Lucasfilm revealed the name of the mysterious Inquisitor-like character that was showcased in the recent Ahsoka trailer.
The production company uploaded two images of the character wielding his double-edged lightsaber that also has the ability to spin in a circle. They revealed the character’s name is Marrok and he’s played by Paul Darnell.
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Interestingly, the name of Marrok was the name of an Arthurian knight in Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur. The book detailed that Marrok was a good knight who was betrayed by his wife and turned him into a werewolf.
This single line would inspire Allen French’s Sir Marrok: A Tale of the Days of King Arthur. In French’s story “Marrok is an honorable knight who serves first Uther and then Arthur. For the former, he drives robbers, witches and warlocks, and wolves from Bedgraine and then becomes its lord.”
“When he joins Arthur in his continental wars, he designates Irma, a learned woman, to govern them,” a description of the book from Bangor University explains. “But she is ‘of the council of Morgan le Fay’ and proves to be a self-serving ruler who turns the land back to its former savagery. When Marrok returns, Irma uses a spell to turn him into a wolf. But even in this form he does all he can to restore order by slaying wolves, driving off witches and warlocks, and battling robbers.”
It concludes, “Ultimately, he enters his former castle, makes his way to Irma’s room, and destroys the talisman that binds him in a wolf’s form. To save herself, she drinks a potion she intended for Marrok’s son and is turned in to an owl.”
It’s unclear if this is indeed where Filoni and Lucasfilm got the inspiration for the name. However, Bespin Bulletin notes Filoni previously used the name Marrok for the wolf-like companion of the bounty hunter Embo. The outlet claims the companion’s name being Marrok was influenced by the Arthurian legend.
In 2012, IGN reported that following the release of The Clone Wars Season 5 premiere, Filoni explained that Embo and Marrok were “my homage to Snake Eyes and Timber” from G.I. Joe.
As for what to expect from Marrok, from what we’ve seen he will clash with Ahsoka on a number of occasions and appears to be one of the primary antagonists alongside Grand Admiral Thrawn, Baylan Skoll, and Shin Hati.
It’s likely we will find out more about the character as we get closer to the series’ release date and press for the show ramps up. Otherwise, viewers will find out more about him in the Disney+ series.
What do you make of the name of this Inquisitor-like character?