Summary
- Ahsoka Episode 6 teases Baylan Skoll's endgame on Peridea.
- Baylan sees promise in the ancient homeworld of a powerful Star Wars race.
- Baylan's end goal is similar to one a dangerous character had in the video game Jedi: Fallen Order.
The following contains spoilers for Ahsoka, Season 1, Episode 6, "Far, Far Away," now streaming on Disney+.
The sixth episode of Ahsoka finally introduces the distant galaxy where Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger have been living in exile. "Far, Far Away" sees Morgan Elsbeth's Eye of Sion arrive at the distant world of Peridea, as teased in Ahsoka's second episode. It is revealed that she has made contact with the native Dathomiri, ancestors of the Nightsisters of Dathomir, and has been coordinating with them in her efforts to retrieve Grand Admiral Thrawn. Besides Morgan Elsbeth's plan to usher in the return of Thrawn, the episode also touches upon Baylan Skoll's own reasons for joining the mission to Peridea.
So far, Ahsoka has revealed little about the true nature of Baylan Skoll and his apprentice, Shin Hati. Baylan is known to be a former Jedi turned mercenary, having trained Shin since turning his back on the Jedi Order's teachings in the wake of Order 66. Their orange lightsaber blades indicate they are neither Jedi nor true dark-side wielders, but the duo has yet to define exactly how they view themselves or their relationship to the Force. However, upon arriving on Peridea, Baylan has hinted at his vision for a future beyond the Jedi Order, echoing the ideas of a villain last seen in the game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Baylan Skoll Mirrors Taron Malicos
Taron Malicos was a character Cal Kestis encountered on the planet Dathomir in Fallen Order. Malicos survived the Purge by fleeing to Dathomir, where his ship crash-landed. Although he initially appeared to Cal in the guise of a harmless, albeit unstable, old hermit, he was later revealed to be a Jedi who had been corrupted by Dathomir's influence. His twin lightsabers now shone crimson, revealing his allegiance to the dark side, and he attempted to persuade Cal to join him in abandoning the Jedi ways in favor of Dathomir's dark power.
Baylan Skoll has exhibited many similarities to Taron Malicos. Both are fallen Jedi who dream of creating something greater than the Jedi Order. Just as Malicos manipulated the Nightsister Merrin to aid him in discovering new powers, Baylan has allied himself with the Nightsister Morgan Elsbeth in order to reach Peridea. Episode 6 of Ahsoka has unveiled further similarities between them by revealing that Baylan also hopes to utilize powers connected to the Nightsisters in order to establish his own power base and a replacement for the Jedi Order.
As former Jedi who have fallen from grace, both Baylan Skoll and Taron Malicos also became dark, twisted reflections of the Jedi heroes they have fought. Just as Malicos represents what Cal Kestis could become should he abandon all faith in his teachings and lose sight of the Jedi way, Baylan embodies what Ahsoka Tano risks becoming in ceasing to consider herself a Jedi. Both operate during a time in which the Jedi are all but extinct, demonstrating the impact the Order's destruction has had on those who were once fully committed to its ideals.
Baylan and Malicos Both Crave the Nightsisters' Power
Since Ahsoka's second episode, Baylan has spoken of assuming power once the mission to find Thrawn is complete. Initially, it wasn't entirely clear what he meant. The most likely explanation was that he believed Thrawn would grant him and Shin positions of power in a resurgent Empire. However, Episode 6 proves otherwise. Just like Taron Malicos before him, Baylan Skoll has been tempted by the powers of the Nightsisters of Dathomir. Unlike Malicos, however, Baylan is going straight to the source -- not Dathomir itself, but the Nightsisters' original home of Peridea.
Ahsoka Episode 6 sees Baylan Skoll telling Shin Hati that he plans to break the cycle of light and dark forces taking control of the galaxy in order to seize a more permanent form of power. He tells Shin that on Peridea, he believes he will find what he calls "the beginning," allowing him to break the cycle of history. Later, he speaks of a power greater than Thrawn or the Great Mothers of the Dathomiri, which calls to him on Peridea. He believes the Great Mothers are fleeing this power, which he intends to wield.
Baylan and Taron Malicos both appear drawn to the dark magick wielded by the Dathomiri. This strange twisting of the Force draws upon the dark side, but not in the direct sense that the Sith wield it. Rather, Nightsister magick is a power all its own, offering up abilities not known to either Sith or Jedi. It was this power that Taron Malicos hoped to learn from Merrin, and this same power ultimately led to his downfall. Now, Baylan Skoll appears set on discovering a primordial form of this magick, marking his greatest departure yet from Jedi teaching as he attempts to gain ultimate power through a very different use of the Force.
Baylan Skoll Can Illuminate the Mysteries of Taron Malicos
In his final confrontation with Cal Kestis, Taron Malicos implored the young Jedi to join him on Dathomir in order to build "something better" than the Jedi Order. While Malicos frequently speaks of the fall of the Order and his ambition to use the Nightsisters' magick to create something greater than the Jedi, he never fully explains what exactly he envisions for the future. It is unclear whether he simply intends to remain on Dathomir, where he can master the powers he has learned, or whether he wants to build a new Order of his own, using dark magick to assume power across the galaxy.
Baylan Skoll's plans might be able to shine a light on what exactly Taron Malicos had envisioned. Like Malicos, Baylan believes the Jedi were a lost cause long before the Purge and has no desire to see the old Jedi Order restored. Instead, he intends to utilize the ancient powers of Peridea to establish something new. So far, Baylan's ideology has not been clearly defined, nor have the details of his own plan, which does not seem to revolve as heavily around Thrawn as Ahsoka's viewers had first believed. As his intentions on Peridea become clear, though, Baylan's grand plan may shed some light on what it was that Taron Malicos had once sought to achieve.
New episodes of Ahsoka are available to stream every Tuesday on Disney+.