Ahsoka Details Tease An Old Star Wars Villain (But It's Not Who Most Fans Think)
"Ahsoka" coming to Disney+ feels like a reward for people who have stayed up-to-date on all things "Star Wars." It promises to pay off plot points from "The Mandalorian" and "Star Wars Rebels," with Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) taking on even greater threats in the aftermath of the Empire's fall. Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson) will give her plenty to contend with, but another foe featured in the trailers could be more important than initially let on.
Inquisitor Marrok (Paul Darnell) wields a dual-bladed red lightsaber and is one of many mercenaries searching for Jedi around the galaxy. Many fans assume this is actually Galen Marek due to the similarity of their names. Galen Marek, codenamed Starkiller, has been featured in various "Star Wars" video games and comics as the personal assassin of Darth Vader. While "Ahsoka" takes place after Darth Vader's death, Galen Marek could still be out there, with the new Disney+ series bringing him into a live-action setting.
However, there's a chance "Marrok" could refer to someone else. In "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," Marrok is the name of the pet Anooba loyal to the bounty hunter Embo. This opens up the potential for an intriguing fan theory. While the Inquisitor likely isn't an Anooba, it's possible Embo took on the name in honor of his pet, and there's sufficient evidence "Ahsoka" co-developer and writer Dave Filoni would want to bring Embo into the series.
Could Embo still be alive?
In "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," Embo is one of the most fearsome bounty hunters in the galaxy, right there alongside Cad Bane (Corey Burton), who made the leap to live-action in "The Book of Boba Fett." "Ahsoka" takes place well after the Clone Wars, but it's difficult to ascertain how long some of these aliens can live. Additionally, based on various forms of "Star Wars" media, it appears Embo seemingly retired after the Battle of Jakku and received a full pardon from the New Republic. But you can't keep a good character down for long.
Embo making a surprise appearance in "Ahsoka" would make sense, given Dave Filoni's love of the character. For starters, Filoni provides the bounty hunter's voice, and Embo was originally supposed to die in his first appearance. But the team liked him so much that they decided to keep him around. With Embo being present throughout "The Clone Wars," his return would be welcome by fans wanting to see more connections to previous "Star Wars" projects.
And Embo has a deeper connection to someone we know for sure will be in "Ahsoka." Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) is a graffiti artist who did a painting of Embo in "Star Wars Rebels," so he obviously made an impact on her. It may be a stretch, but it could be possible Embo came out of retirement and returned to doing the work of the Sith, even though he was never Force-sensitive. Or perhaps it's an entirely new character connected to Embo somehow and took on the mantle of his beloved Anooba. Then again, the name "Marrok" could be the equivalent of "Michael" in this galaxy, with many people using it. One thing's for sure — no one should put it past Dave Filoni to include plenty of "Clone Wars" and "Rebels" references in "Ahsoka," which premieres on Disney+ on August 23.