Are there Sith in ‘Ahsoka?’

Ahsoka is the next Star Wars series to make its way to Disney Plus and we’re all excited as can be. The Jedi has had a big impact on the Star Wars universe over the years, having made her debut in the animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars in 2008 and now, she is getting her own live-action adaption. But who is she fighting in Ahsoka, and are they Sith?

Rosario Dawson is returning to the role she briefly took on in The Mandalorian and in The Book of Boba Fett, with the focus now firmly on the titular former apprentice of Anakin Skywalker. The tale is set during the same time period as the third season of The Mandalorian, between Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and Episode VII: The Force Awakens. At this point in time, the Empire appears to have been beaten after Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader finally took down Emperor Palpatine (or so they thought). The New Republic are now in control, but that doesn’t mean that the Empire has fully gone away: There is a power vacuum, and many wish to capitalize on it.

We have already seen many of these characters in The Mandalorian, but a character whose name has only been mentioned thus far will be making a grand entrance on the live-action stage, Admiral Thrawn. It would seem that everyone is searching for the elusive figure, with Ahsoka determined to stop him, there are others who would rather help him fulfill his quest for power and domination. Through the trailer, we have been introduced to Baylan Skoll, played by the late Ray Stevenson, and his apprentice, Shin Hati, played by Ivanna Sakhno.

Many have banded around the idea that these too could be Sith, given they have slightly orange-red lightsabers as well as a penchant for black cloaks, but it was revealed in an Empire Magazine issue that they were, in fact, Dark Jedi, former members of the Jedi Knights who survived the purge by Order 66 and were turned. The Star Wars website gave fans a better idea of the character, writing a description of Baylan which states:

“Baylan Skoll is lightsaber-wielding mercenary for hire overseeing his apprentice Shin Hati. But make no mistake: although there was a time when Skoll knew the acclaimed Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, Baylan is no Jedi. Now allied to Morgan Elsbeth, the former Magistrate of Calodan, after the fall of the Jedi and the Empire, Skoll remains a shrewd fighter in search of power who believes that another war is inevitable.”

So though they do not appear to be Sith, rather force-sensitive subscribers to the Dark Side, we are not fully sure what this pair is. Some speculation has been made that they are the remnants of the Imperial Inquisitors, former Jedi captured and tortured after the events of Order 66 to serve the Empire. We met one such character in Obi-Wan Kenobi as she tracked down the titular Jedi, though ultimately turned against her master Darth Vader. In the trailer, there is one such character that looks to fit this description, wielding a double-bladed lightsaber, but their identity remains unknown as they are fully masked up. Could this be Shin Hati in armor? Or is this yet another character thrown into the mix?

As of right now, it remains unknown if the Sith will make an appearance at any point in Ahsoka. Even if they fail to make an appearance, we certainly have plenty of baddies to keep us entertained as is.