We’re only two episodes into Star Wars: Ahsoka and fans are already letting their minds run wild with theories. The mysterious Inquisitor-turned-mercenary Marrok has emerged as a front-runner for all kinds of conspiracies, one of which has been bolstered by the recent inclusion of long-time Star Wars voice actor Sam Witwer’s name appearing in the credits for the first episodes.
It’s not unusual to see Witwer’s name in the credits. The actor, who rose to prominence for his work in Battlestar Galactica and Being Human, has worked alongside Dave Filoni for years. He’s voiced multiple characters in The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels animated series, from Palpatine and Darth Maul to The Son, an enigmatic embodiment of the dark side. But for most Star Wars fans, Witwer will always be Galen Marek, or as he’s better known, Starkiller from 2008’s Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game.
Disney retconned much of the extended lore after purchasing Lucasfilm back in 2012, and Starkiller was just one of many fan-favorite concepts to hit the cutting room floor. Since the decision, the creative powerhouses behind the galaxy far, far away have been slowly reintegrating some of the deep lore, so there is always a chance that Marrok is some new variation of Marek. We know relatively little about Marrok’s backstory, but fans are already drawing parallels between his name and Starkiller’s given surname of Marek. Starkiller was once Vader’s apprentice, just as Ahsoka was to Anakin Skywalker, a perfect setup for some interesting showdowns between the two.
Some fans — myself included — would love to see the masked menace turn out to be someone near and dear to our heroes’ hearts. Theories abound that Marrok is a twisted version of Ezra Bridger. Fans speculate that the former Jedi could have lost his mind in the deep recess of space while stranded alone with Grand Admiral Thrawn and his legions of soldiers. There isn’t much behind this claim, save for an Arthurian legend involving Morgan le Fay, her witchy henchwomen, and the little-known Knight of the Round Table, Marrok.
The knight was cursed to take the form of a wolf, or werewolf depending on the translation, for seven years. The honorable Marrok kept up his knightly duties, though he was cursed and continued to chase brigands, thieves, and real wolves away from the hapless peasants under his protection. He eventually breaks the curse trapping him as a beast and gets revenge on the witch who tricked him, but not before several years have passed. The Loth-wolves spotted in the murals have some fans convinced that it’s Filoni leaving breadcrumbs for fans to follow, but others need a bit more proof. Throughout Rebels, wolves were a common image associated with Ezra’s first Master, Kanan Jarrus, leaving fans a bit confused. With Baylan and his cronies still actively searching for Thrawn, it doesn’t quite make sense for Ezra to be in the known ‘verse, but fans can still dream.
Dave Filoni’s vision for Ahsoka isn’t clear only two episodes in, but we’re sure there is something to the links back to Arthurian legend. The potential Siths Baylan Skoll, Shin Hati, Marrok, and Morgan Elsbeth are all draped in European imagery — from their amazing costume designs to Elsbeth’s first name — so there are sure to be more juicy Arthurian tidbits as the series continues.
New episodes of Ahsoka stream every Tuesday on Disney Plus.