What made Baylan Skoll the best character in the Ahsoka Series?

Рет қаралды 11,961

9 ай бұрын

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@sivad1025 9 ай бұрын

He's in the same camp as Darth Maul. They're characters with little screen time and generic characterization, but the design and performances are so unique that they garner interest, especially since both characters are competent and play important roles in their respective stories.

@alexkazhdan 9 ай бұрын

The big difference is Maul was never intended to be anything more than a silent killer that dies at the end of the movie. His motivation was simple, and his backstory didn’t matter. With Baylan, they clearly want us to believe he is a deep, interesting character, and yet we still know almost nothing about him. He is a mystery box, just like Snoke was.

@sivad1025 9 ай бұрын

@@alexkazhdan Baylan was definitely a worse character by the end of the show for that reason. But for the first 6 episodes, he was the most interesting part because he filled the role well

@nevasoba5953 9 ай бұрын

Great comment

@dereklopez9060 9 ай бұрын

Baylan Skoll is easily the highlight of the show, it's very sad that Ray Stevenson is no longer here with us and idk what they're gonna do to him next. Plus he has a cool orange lightsaber. R.I.P Ray Stevenson.

@andyb1653 9 ай бұрын

At least my man's final performance was a banger. For a professional, consummate actor that's a *LIFE GOAL.* The guy absolutely stole the show, along with his sidekick. The duo were hands-down the most interesting characters in the whole season, WAY too compelling to be mere S1 quasi-villains. Their stories MUST be told. As far as recasting goes, a name that popped into my head, and I haven't seen anyone mention, is Johnathan Frakes- better known as COMMANDER *F*CKING* RIKER. *AYE,* I reckon he'd do. It may seem an odd choice at first glance, but just humor me a sec: 1. My dude has experience in sci-fi/fantasy TV, both in front of AND behind the camera. He'd certainly know what he's doing. He's even done VO work in an animated series in addition to live action AND directing, so he and Filoni would have quite a bit to talk about and even collaborate over. 2. He's a tall, broad-shouldered man with gravitas. In combination with costuming and VFX, he could easily fill Stevenson's battletank/knight-like silhouette from S1, and 3. Baylan was sporting a greyed-up "Riker S2" beard the whole time anyway. I think it's worth considering, at least. Only thing is I don't know if Frakes can do a convincing English accent, which would be a deal-breaker if he can't. Also the guy might be retired from acting, I honestly have no idea. He's quite a bit older than Stevenson was, in his 70s IIRC (Stevenson was in his late 50s/early 60s I think, he really did die too soon). edit: he'd also have the honour of being one of only a handful of actors who've been in Star Wars AND Star Trek alike. There are but a few.

@luckrule2474 9 ай бұрын

I'm definitely in the camp of baylan and shin stealing the show, and I think you perfectly summed up why towards the end... There were no preconceived notions of their story, they were more freely written rather than being forced down a path that we know the ending to. They didn't have that plot armor. When they were on screen, you couldn't predict their behavior or know what was gonna happen to them. I think the same could be said of marok, as disappointing as that turned out lol and yes, on top of that there was this emotional connection between Ray and his character that I can't explain.. like he was living his role while everyone else played dress up, if that makes sense. Love the vids, rip ray.. may he be one with the force 😢

@Qwazin 9 ай бұрын

Ray Stevenson did what all the greats from Star Wars history have done. Much like Alec Guiness, he was an incredibly powerful actor who infused a lot of emotional subtext to his performance so that even through somewhat ambiguous expository dialogue we still got a strong insinuation about what his character's beliefs were.

@Hanoua2 9 ай бұрын

The 2 main things that stand out to me was his "code of honor" where he kept his promise to Sabine and the way he fight like a tank, slow but precise

@generalkenobi9782 9 ай бұрын

For me, it’s because he’s introduced early on as an actual antagonist with goals and motivations (though mysterious). Like bro, I need build up for my villains. I want them to clown on the protagonists occasionally. Idk what’s wrong at lucasfilm but they have a consistent problem of introducing and fleshing out villains soooooo late in the series. It’s like the reverse Thanos effect. Or what I like to call, the Cad Bane effect. Completely missed opportunity is Morgan Elsbeth. Like wtf imagine if she said “FOR DATHOMIR” during episode 1s prison break out scene

@Alexander-kc8oq 9 ай бұрын

There are many things to crticise Filloni for with respect to the Ahsoka series, but I think his biggest mistake was underexploring Baylons role as a fold to Ahsoka. That relationship has such potnetial but they have way too little screen time together to fully realize that dynamic. The more I think about this the more I feel Baylon should have been the main focus for Ahsoka and save Thrawn for season 2. There are so many things to potentially explore for their dynamic as well. What made Baylon stray from the orders teachings despite his clear respect for the Jedi? How does that contrast with Ahsokas choice? How do they differ in teaching Sabine and Shin? As I say, underexplored and underutalized.

