Baylan Skoll

During the era of the Galactic Republic, Baylan Skoll, a human male, was born. Because of his Force-sensitive nature, Skoll was eventually inducted into the Jedi Order, where he advanced to the rank of Jedi Knight. He learned about Peridea during his tenure in the Order. He dismissed them as mere myths and legends. Skoll knew Huyang and Anakin Skywalker, another Jedi Knight, who spoke highly of his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano. Skoll served as a Jedi General within the Grand Army of the Republic; however, in 19 BBY, the Clone Wars ended when Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, secretly a Sith Lord, reformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire and ordered the execution of all Jedi.

Skoll was able to make it through the Purge. He eventually turned into a mysterious mercenary after the Order was disbanded. He eventually learned of Skywalker's fate as the Sith Lord Darth Vader at some point. He would later express intense hatred for his former coworker and would later inform Tano that her legacy would be one of destruction, just like her master. Baylan Skoll would also eventually hold the title of Lord during this time.

Lord Skoll survived past the Galactic Civil War and into the New Republic Era, when the Jedi Order was being rebuilt under the guidance of Luke Skywalker. Skoll had acquired an apprentice by that point named Shin Hati, whom he was training in the hopes that she would surpass the Jedi. In 9 ABY, supporters of Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Imperial leader who was stranded in a remote galaxy with Ezra Bridger, intended to engineer his return to the galaxy and reestablish the Galactic Empire under his leadership. However, Tano apprehended Morgan Elsbeth, a Thrawn ally and a key figure in the effort to bring him back, which hampered the strategy. Skoll, who had grown close to Elsbeth, set out to save her in order to help with the search for Thrawn. Skoll had felt a great force linked to the Grand Admiral's location that he hoped to obtain. Skoll and Hati operated as mercenaries for Elsbeth, where they also got to know the Inquisitor Marrok and made plans to save her.

Later that year, the pair intercepted the New Republic Defense Fleet cruiser Vesper while traveling in their Eta-class shuttle. Skoll and Hati, posing as Jedi, made an attempt to board the starship by utilizing an outdated Jedi code. Upon landing, they were met by a security squad under the command of Captain Hayle. While dubious of their intentions, Captain Hayle had agreed to let the two board, figuring they were Imperials who would be simple to apprehend. Hayle quickly expressed his misgivings and gave the order for them to be scanned to see if there were any arrest warrants out for them, but before this could be carried out, Skoll gave Hati a nod, and she immediately started killing the New Republic crew officers on board. Skoll declared that he would prove their identification. As Hayle pointed his blaster at Hati, Skoll used the Force to twist his arm around to face him, saying that he had been correct in thinking they weren't Jedi before stabbing the captain in the chest with his lightsaber.

Skoll let the captain's body fall to the ground and followed his apprentice as she continued to advance through the ship. While Hati continued to kill the majority of the crew as she made her way to the bridge, Skoll made his way down the hallway to free Elsbeth from her cell, cutting down troopers who stood in his way and using the Force to choke one to death. Skoll finally got to Elsbeth's cell, where he took off her restraints and extended his hand to help her out of the detention block. Elsbeth declared that Skoll had kept his word, and he replied that he would be well compensated for it. Elsbeth quickly informed Skoll that the Jedi who had recently taken her into custody had questioned her and learned crucial details regarding Thrawn's whereabouts. Skoll inquired as to the Jedi's identity, and Elsbeth revealed that it was Ahsoka Tano. Skoll, Hati, and Elsbeth then departed the ship, leaving no evidence of their attack.

Around that time, Ahsoka Tano explored the ruins of an old Nightsister temple on Arcana, which held the map that would lead to Thrawn's rumored location. She eventually found the map and left the planet with it. Skoll, Hati, Marrok, and Elsbeth then went to the planet to discover it was gone. Skoll and Marrok searched the area but came up empty-handed. After reporting back to Elsbeth, the Nightsister witch realized that Tano's Padawan, Sabine Wren, had the map. Skoll retorted that they would be fortunate if that were the case, and Elsbeth instructed Skoll to dispatch his apprentice to the planet Lothal in order to retrieve it. Hati questioned the order, but Skoll, who told her to carry it out, reassured her that there was no sorcery involved and that Elsbeth was looking for Wren.

