In December of last year, a report from MakingStarWars landed online and provided details on not one, but two villains that would be appearing in the highly anticipated Ahsoka series which is set to bow on Disney+ in just two months time. In exclusive article, MSW revealed that Ray Stevenson, who sadly passed away last month, would be playing a character named Baylon, which was later revealed to be Baylan, and that Ivanna Sakhno’s character was named Shin. The article went on to share a few more details on the two characters, specifically more on Baylan, revealing that Stevenson’s character is in-fact a survivor of Order 66 and that the duo had formed an alliance with Morgan Elsbeth and the sinister Grand Admiral Thrawn sometime after, but did not know the details of what said alliance came to be. However those exciting tidbits from MakingStarWars have now been officially confirmed by Empire, and therefore Lucasfilm, in the latest Empire magazine issue that focuses on the upcoming Ahsoka series.
Before we continue with the Ahsoka news, I’d just like to share that you can now support my work in two ways. Firstly it’s via my newly created Patreon page which has a single tier at this time simply to support my work. Secondly you can tip me with a simple one off payment on my Ko-Fi page or you can choose to support my work monthly on the platform. I’d truly appreciate it if you decided to support my work, but no pressure, I know things are pretty tough out here. Anyway, back to the reason you came here – the news!
During the Empire piece, it is confirmed that Baylan Skoll is a former Jedi Knight and a survivor of the great Jedi purge known as Order 66. The issue reveals that Baylan, after the tragic event, went on to become a mercenary for hire with the late Ray Stevenson adding, “He is not genocidal or malicious or overly aggressive. He will request that you get out of his way. But if you don’t, he will take you out his way.” The reveal that Skoll is a mercenary explains how he’s ended up working alongside Morgan Elsbeth and Grand Admiral Thrawn, along with his apprentice, Shin Hati.
Little else is revealed in the Empire cover story in regards to Baylan and Shin, likely at the request of Lucasfilm. During Star Wars Celebration, the series creator, Dave Filoni, was adamant that actors Ray Stevenson and Ivanna Sakhno not share details about their characters as it gets into spoiler territory. Little is still known in regards to the characters, even in the unofficial space, but the original MakingStarWars article refers to Shin Hati as calculated and cold with a desperation to prove herself. As we’ve seen from the teaser trailer released at Celebration, along with the ‘remixed’ version played to those exclusively in attendance, Baylan will face off against Ahsoka Tano in some sort of Jedi temple and what appears to be the world between worlds, and his apprentice, Shin, will come into conflict with Sabine Wren, who will use her lost friend, Ezra Bridger’s lightsaber to fend off the foe. It’s also been mentioned by MakingStarWars that Baylan and Shin will once again confront Tano and Wren at a location known as the Nodian Highlands, a place outside of the galaxy we know and closer to, or even being, the place that Ezra Bridger has been stranded all of these years.
Ahsoka debuts exclusively on Disney+ sometime in August. The Ahsoka issue of Empire Magazine goes on sale June 8th.
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