Star Wars gives a farewell to Ray Stevenson, but reveals his character’s arc is still incomplete

Death does not always warn, sometimes it happens suddenly, without anyone expecting it. It has already happened to the ‘Star Wars’ universe on several occasions, when the story of the characters had not yet written its last chapter. The passing of Carrie Fisher, Princess Leia, before she could film ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ was a sad moment for fans, as well as the premature goodbye of Ray Stevenson, who played Baylan Skoll in the series ‘Ahsoka’ and who died at only 58 years old.

However, his character of Baylan Skoll has survived and embarked on a new path, but after Stevenson’s death, it is unclear what will happen to the character. In interview with Vanity Fair, showrunner and screenwriter Dave Filoni has not ruled out anything, although he added that they have not made any decisions in this regard: “Obviously, there’s a story there. We’re in a wait-and-see pattern at this point. But I’m glad the conversation is about Ray and how great he was…. I used to have mini debates with him and say, ‘Ray, you’re the villain here.’ And he’d be like, ‘I don’t think so.’ I was like, ‘I know you don’t think so, but you are. I love that you’re playing it like you’re not.’ Which is exactly the way Baylan thinks.”

The former Jedi only needed one episode to win over the audience. “I think he would’ve been over the moon. The big regret here is that he didn’t get to experience that. I’m glad he was at Star Wars Celebration with us, that he got to see the trailer and get a taste of that from the fans. And they’ve been nothing but wonderful about Ray and the character.”

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Baylan and Ashoka, more similar than it seems

In ‘Star Wars Ahsoka’, Bayan Skoll is presented as a fallen Jedi, who works as a mercenary alongside his apprentice, the young Shin Hati. A Jedi general during the Clone Wars, the experienced teacher experienced himself the destruction of the Order, everything he knew until that moment. Although he manages to survive, his disenchantment stains his robe and his heart black. His objective is not clear, although he seeks new power, which he seems to have found in Peridea, a planet in a galaxy far, far away. Above the tombs of the Nightsisters stand statues of the Father, Son and Daughter, three mythological figures who first appeared in the animated series The Clone Wars. Filoni, however, has been quite cautious and has warned that care must be taken not to confuse viewers who do not follow everything there is in the Star Wars franchise.

“I know it’s a very specific group of people that would even know what those statues are,” he explained. “But I thought it was an exciting image, and it does give you the shape of what Baylan is after.”

Baylan is a character who has similarities with Ahsoka, according to Filoni himself: “He’s a person that survived the Clone Wars, that was trained in the waxing-waning days of the Jedi Knights, just like Anakin. He saw his order, his way of life fall apart. And he’s basically deemed it a failure: That way did not work. That it’s not something worth resurrecting, which is why he tells [his apprentice] Shin [played by Ivanna Sakhno], ‘I didn’t teach you to be a Jedi. I taught you to be something more.’”

Ahsoka has not been officially renewed for a second season, although Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka Tano) revealed in this same interview that she considers it probable. The galaxy faces the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn, a character created by Timothy Zhan in the nineties, who was reintroduced to the canon through new novels and the Star Wars Rebels series.