Summary
A strong theory suggests that theGrand Inquisitorstill “lives” in theStar Warscanon, even during the sequel era. Tasked with leading the Imperial Inquisitorius under the command of Darth Vader himself, the Grand Inquisitor was once a guard at the Jedi Temple whom Palpatine corrupted with promises of power and forbidden knowledge. Although it seemed as though he met his end at the hands of Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus in the first season ofStar Wars Rebels, the Grand Inquisitor’s story goes much further.
As revealed in Marvel’s canonicalStar Wars #6by Charles Soule and Jesús Saiz, Luke Skywalker triggers a dark side booby trap when exploring an abandoned Jedi outpost shortly after the events ofThe Empire Strikes Back. This results in the young Jedi facingthe corrupted spirit of the Grand Inquisitor himself, still smoldering from his fiery demise inStar Wars Rebels. Eventually, it was revealed after Luke’s victory and escape that theGrand Inquisitor’s spirit had effectively been cursed and tethered to this outpost by Darth Vader to serve as a living trap for any seeking knowledge of the Jedi.
While the Grand Inquisitor’s haunting fate has been part of the established canon since the issue’s publication in 2020,a key line from Vader himself may tease that his Jedi-killing hunter may still “live”.
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After Rebels, Darth Vader Turned The Grand Inquisitor Into A Cursed Wraith
But For How Long?
The Grand Inquisitor believes he’ll always serve Vader as a cursed wraith. Additionally,Darth Vader himself says that the Grand Inquisitor would “continue” rather than be freed from what is very much an enduring prison. Even when the Grand Inquisitor asks to be released, Vader refuses, responding that the Jedi hunter is now just a tool meant to serve the Sith.
This interaction with Darth Vader is the last known appearance from theGrand Inquisitor in theStar Warstimeline. As such, one has to wonder if his spirit is still tethered to this outpost in perpetuity, long after the Galactic Civil War of the original trilogy and on into the sequels with the rise of the First Order.The issue certainly suggests that the Grand Inquisitor would likely have continued on and on, especially without Vader ever releasing him.
The Grand Inquisitor’s Spirit Might Have Survived Into The Sequels
Or Was He Finally Freed By Darth Vader’s Death?
The only way theGrand Inquisitor might have escaped his curse is if Darth Vader’s death resulted in the release of his spirit. However, that’s just conjecture seeing as how the Grand Inquisitor hasn’t been seen sinceStar Wars #6. Instead, it seems more likely that his spirit is still tied to the remote Jedi outpost on Tempes, meaning that a future appearance could one day occur, whether on-screen or on the page in theStar Warscanon.
