Why Ahsoka's Easy Defeat Of Marrok Makes Perfect Sense

WARNING!: SPOILERS for Ahsoka episode 4, 'Fallen Jedi'

For the first few episodes of Ahsoka, fan theories ran rife about the identity of the masked villain Marrok. Many assumed that the mask, followed by a voice changer used by Marrok in episode three, meant that Marrok had to be a character we already knew. Some believed Marrok would be revealed as the missing Ezra Bridger, having fallen to the Dark Side following his disappearance in the final episode of Star Wars: Rebels. Others thought he may be Galen Marek/Starkiller, Darth Vader's secret Apprentice from the Force Unleashed video games, thus setting up a confrontation between Anakin Skywalker's Jedi and Sith apprentices.

Those fans who were primed for a big reveal would have been surprised when, in the series' fourth episode, Ahsoka defeats and kills Marrok with very little effort or fanfare. Some have expressed disappointment at Marrok's easy defeat, but that may have been because they overestimated the character's importance. Looking at the true facts of the matter, it is completely understandable how Ahsoka was able to defeat Marrok so easily.

Marrok was a puppet

While it wasn't the big unmasking many expected, episode four, 'Fallen Jedi' did include one somewhat significant reveal about Marrok. Upon his death, his body expels a black-green dust/smoke of some kind. This is an indication that he was a corpse resurrected and controlled by one of the Nightsisters of Dathomir, presumably Morgan Elsbeth since she is the only one confirmed still living. A similar fate befell Darth Maul's brother, Savage Opress, in the Clone Wars series.

Being a puppet of Elsbeth may explain why Marrok could do little better than go blow-for-blow with Ahsoka, rarely made any truly creative battle decisions, and was unable to detect her final attack before it was too late.

Ahsoka has a perfect Win rate when fighting Inquisitors

In Ahsoka's cast list, Marrok is described as being one of the last surviving Inquisitors. First seen in Star Wars: Rebels, before being expanded upon in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Inquisitors were tasked with hunting down and killing any Jedi who had survived Order 66. Many fans previously assumed the listing of Marrok as an Inquisitor was a Red Herring, but seeing as he dressed similar to previous Inquisitors and used an Inquisitor lightsaber, it is safe to assume he probably was one at some point.

Ahsoka has faced Inquisitors before Marrok, and her track record against them is pretty much perfect. Ahsoka's brief fight with an Inquisitor provides the climax to her Tales of the Jedi storyline, and in a now iconic Rebels scene, she battles the Inquisitors Seventh Sister and Fifth Brother two on one, allowing Ezra Bridger the time to escape with a rescued Youngling.

Exploring further, there is an explanation for Ahsoka's high win rate that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

Ahsoka Tano was trained by Anakin Skywalker. The Inquisitors were trained by Darth Vader

Like most Jedi Knights and their Padawan learner, Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano shared a close bond. Anakin was sometimes tough in the training methods he put her through, but this was all for Ahsoka's own good. He wanted Ahsoka to grow stronger, even if that meant she may one day surpass him, so she could survive any threat that came her way. It is due to this training that Ahsoka was able to survive Order 66, and continued to keep her safe in the years that followed.

The Inquisitors, on the other hand, were trained after Anakin had fallen to the Dark Side and become Darth Vader. Mostly consisting of fallen Jedi, the Inquisitors were subjected to brutal training regimens under Vader. However, the training they were given was severely limited compared to Anakin's teachings to Ahsoka, in order to reduce the possibility of them rising up and becoming a threat to Vader or the Emperor.

Ahsoka Tano was the Apprentice Anakin Skywalker grew to love, and the style of training she received reflected this. The Inquisitors were never intended to be anything but Imperial pawns.

Poor Marrok never stood a chance.