Warning: SPOILERS for the first two episodes of Ahsoka are ahead!
The first two episodes of Ahsoka have premiered to Disney+ subscribers, and along with placing Rosario Dawson’s version of the title protagonist front and center following her appearances in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, the show reunited fans with familiar characters from the Star Wars Rebels days, including Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, Chopper and even Ryder Adazi, with the latter being reprised by Clancy Brown. As far as Ezra Bridger goes though, we still have yet to see properly see him outside of the hologram recording Natasha Liu Bordizzo played. Or at least, that’s what it appears like on the surface. However, I can’t help wondering if Ahsoka has already introduced Eman Esfani’s Ezra. Specifically, what if he’s actually the show’s mysterious Inquisitor, Marrok?
Why This Star Wars Theory Is On My Mind
I know this sounds incredibly farfetched, but hear me out. During “Master and Apprentice” and “Toil and Trouble,” Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati are joined by Marokk in carrying out the objectives for Morgan Elsbeth, one of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s key allies and, as it turns out, one of the last Nightsisters of Dathomir. Marrow is completely masked and doesn’t say a word; all we know about him is he’s skilled with a lightsaber and was able to effectively keep Ahsoka Tano distracted on Corellia.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s entirely possible that Marrok is this Inquisitor’s real name, and he’ll end up simply being another new Star Wars character added to this franchise’s continually-expanding roster. And yet, while I was watching Marrok in Ashoka’s debut episodes, I was reminded of Rinzler from Tron: Legacy. Like Marrow, Rinzler’s face was obscured the entire time and he never spoke; all he was around to do was carry out the orders of Club, the rogue Grid program modeled after Kevin Flynn. But towards the end of Legacy, it’s revealed that Rinzler was actually Tron, whom Kevin thought had been killed by Flu, but in reality was reprogrammed into this assassin.
What if something similar happened to Ezra Bridger? For those who haven’t watched Star Wars Rebels or need a refresher, Ezra was last seen in the animated series using the Force to guide a group of Purrgil, gigantic creatures that can fly through hyperspace, to take him and Thrawn to parts unknown in the latter’s damaged starship. Ahsoka has now revealed that Thrawn is stranded in another galaxy, and while Ezra’s whereabout are still a mystery, it’s a good bet for now that he’s also either in the same place Thrawn is or nearby.
How Ezra’s Transformation Into Marrok Could Have Happened
But let’s take this a step further. Keeping the Tron: Legacy comparison in mind, what if after Ezra and Thrawn ended up at their destination, the former was so exhausted from this massive harnessing of the Force that the latter was able to take him captive. Or, given that Thrawn is a master tactician, even if he and Ezra became separated, the Chiss could have scourged up enough resources/manpower to eventually apprehend Kanan Jarrus’ apprentice. Either way, Thrawn then brainwashed/reconditioned Ezra into his underling, either with technology or something found in nature, like the Bur Gullet from Rogue One.
From there, Ezra became Marrok and somehow made his way back to the main Star Wars galaxy to meet up with Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati and begin their efforts to bring Thrawn back. Admittedly, that’s a big issue with this theory: why would Ezra be able to return to a galaxy far, far away, yet couldn't Thrawn follow suit? Regardless, Ahsoka takes place roughly a decade after the main events of its final episode, “Farewell,” so that’s a long time to account for Ezra’s whereabouts. It’s certainly plausible that he’s just been trapped this entire time and has continued expanding his knowledge of the Force as he waits to be rescued. But until Marrok’s mask comes off, if ever, the possibility of Ezra’s face being underneath it will remain a possibility in my mind. I’m also not willing to rule out it’s a different familiar face wearing the mask.
New episodes of Ahsoka premiere Tuesdays at 6 pm PT/9 pm ET, a break from the traditional midnight PT/3 am ET Disney+ drops. Feel free to stick around on the streaming service to watch the Star Wars movies in order or check out the franchise’s other TV shows. Otherwise, stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage on upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows.
