but Vader is to powerful. So they use the inquisitors
     
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  6. cawatrooper

    cawatrooper Dungeon Master

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    True, and I see value in that for sure.

    Just wish there was more of a through line. I'm surprised people don't think of them as more of a joke at this point.
     
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  7. Use the Falchion

    Use the Falchion Jedi Contrarian

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    Completely agree. It certainly didn't help that they started with the supposed strongest, and then tried to balance it out with numbers afterwards...which was rendered a moot point by the introduction of Ahsoka and later Maul.

    Trilla is one of the few dead characters I hope Star Wars actually brings back. I think her surviving and then going on a path of redemption would be an awesome story. Instead of each Inquisitor being someone to fear, players are now trying to save their souls somehow. (Like Black Widow but without the mind-control.) It could be something like a man at sea trying to save another person from drowning. When you yourself are fighting the Darkness, how can you save others?

    But that's beside the point. The point I was originally going to make was that Star Wars has a bad habit of killing these tragic, victim/abuser characters before they can actually look at what they've done and try to atone and/or heal. Trilla is a victim of that "one redeeming act/thought" mentality.
     
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  8. DarthSkywalker03

    DarthSkywalker03 Rebelscum

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    Yeah for sure I think there should be a recurring inquisitor/s because they are pretty much in my opinion like darth maul where they are assassins for the empire and have so much about them and charisma individualy then like you said they get introduced then taken away almost instantly, this is why I loved fallen order because we got to see just a little bit more about them. Either way I think it’s awesome that there are just an elite squad of assassins regardless of there longevity ! But I think one day we will get a deeper look into the lives of the inquisitors on screen !
     
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  9. Grand Master Galen Marek

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    The problem I had with inquisitors is they failed in every encounter with jedi.
     
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  10. cawatrooper

    cawatrooper Dungeon Master

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    That's the thing- they fail so often, this "elite" group of jedi hunters is starting to seem like a comedy troupe instead
     
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  11. Grand Master Galen Marek

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    Yeah the whole ''I will suceed where others failed'' line was typical
     
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  12. Ghost of Obi Wan Kenobi

    Ghost of Obi Wan Kenobi Rebel Official

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    Let’s talk about my theory which I think is the most “obvious:”
    Inquisitors were brought into canon just to help sell action figures.
    There, I said it.
    They make weak villains (for reasons you have all stated above by never winning a fight.) Their existence seems to stretch canon logic (what time did Vader or the emperor have to train these people? And why was that guy in ANH reluctant to believe in “that ancient religion” if these magic guys are running around empire facilities?)
    But hey, Inquisitors look COOL and they have great spinning lightsabers. I will admit I have an action figure of Grand Inquisitor and (seventh?) sister from Fallen Order. But honestly, if I could step in and rewrite canon, the Inquisitors would be the first thing I would remove.
     
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  13. Boss Vos

    Boss Vos Rebel Official

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    The new canon is already broken to the point of being unfixable, with multiple Force users being alive and well during the OT such as Ahsoka. Further damaging something that's already broken is not a big deal, so there's no point in stopping.

    This is only about making money now, and the Inquisitors are a great way of creating tension in a time period which have generally seen little to none lightsaber action in the past. It makes for easily accessible villains.
     
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  14. cawatrooper

    cawatrooper Dungeon Master

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    Eh, I'm always in support of the GFA having force users during the OT. The galaxy is a hugenormous place, and I think there's room for FS people even if they're not "jedi" (a distinction that I think really only matters on a very literal technicality anyway, if at all).

    As far as if they're there for merchandise: I mean, sure. In Star Wars history, the selling of merchandise has always been a huge motivating factor. Is that still the case, though? Like, sure, a lot of us here still collect stuff, but is it really flying off the shelves like it used to be? I'm skeptical that creating characters for the action figures is as lucrative a strategy as it used to be.
     
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  15. daRinze

    daRinze Force Sensitive

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    I don't really subscribe to the fact that Inquisitors are intended to sell toys... How can one reasonnably estimate that a new-be character, who often dies in the very same episode he is introduced, will drag the attention and the love of the audience?

    imho, I think Inquisitors simply are the loosers every story needs to highlight the power of the hero(es).
    I mean, Inquisitors are more or less the StormTroopers of the Force : like them, they are unknown characters, they have no backstory, no face, no name, barely a number. They are totally anonymous. Even they are force sensitive, they loose all of their fights. They die as soon they are introduced. Their only goal and reason to exist is to be defeaten by the hero : as it is way too easy for a Force User to defeat a Non Force User, force sensitive loosers were needed in order to increase the intensity of the fights against a Force User.

    I tell you : don't panic. It will never be possible for an Inquisitor to kill or severely injure one of the heroes.
    The same way it has never be possible for a StormTrooper to severely injure any of the heroes. There are only 2 cases where this happened: during ANH, when the stormtroopers attacked the Jawas, and then the Lars Homestead. Both scenes are totally eluded, barely suggested with words. It's not a coincidence.

    my two cents
     
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  16. Rogues1138

    Rogues1138 Jedi Sentinel - Army of Light
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    As someone who collects toys, I believe I have the Seventh Sister black series figure, Gotta check to be sure... nonetheless, I do agree with @daRinze they were not solely created to sell toys. Vader can't hunt down all the lost Jedi all by his lonesome. Although DV is powerful in the force, he definitely needs some assistance during his bacta sessions, and the stormtroopers/deathtroopers are not that qualified if ya know what I mean... hehe.
     
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