Why Star Wars' Grand Inquisitor Design Changes Are A Mistake
The Grand Inquisitor is making a resurgence in Star Wars canon through comics and his role in Obi-Wan Kenobi, but the changes to his design could be a symptom of a bigger problem. Confirming many rumors, the Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer revealed that the leader of the order of Inquisitors will make his live-action debut in the upcoming Disney+ series. Grand Inquisitor will be played by Rupert Friend in the show, which will also feature the Fifth Brother and a brand new Inquisitor named Reva.
Although the name Inquisitor had already been used by some stories in the old Expanded Universe, it was in Star Wars Rebels that the concept of Jedi hunters as the Star Wars canon knows it was really introduced. An order of force sensitives working for the Emperor, the Inquisitors were responsible for hunting down and eliminating the surviving Jedi across the galaxy. It was the Grand Inquisitor's mission in Rebels to put an end to the crew of the Ghost, including Jedi Kanan Jarrus and his padawan Ezra Bridger.
The change in the design of the Grand Inquisitor in the comics and especially in Obi-Wan Kenobi not only fails to portray the Pau'nan species but also creates a canon problem in the franchise. As for the simply aesthetic issue, the more human design that highlights the actor's features ends up going over the basic traits that have always defined the Pau'nan species in Star Wars, especially the long head. Even before Rebels, the Pau'nan could be found in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith when Obi-Wan visits Utapau, and their original design was much better replicated by the animated series than the Kenobi show. The Grand Inquisitor in Obi-Wan Kenobi doesn't give the impression that he is an alien species that shares little with the humans, but that he is an ordinary person in a makeup. The proportions feel incorrect, and not even the skin texture matches the original. For a franchise where the vastness of the galaxy and the alien species are so important, this is not a small issue.
As for the canon problem, such a sudden change in the design of the Grand Inquisitor compared to Star Wars Rebels risks creating the impression that the animated series are not as important as live-action movies and shows. For a huge portion of the public, Obi-Wan Kenobi will be the first contact with the Grand Inquisitor and Star Wars' Inquisitors in general, and making the villain’s design so different from its animated counterpart might indicate to this new audience that they don't need to catch up with any of the animations. In addition to being a poor marketing strategy considering all Star Wars properties are available on Disney+, creating such a significant separation between two segments of the franchise does the canon disservice.
This becomes even an even bigger issue given that so many Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels characters and storylines are becoming crucial to the overall Star Wars saga. After the struggles of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the franchise turned to the TV format, in which it already had a tradition long before The Mandalorian. The fact that Dave Filoni, producer of The Clone Wars and Rebels, is actively involved with the live-action series makes the design changes even more curious.
Practicality and focus on the actor's performance are indeed important, but current movie-making technology could have offered a much better design for the Grand Inquisitor. If it was not possible to achieve the perfect look with practical makeup, then a mix of CG and prosthetics could have been used. This would create a smoother connection between Star Wars Rebels, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the Grand Inquisitor's future appearances.