Hati was successful in her mission and retrieved the map. She soon got back to Skoll, who then got in touch with Elsbeth. They eventually made their way to the planet Seatos, which Elsbeth had told them was a reflex point and where they discovered a mapping mechanism. Elsbeth then displayed the map in front of them, revealing a pathway to a different galaxy. Skoll understood that it was Peridea after Elsbeth pointed to a particular one, and that the stories he had heard at the Jedi Temple were accurate. Skoll was questioned by his apprentice as to what would transpire following the return of Thrawn, the missing Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy, as Elsbeth departed. He responded that for some people, what would follow would be war or a new beginning, but for them, it would be the acquisition of otherwise unanticipated power. Skoll then gave Hati the order to travel to Corellia and help with the operation there.

Elsbeth eventually made her way back to the Eye of Sion in the Denab system. Skoll, Hati, and Marrok all contacted her via hologram. Elsbeth gave Skoll the order to kill Tano after Marrok ran into her on Corellia, which Skoll thought was a pity. Skoll replied that he was merely being honest and that there weren't many Jedi left when Elsbeth questioned if he was sentimental. Hati and Marrok later pursued Tano and Wren in space. The two eventually came to rest in a forest on Seatos, and Hati and Marrok made an effort to find them. Skoll also showed up on the planet at the same time and gave his droids the order to hunt them down.

Skoll dispatched his apprentice and Marrok to confront Tano and Wren when they landed on Seatos to retrieve the mapping mechanism, while he kept watch. Elsbeth quickly left to board the Eye of Sion in preparation for takeoff. Tano made her way to Skoll, who was waiting for her, after killing Marrok. Skoll informed Tano that her master, the well-known Anakin Skywalker, had spoken highly of her while they were both members of the Order, and he questioned Tano as to whether she had abandoned Skywalker because of what he had become. Skoll then went on to say that while he didn't want to start another war, he did think that one must destroy in order to create and that Thrawn's return was a necessary evil.

The two then drew their lightsabers and dueled for possession of the mapping mechanism. Skoll only fought to keep Tano away from the map because he didn't want to kill one of the remaining Jedi Order members. Skoll informed Tano that her legacy, like her master's, was one of death and destruction, just as the activated mechanism transmitted the coordinates to the distant galaxy to Elsbeth. An enraged Skoll then attacked Tano once more, using the power and aggression of his strikes to drive her further toward the cliff's edge. Hati returned to the henge and reclaimed the mechanism. Tano made use of the Force to hurl and render Hati incapacitated. Tano became trapped at the edge in a saber lock as Skoll and Tano continued their duel, forcing her to use her wounded hand to push with the Force. Skoll, reluctant to see it come to this, informed Tano that she had left him with no other option. Wren arrived at the henge and threatened to blow up the mechanism. Skoll sent Tano tumbling off a precipice with an upward lightsaber strike, even though Wren instructed Skoll to stay away from Tano.

Skoll then confronted Wren, telling her to keep her word and blow up the mechanism, as that is what Wren's master would have done. Skoll persuaded Wren to give over the mechanism by claiming that her feelings for her family, master, and Ezra Bridger were holding her back and that he was serving a greater good. In exchange, he promised that she and Bridger would be reunited. When Hati reawakened, she used the Force to choke Wren, but Skoll stopped her, saying that he would keep his word, unlike Tano. Skoll then reactivated the mapping mechanism, sending the final coordinates to the Eye of Sion, and destroyed the mechanism with his lightsaber. Skoll, along with everyone else on board the Eye, would jump to hyperspace after reuniting with Elsbeth on the ring's command bridge along with Hati and Wren.

Wren was imprisoned in a cell aboard the Eye of Sion during the voyage to the new galaxy. Skoll soon approached the door and observed Wren, who sarcastically remarked that she had hoped for a room with a view. Skoll chuckled before inquiring as to whether she found the situation confining, to which Wren responded that she did. The former Jedi remarked that he believed it would be a great time for introspection, to which Wren retorted that she tried to avoid it, prompting Skoll to reply that he understood why. Wren called out to him as Skoll turned to leave, reminding him of their agreement. Lord Skoll merely smirked before turning away, prompting Wren to yell out to him and reiterate her point.

Skoll soon marched back to the bridge of the Eye. Elsbeth questioned the status of their prisoner upon his return. Skoll retorted that she was impatient, and when she questioned if he still intended to keep his word to her, he replied that she was blinded by her desire to find Bridger and that she could still be of use to them. At that precise moment, one of the droids declared that tracking was finished and that they had reached their destination. Elsbeth spoke of Peridea, which was now visible to the rest of the crew, after exiting hyperspace. Skoll then spoke about what the Jedi Archives had said about the planet and its connection to the Purrgils. Morgan then disclosed that the Nightsisters were the first to use and ride the creatures in ancient times. Skoll then declared that Peridea was the place where Purrgil went to die, before referring to it as a graveyard. Moments later, one of the droids informed Elsbeth that they were receiving a beacon from the planet's surface, prompting Elsbeth to suggest that they shouldn't keep the witches waiting.

