Ray Stevenson’s Star Wars debut in Ahsoka was one of the best things about the two-episode premiere. His Baylan Skoll appears to be a fallen Jedi mercenary, landing somewhere towards the evil side of the Jedi/Sith continuum and wielding a very cool orange lightsaber.
We’re eager to see where Skoll’s story takes him (certain comments he made indicate he’s not irredeemably villainous…) but all that was tempered with the knowledge that Stevenson tragically died in May.
Now, to pay tribute to the Rome, Punisher: War Zone and RRR star, fans on r/StarWars have made him a member of a very exclusive society: the live-action hallway scene club:
The modern incarnation of the hallway march was introduced by Darth Vader in Rogue One, in which he terrifyingly dismantled a squad of Rebel commandoes. Since then Luke in The Mandalorian season 2 and Obi-Wan Kenobi in his own show have displayed their skills in their own hallway scenes.
Skoll’s is a little different as it’s our introduction to the character, showcasing his skills with a lightsaber, his determination, and his fearlessness. The replies also point out that Darth Maul gets his own hallway scene in The Clone Wars, but the overall tone of the fanbase is excitement about Skoll and sadness that Stevenson won’t get to reprise the role.
We’re eager to see how his story develops over the remaining six episodes of Ahsoka, though bubbling away behind that is the depressing knowledge that Stevenson’s death means Ahsoka season 1 will be the one and only live-action story starring this mysterious and charismatic antagonist.
Ahsoka airs Wednesdays on Disney Plus.