‘Ahsoka’: Why Are Baylan and Shin Looking for Thrawn? Here Is Our Theory

The latest ‘Ahsoka’ trailer is the gift that keeps on giving because it allows us to see more of our favorite Star Wars characters in bigger roles. Of course, we know that Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati are two of the main antagonists of this upcoming series. The trailer allowed us to see that they were working to find where Grand Admiral Thrawn was. So, why is it that Baylan and Shin are looking for Thrawn?

Our theory is that Baylan and Shin are looking for Thrawn because they want someone who has the power to destroy the current system and allow them to usher in a new era. That’s because Baylan probably wants to recreate the current system into one that’s different from the Republic and the Empire.

There’s a good chance that Baylan may not be as evil as he may seem, especially because he most likely used to be a Jedi himself. In that regard, there might be a really good reason why he is willing to work with an Imperial remnant to reach his goals, even though the Empire was the reason why the Jedi Order was destroyed. Now, let’s look at Baylan’s motives.

Baylan wants to recreate the galaxy

If there’s one thing that the latest ‘Ahsoka’ trailer allowed us to learn, the newest antagonist will be Baylan Skoll and his apprentice, Shin Hati. These two Force wielders use orange lightsabers that may reflect their alignment with the Force. Of course, in the trailer, Baylan made sure to let everyone know that neither he nor his apprentice was a Jedi. And that means we know that Baylan isn’t exactly the friendliest person in the galaxy.

During the earlier part of the trailer, we could hear Baylan saying, “War is inevitable. One must destroy in order to create.” This means Baylan is looking to be someone who wants to create something new out of the current system that we have. And there’s a good chance that this was a mindset that came about as a result of his experiences as a former Jedi.

There’s a good chance that Baylan Skoll used to be with the Jedi Order. In the trailer, he told Ahsoka that Anakin often spoke highly of her, which means that he probably met Anakin before the fall of the Jedi Order. Of course, by saying Anakin instead of Darth Vader, Baylan most likely had this conversation before Anakin fell to the dark side of the Force.

Baylan, of course, survived the events of Order 66. That means that he might have witnessed what the clones did during Order 66 and the mistakes that the Jedi committed.

Of course, he also lived through the Empire’s era and could keep himself hidden from Darth Vader and the Inquisitors. As such, he probably saw that the Republic, the Jedi Order, and even the Empire were all fundamentally flawed, and that’s why he is looking to destroy the current system to create a new one.

In a sense, he isn’t too different from Count Dooku, who was an idealist who joined the Sith Order to bring about change in the galaxy as he didn’t believe that the Republic and the Jedi Order were functioning the way they should. 

But we also know that Baylan and Shin are neither Jedi nor Sith. That means that they are something else. And they may believe that their way is the right way as they are now looking to try to destroy the current system to make place for a new one different from the Republic and the Empire.

Thrawn is the only one who can help Baylan

Of course, the trailer also allowed us to see Baylan working together with a returning antagonist in the form of Morgan Elsbeth. We last saw Elsbeth in season 2 of ‘The Mandalorian’ when she served as magistrate of Calodan on the planet Corvus before Din Djarin and Ahsoka Tano worked together to defeat her and oust her from her position.

Of course, Ahsoka wanted to defeat her to learn more about the location of Thrawn, considering that Elsbeth was working under him.

In the trailer, Baylan and Shin were on an ancient temple-like structure while Elsbeth was seen operating the contraption built on these ruins. That was when we could hear a conversation between Shin and her master.

Shin: What happens when we find Thrawn?

Baylan: Power, such as you’ve never dreamed.

This could mean that Baylan and Shin are looking for Grand Admiral Thrawn to work with him to bring about the end of the New Republic and usher in a new system that they believe is the right one for the galaxy. And we know that Thrawn is the only powerful enough leader to lead the remnants of the Empire.

We know that many different Imperial remnants are left in the galaxy, and they are all led by the Shadow Council and its absentee leader, Grand Admiral Thrawn. No one knows where Thrawn is at the moment, but he may be merely biding his time. And Baylan and Shin are on their way to see him work with him to end the current system.

As mentioned, Baylan could be an idealist like Count Dooku, who viewed the Sith and the Separatists as a means to an end. He wanted to achieve his goal of a new system in the galaxy, so he sought the destruction of the Republic and the end of the Jedi Order. As such, Baylan could be similar in that he wants to use power as a means to an end when it comes to achieving his goals.

Of course, we are only speculating here because we know nothing is certain until we see the series ourselves. But whatever the case may be, we believe Baylan and Shin are more extreme idealists than actual evil warlords hellbent on destroying everything.

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