The Eye of Sion would soon arrive on Peridea, where Elsbeth met with three Dathomiri witches called the Great Mothers and requested to meet with Thrawn. Thrawn met with them after leaving his Star Destroyer, where he recognized Skoll as being a General of the Jedi Order. He later sent Skoll and Hati on a mission to kill Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren, forcing them to break their promise.

Skoll and Hati rode their dark and light Howlers across Peridea in search of the two Rebels, traveling through grasslands and meadows. The two eventually came upon the aftermath of a fight between Wren and a band of nomadic bandits. Skoll quickly deduced that Wren had survived the encounter because of the dead bandits' bodies. Hati questioned her master if he knew the person Wren was so eager to find, which Skoll denied before referring to Ezra Bridger as a Bokken Jedi because his training had taken place following the Order's demise. Intrigued, Hati questioned whether she would fit the same description, which Skoll refuted, stating that he had trained her to be much more than a Jedi. His apprentice then inquired directly as to whether her master missed the Jedi Order. Skoll remained silent before admitting that he missed the concept of it but not the reality and weakness of what the Order had eventually become because he thought the Order no longer had a future.

Hati questioned whether he truly saw any future on Peridea in response to Skoll's remarks, which she saw as nothing more than a wasteland. Skoll declared that the presence of the Great Mothers proved the world to be the ancient Witch Kingdom of the Dathmiri, confirming the veracity of the ancient Jedi myths. Hati pointed out that there might be a reason why the Witches appeared so eager to leave the planet with Thrawn. Skoll proposed the notion that they were attempting to flee a greater power and revealed that something was calling to him, and that he was certain there was something special about Peridea before questioning if Hati could sense it. Hati then drew attention to the fact that bandits were watching them before reaching for her lightsaber. Skoll stepped in and declared that there was no need for bloodshed and that, for the time being, the enemies of their enemies could be regarded as allies.

Skoll and Hati eventually came across Wren and Bridger traveling across the planet with their crew of Noti. The mercenaries were quickly spotted by the duo, who stopped in their tracks and turned around. Skoll then instructed Hati to get in touch with Thrawn, assassinate Wren and Bridger, and take her place in the coming Empire. Hati, perplexed, inquired as to whether he intended to assist in any way, to which Skoll responded that because Hati's ambition was guiding her in one direction, he thought their paths were diverging. Hati then contacted Thrawn after a period of quiet, informing them of the whereabouts of the three Force-sensitives and sending coordinates. Skoll then imparted one last lesson: that impatience for victory would guarantee defeat. As the other bandits continued past them, the master and apprentice exchanged glances. Hati gave Skoll a little nod, which Skoll quickly returned. The fallen Jedi then watched as his now-former apprentice rode off with the other bandits in pursuit of the Rebels.

Soon after this, Tano - who survived her fall and had traveled to Peridea with help from the purrgil - landed before him. Activating both of her lightsabers, she engaged Skoll in another fight. However, they proved to be evenly matched, but Tano stated that she did not have to defeat him. Suddenly, Huyang fired missiles from his T-6 shuttle, which exploded around Skoll. The impact and smoke from the missiles gave Tano the distraction she needed to ride away on Skoll's howler. Baylan was undeterred however, resuming his journey on foot and somehow acquiring a new cloak, Baylan continued his search towards the source of the power he sought.

After Thrawn and his forces left Peridea, Skoll gazed into the distance toward a flickering light on a far off mountain that was the source of the energy calling to him. Skoll stood upon a statue of the Father that was pointing toward the light, with a statue of the Son right and to the left a decrepit statue of the Daughter.

Baylan Skoll, a mysterious man, was a human male with white hair and fair complexion. Skoll had previously been a Jedi and even displayed a sentimental attitude toward the Order when he voiced his sorrow over the paucity of surviving Jedi, despite the fact that he was willing to kill Ahsoka Tano. Skoll informed Elsbeth during the hunt for Peridea that he had lost his sense of faith a long time ago. He later told Tano that he thought Grand Admiral Thrawn's return would be a necessary evil in order to create a better future for the galaxy by using conflict to bring about something new.

Skoll outwardly maintained a composed, collected attitude and only used violence when absolutely required, giving some potential adversaries the opportunity to avoid obstructing his path. He also took pride in being honorable, guaranteeing Sabine Wren that she would not be harmed if she accompanied him in his search for Ezra Bridger and later criticizing his apprentice for attempting to exact revenge on Wren for their duel. When in combat, his demeanor shifted to a more aggressive one, grunting and yelling during his fight with Tano and mocking her for her master's legacy of death and destruction as Darth Vader as well as the one she was leaving behind. Skoll informed Tano that it was "unwise" to do so when she attempted to retrieve the map and asserted that their duel was unavoidable.

