Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Ahsoka episode “Fallen Jedi.” Read at your own risk!
Ahsoka viewers have kept busy dissecting the first few episodes that are streaming with a Disney+ subscription, all while trying to figure out the identity of the new mysterious Star Wars character Marrok. There were theories that Marrok was secretly a character we already knew, possibly Ezra Bridger or even someone previously thought dead like Kanan Jarrus. Now, with the reveal out in the open, I have to wonder if there’s a deeper meaning or if this is WandaVision‘s Ralph Bohner situation all over again.
For those unfamiliar with Evan Peters’ Ralph Bohner, or are still scratching their heads about what happened with Marrok in the first place, we’ll get into it all of that below, including some analysis into what Marrok’s purpose even was, assuming we won’t see the character in Ahsoka again.
Marrok Was Seemingly Constructed With Nightsister Magic
When Ahsoka Tano sliced into the chest of Marrok at the end of their duel, the wound expelled green smoke, and his body seemingly deflated like a balloon beneath the armor. While it wasn’t explicitly confirmed in the episode, it would appear that Marrok was constructed using Morgan Elsbeth’s Nightsister magic. Nightsisters can reanimate the dead with their powers, so it’s possible that Marrok was some faceless inquisitor Elsbeth brought back to life or was maybe just a suit brought to life Sorcerer’s Apprentice-style. In any case, it would appear that whoever was in that outfit is no longer around, and will not be a major factor in Ahsoka going forward.
Ahsoka’s Marrok Reveal Feels Like When WandaVision Introduced Ralph Bohner
Marrok was seemingly set up as if he’d be a huge deal within Ahsoka‘s narrative, and was even given a character poster ahead of the premiere. The fully shielded body seemed to indicate the creative team wanted to hide the villain’s identity, thus sparking all the apparently unnecessary speculation.
It’s all very similar to when Evan Peters joined WandaVision in a role that some fans assumed would either be the Marvel villain Mephisto or Peters reprising his X-Men franchise role of Quicksilver. After various deliberate teases by the show, it was revealed Peters was playing nothing more than a stooge named Ralph Bohner and was neither a Marvel villain or hero. Similar to what happened with Marrok, Bohner wasn’t explicitly revealed to be anyone special but was presented to fans in a way that hinted he might be. The question is, did Star Wars just do to us what Marvel did, and on the same streaming service no less, or was there a deeper meaning behind this?
What Ahsoka’s Marrok Reveal Could Actually Mean
For now, I’m choosing to believe that while Marrok wasn’t intended to be anyone special, there was a reason behind his presence. Morgan Elsbeth was able to bring back a capable warrior using her magic, and it was capable of standing toe-to-toe with Ahsoka Tano for a time. Was Marrok more about revealing Elsbeth’s power than it ever was about the person in the suit?
I could certainly see that, especially as Elsbeth heads to a remote location to find Grand Admiral Thrawn. There were quite a few people on his ship when it was transported across the galaxy, and who knows how many remain all these years later? I’d be curious to know how many people Elsbeth can bring back at one time, and if Marrok was a way of introducing that expanding power ahead of a bigger reveal later in the story. An undead army, for example, would be nuts, but maybe I should stop speculating before I get let down by reveals any further.
Ahsoka premieres new episodes on Disney+ on Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Obviously, Marrok’s reveal was overshadowed by a much bigger reveal later in the episode, which I would assume made up for any “Bohner” involving Marrok for some fans.