Stephen McCartyHe’ll step in for the late Ray Stevenson
“It was particularly a big challenge because of losing Ray,” Filoni said of season 2, going on to say that “Ray was the most beautiful person on screen and off.”
“It was a challenge for me to even consider continuing for a while,” he said. “But I have a great support group with Jon [Favreau] and Rosario [Dawson]. And I found a way, and I had Ray in my head. And [I’m] grateful for all those conversations with him about Baylan, so I understood what to do. It just took a while to get there. But I’m very confident now that Ray would be happy with the direction of the character that we’ve chosen.”
During the Ahsoka panel, Dave Filoni emotionally paid tribute to the late Ray Stevenson – and confirmed Rory McCann will play Baylan Skoll in season 2 pic.twitter.com/VO2gLZYDKc
— Total Film (@totalfilm) April 19, 2025
A first look at McCann as Skoll was also unveiled to the audience.
Ahsoka was released on Disney Plus in 2023 and confirmed for a season 2 in January 2024.
The panel also revealed that Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker will return, Admiral Ackbar will feature, and there was even a first look (of sorts).
Lord Baylan Skoll’s Jedi Backstory & Anakin Skywalker Connection Explained
Baylan Skoll’s Jedi backstory and connection to Anakin Skywalker are essential to understanding his role in Ahsoka. Set around nine years after the fall of the Empire in Return of the Jedi, Ahsoka does not feature the typical array of Star Wars villains. The Sith would only return decades later in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and the Imperial Inquisitorius ended in Star Wars Rebels on Malachor. As a result, Ahsoka would have to bring in new, original antagonists. Those are Lord Baylan Skoll and his apprentice, Shin Hati. Baylan was once a Jedi, and now Ahsoka confirms he knew Anakin Skywalker.
Baylan told Ahsoka Tano in Ahsoka episode 4 that Anakin Skywalker would often speak highly about her. Not only did Baylan know Anakin, but the dark sider was also aware of what happened to Skywalker after the Clone Wars. Baylan described Anakin’s legacy as one of destruction, an obvious reference to his transformation into Darth Vader. Having lived through the Clone Wars and the Galactic Civil War, Baylan Skoll is as experienced as Ahsoka, if not more. Ahsoka and Baylan’s journeys mirror each other in many ways, from their loss of faith in the Jedi Order to their unorthodox apprentices. The “Fallen Jedi” title of Ahsoka episode 4 arguably describes Ahsoka, Anakin, and Baylan.
Baylan Served With Anakin Skywalker During The Clone Wars
Baylan Skoll only left the Jedi Order after the Clone Wars, as stated by Huyang in Ahsoka episode 1. Given the timeline, Baylan served during the Clone Wars alongside other Jedi, such as Anakin Skywalker. Even though there were thousands of Jedi during the prequels, Anakin was one of the most famous Jedi Knights during that period. As such, it would make sense for any Jedi from that era to have at least heard of Anakin. Still, Baylan talks about Anakin as if they knew each other personally, suggesting that they fought side by side at some point during the Clone Wars.
Baylan’s age in Ahsoka has not been officially confirmed. However, considering that Ahsoka takes place roughly 30 years after Order 66, Baylan was likely at Jedi Knight status during the Clone Wars. Baylan is at least as old as Anakin would have been during the events of Ahsoka, which creates an interesting parallel between the villain and Tano. Skoll’s armor also resembles something that a Jedi would have worn during the Clone Wars, combining more classic Jedi robes with pieces of armor on the shoulders. Baylan is another Jedi who survived Order 66 but, unlike the Inquisitors, he outlived the Empire.
Baylan Was Already Unusual Even Among The Jedi
Baylan is already one of the most unique Star Wars characters, as he is neither a Jedi nor a Sith – not even the term “Inquisitor” can describe him. However, Baylan was already unique even among the Jedi. According to Huyang, who has data for every lightsaber built under the Jedi Order in the last 20,000 years, Baylan’s lightsaber was singular. More specifically, no one had used a similarly styled hilt in the last 500 years. Of additional intrigue is Skoll’s orange lightsaber blade, which had never appeared in a live-action, canon Star Wars story.
Unlike the Expanded Universe, the current Star Wars canon does not offer a lore explanation for every lightsaber color. Still, thematically, Baylan’s orange lightsaber perfectly fits the character. A red lightsaber comes from a kyber crystal that was bled, and it is associated with the Sith and other dark side users. However, Baylan is not an Inquisitor, Sith Lord, or any other organized dark sider. The “fallen Jedi” even regrets having to fight Ahsoka Tano, as there are not many Jedi left. An orange kyber crystal does not necessarily mean “Dark Jedi” or “Gray Jedi,” yet it visually tells that Baylan is different from villains like Darth Vader or the Grand Inquisitor.
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