His connection with Hati, his apprentice, mirrored the Jedi Order's training methods he himself underwent. He showed care for his younger apprentice, becoming furious when Tano used the Force to push her against a pillar nearby, rendering her unconscious. This bond was reciprocated, with Hati emulating Skoll's actions and remaining in close physical proximity to him when faced with uncertain or potentially hazardous circumstances. Furthermore, Hati rarely followed instructions from others without first seeking her master's approval, as demonstrated when initially tasked with retrieving the star map from Sabine Wren. Skoll seldom discussed his past within the Jedi Order, fueling his apprentice's curiosity, who remained unaware of his true sentiments toward it until their arrival on Peridea.

In spite of his reluctance to engage in conflicts involving Jedi or their former allies, Baylan Skoll held deep resentment and loathing for his former comrade Anakin Skywalker. This was due to Skywalker's betrayal of the Order and his transformation into Darth Vader, which played a significant role in the Jedi Order's downfall and the elimination of many of Skoll's former associates through Order 66. Although he expressed a degree of regret at having to confront Tano, acknowledging her as one of the galaxy's few remaining Jedi, and openly admitted he was not displeased to see her again on Peridea, his animosity towards Skywalker extended to a disdain for Tano. He asserted that her legacy, like her master's, would be defined by death and destruction.

Having been a Jedi, Baylan Skoll received training in Force techniques and achieved proficiency in lightsaber combat. His combat style involved powerful, two-handed strikes delivered with considerable force, which, combined with his physical strength and endurance, enabled him to overwhelm opponents. He possessed sufficient skill to contend with Ahsoka Tano in battle, ultimately defeating her by using his lightsaber to force her off a nearby cliff after she compromised her stance by burning her left hand while attempting to remove the map, which had become extremely hot after prolonged activation. Skoll demonstrated his ability to deflect blaster bolts when confronting New Republic security forces during Morgan Elsbeth's rescue, effortlessly eliminating the soldiers. His lightsaber technique closely resembled Form V Shien/Djem So, although he likely trained in various styles, as was customary for Jedi.

Skoll exhibited skill in both telekinesis and precognition, using the former to lift a soldier with the Force and subsequently hurl a large rock at his adversary, both with relative ease. He also displayed proficiency in Telepathy, effortlessly discerning Sabine Wren's thoughts and memories, which he used to manipulate her into surrendering.

Furthermore, he proved to be a capable mentor, imparting many of his skills to his apprentice, Shin Hati, who also demonstrated proficiency in lightsaber combat and telekinesis.

Baylan Skoll was clad in black robes and armor. He also wore a belt that held a green kyber crystal. Skoll brandished an orange-red lightsaber, which he employed to liberate Morgan Elsbeth and later used in a duel against Tano. Skoll and his apprentice, Hati, utilized an Eta-class shuttle for transport.

Baylan Skoll, who made his debut in "Part One: Master and Apprentice," the inaugural episode of the Ahsoka television series, was brought to life by the late Ray Stevenson, marking his return to the Star Wars universe after voicing Gar Saxon in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. His passing in May 2023 rendered Ahsoka one of his final endeavors.

On Skoll's character poster, the Aurebesh script on his left gauntlet appears to spell out "trgt" and "dat," resembling the words target and data. On his right gauntlet in the series, the Aurebesh translates to "Luke," "Leia," "Han," "Chewie", "R2D2", "C3PO," and "Ben." This is most clearly visible when he positions the star map on a pedestal at the center of the Seatos reflex point at the beginning of "Part Two: Toil and Trouble." Whether these names represent a list of intended targets or are simply easter eggs remains ambiguous.

The character's name is shared with Skoll, the wolf from Norse mythology that pursues the Sun, while his apprentice, Hati, shares her name with Hati, the wolf that chases the Moon. This wolf theme is also echoed in the character of Marrok, another dark side user, whose name is derived from a knight in Arthurian legend who was transformed into a werewolf. Dave Filoni deliberately chose an orange-red hue for Skoll and Hati's lightsabers to indicate that they were not entirely Sith-like figures. Following Stevenson's death, Filoni indicated that they were in a "wait-and-see" phase regarding the future of Skoll's character. While he expressed regret that Stevenson could not witness the outpouring of affection for his character from fans, he was pleased that he was present for the trailer's debut.