Who are the Inquisitors in Star Wars?

The first appearance of an Inquisitor was back in the comic Darth Vader 6, which takes place roughly after Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith in Canon. It was here Darth Vader confronted a Pau’an male seeking knowledge from the now defunct Jedi temple. Eventually, this thief would become the first Grand Inquisitor.

The point of the Inquisitors is to act as Vader’s elite death squad that seeks to kill, detain, or torture any remaining Jedi throughout the Empire and beyond. Some of them are evil, fallen Jedi content to destroy any survivors of Order 66. Others have personal vendettas that have driven them to hate and fueled their rage while uncovering as many Jedi as possible - something we see clearly in the recent Disney Plus Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

The problem with the Inquisitors, and probably what makes them so alluring to fans, is that they are neither Jedi nor Sith. They fall somewhere in between the two worlds, making them perfect for story development and plot design. There is just enough good inside them to create a give and take whenever they interact with major characters.

These assassins are not part of the military. Instead, they take their orders directory from Vader. The total number of inquisitors is either 11 or 12, depending on your source information and Canon compared to Legends. Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Updated and Expanded lists them at 12.

We see them in action in Star Wars Rebels and eventually in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Another reason they are fan favorites is that they crew the infamous ship Ghost, which many Star Wars enthusiasts want to see more of in future series.

It’s best to think of the Inquisitors as bloodhounds. They call each other “Sister” or “Brother” and have an almost religious adherence to death and destruction.

From Comic to Silver Screen

We learn the most about how the Inquisitors work from the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Here we get to see the Grand Inquisitor (played by Rupert Friend), the Fifth Brother (Sung Kang), and the Third Sister (Moses Ingram) battle over supremacy of the order.

This is actually what eventually led to the downfall of the Inquisitors. All of the constant in-fighting over power and which Jedi to target next is part of why the Emperor dismantled the group before the events of Star Wars: Rogue One. By that point, you cannot find mention of the Inquisitors. However, there are plenty of rumors these highly useful characters may make another appearance in future series and even films.

The Inquisitors believe in their mission as if it was appointed by a holy decree. Much like other intellectual properties, there are plenty of characters attracted to an organization that wields immense power and little rules as long as you deliver results.

As for us at SabersPro, we say give us as many unique antagonists as you can. We all love seeing Vader and other significant characters, but it is the expanded universe that adds flavor and personality to Star Wars. Having the Inquisitors worked into film storylines is a solid signal that maybe there are more great things to come from the writers at Disney. By now, these are the people raised on the science fiction granddaddy and understand the unique flavors and ideas that so many of us fans flock to see.

That includes the unique weapons of the Inquisitors. While all of them are Force-sensitive, only a few used a lightsaber throughout Canon. That makes these weapons a bit rarer and highly prized by collectors and cosplayers around the world. We at SabersPro love designing custom lightsabers with neopixel technology to reflect the red kyber crystal menace of the Dark Side. Check out our online store today and prepare your next duel or event for an invasion of a brand new Inquisitor - you!