‘Ahsoka’: Who Was Baylan Skoll’s Master?

Baylan Skoll has become one of the most interesting characters in the ‘Ahsoka’ series as of late because he represents a different kind of antagonist in the sense that he doesn’t have the same kind of evil presence that the Sith have but isn’t entirely as noble and good as the Jedi are. Of course, we know that Baylan was a survivor of Order 66, as Huyang recognized his lightsaber. That means that he was trained by the Jedi Order before its fall. So, who was Baylan Skoll’s master?

Baylan Skoll’s master is still unknown, but some theories point to the possibility that he may have learned under either Qui-Gon Jinn or Plo Koon before he became a Jedi Knight. The possibility of him learning under Qui-Gon is slim. But Baylan being Plo Koon’s Padawan makes sense due to his connection with Ahsoka.

One of the things that we know about Star Wars is that the masters of a Jedi affect the overall view and personalities of certain Jedi. In that regard, Baylan’s master may have also affected his approach as a Force wielder, especially when it comes to how he sees things in the grey area. So, with that said, let’s look at who Baylan’s Skoll master could have been.

The case for Qui-Gon Jinn

As mentioned, Qui-Gon Jinn is one of the people who fans believe may have been Baylan Skoll’s master. There is some sense to this theory because we all know that Qui-Gon wasn’t the most conventional Jedi. But there are some things that we need to understand about Qui-Gon first before looking at the possibility of him being Baylan’s master.

Qui-Gon Jinn served as Count Dooku’s Padawan before the latter left the Jedi Order to become a Sith Lord. At that time, Dooku wasn’t evil, but it was still true that he had ideas and philosophies that weren’t in line with the conventional beliefs of the Jedi Order. For example, Dooku thought that the Republic and its senators were corrupt and that the Jedi were turning a blind eye to this corruption.

In that regard, Qui-Gon learned much about being a renegade from Dooku. While Qui-Gon never turned evil, he was a rebellious Jedi Master in his own right because he had certain beliefs that weren’t in line with the conventional beliefs of the Jedi Order.

He was also the one who started believing in the power of the Living Force and the Prophecy of the Chosen One. As such, he was the one who allowed the entire Skywalker Saga to go into motion when he brought Anakin Skywalker in to be trained in the ways of the Force.

Qui-Gon’s rebellious nature is why some fans think there’s a connection between him and Baylan. He may be rebellious, but Qui-Gon’s approach as a rebel was not in a chaotic way. Instead, he simply had beliefs different from most Jedi’s beliefs. On top of that, he also didn’t obey the rules of the Jedi Council to the letter. And it is possible that Baylan could be the very same person because he learned it from Qui-Gon.

We know that Baylan used to be a former Jedi. At this point, Baylan has become more than just a Jedi because he is willing to use evil means to obtain his goals in the ‘Ahsoka’ series. But he has never shown the same kind of evil aura and demeanor as the Sith Lords. In many ways, he is like Count Dooku without the menacing Sith aura that Dooku has.

But the problem with this theory is that we know that Qui-Gon’s last Padawan before his death was Obi-Wan Kenobi. There’s a good reason to believe that Obi-Wan is older than Baylan because he was already 57 at the time of his death on 0 BBY. ‘Ahsoka’ likely takes place nine years after Obi-Wan’s death, and Baylan looks younger than Obi-Wan did at the time of his death.

In that regard, Baylan couldn’t have been Qui-Gon’s Padawan because he is likely a few years younger. He would probably be much closer to Anakin’s age if Anakin were still alive. It is also unlikely that Qui-Gon took in Baylan as a Padawan before training Obi-Wan because that would mean Baylan became a Jedi Knight very young. As such, it is unlikely that Baylan used to be Qui-Gon’s apprentice. 

The case for Plo Koon

Another Jedi Master who could be connected to Baylan Skoll is Plo Koon. Outside of Yoda, Mace Windu, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Plo Koon was likely the most prominent out of all Jedi High Council members. He also had a history with Ahsoka Tano.

Plo Koon was the very same person who discovered Ahsoka’s strength in the Force. He brought her to the Jedi Temple so she could be trained as a Jedi. While Plo wasn’t the one who served as Ahsoka’s master, he was a person she respected a lot because he was like a father figure to her in the Jedi Order.

So, in that regard, there is a connection between Ahsoka and Plo. This opens up the possibility that someone connected to Ahsoka’s past could actually be the master of a Jedi who survived the events of Order 66. That’s why some fans believe that Plo Koon may have been Baylan’s master.

We know that Plo Koon had his own Padawan before the start of the Clone Wars. But he may have taken in another Padawan who became a Jedi Knight before or during the Clone Wars. And this person could be Baylan Skoll.

There’s also the fact that the Legends storyline of Plo Koon portrays him as having an orange lightsaber before he changed to a blue one. Of course, because Baylan wields an orange lightsaber that’s closer to the color red, this could represent his connection to Plo Koon and the fact that he is inching closer and closer to the dark side of the Force.

Then again, these are all just speculations. We don’t know whether or not ‘Ahsoka’ will reveal Baylan’s master because his master may or may not be someone who affected his current life story. But at this point, we think that either Qui-Gon Jinn or Plo Koon may have been connected to Baylan.

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