@danielbadillo8334 9 ай бұрын

Hera, Ezra and Thrawn should have been saved for a legitimate Rebels season 5. Make it all about Hera and Zeb following up on a lead about Ezra, then have Ahsoka and Sabine join midway. Like you said, Ahsoka could have been about the master and apprentice dynamic specifically, with Baylan as the big bad in opposition to Ahsoka. How you handle apprenticeship and the concept of generational trauma could have been the core concepts. And that still leaves room for Anakin to be involved. A huge missed opportunity IMO.

@richardtucker6974 9 ай бұрын

Really well said Thor. I totally agree. Ray Stevensons acting/ presence was just amazing and really carried the character through the series. By far my favourite in the Ashoka series. Rest in peace Ray.

@MandalorSkyrd 9 ай бұрын

I think what draws people to Baylan is just Ray Stevenson's acting and gravitas, not the writing. Stevenson just managed to give Baylan a depth that counterbalance the lack of character we have so far.

@8_Bit 9 ай бұрын

I didn't even know Ray Stevenson had died until after I watched the final episode of Ahsoka and finally started watching KZfaq videos about the show. He had loads of charisma, and I found it reassuring to have a stoic bearded dude around to bring some balance after a bit too much Sabine Wren screen time.

@QuinchGaming 9 ай бұрын

Another thing to consider is that, as a "bad" guy, Baylan was written to have genuine empathy. Obviously, this was brought out brilliantly by Ray Stevenson, but the character was written differently from the other villains we've had. Yes, he was bad, did evil things but it seemed he'd rather not be doing that, that perhaps he'd had preferred it if he didnt kill needlessly.

@scorchmmusic 9 ай бұрын

Hey thor, what are your thoughts on the handling of Luke and Ahsoka in this post ROTJ era? More specifically, how it seems that Ahsoka is being pushed as the main Jedi character in this time period by carrying out major tasks like hunting Thrawn; Things that Luke really should be doing, or at least helping with. Instead, he's been religated to a mere cameo character only getting a few minutes of screen time across all of the Disney live action shows. That along with Ahsoka suddenly performing feats like using psychometry out of nowhere and seemingly coming back from the dead after losing to Baylon makes it feel like Dave's working to make his favorite character shine while poor Luke gets left out to dry until it's time for his his next 5 minute appearance.

@skywalker2676 9 ай бұрын

Cuz maybe mark hamill is old asfuck now🤣🤣🤣🤣who the hell you going to get to play luke skywalker without the fans having a bitch fit about mainly OT fans bitching like they alwyas do about everything new that’s Star Wars

@ridensroom6957 9 ай бұрын

It is so wrong. And the more they treat Luke like a bit part, the more people that won't watch. Tv show only heroes won't save star wars. My dad has never seen the shows and only the films. He would watch for characters like Luke and Leia over this and millions more are the same.

@Sousabird 9 ай бұрын

Contrast. When everyone else is one dimensional and acts like they just came off anesthesia, the cryptic guy played by the only actor with any gravitas is going to command your attention.

@GreaterGrievobeast55 9 ай бұрын

Yes! Where others seemed emotionally numb disguised as stoicism , Baylan exuded confidence, regret, somberness, and a bunch of other emotions that actually felt controlled. I fear whatever they were writing for him is about as empty as everything else in the show.

@brianalambert1192 9 ай бұрын

Totally agree. The follow through on this character is going to matter a heck of a lot more than what we've seen, in the long run. That's why I think recasting is the right choice here. So they can continue the story the way they obviously intended and allow us to see this plan to it's conclusion. Never mentioning him again or killing him off in future projects will only be disappointing

@danielbadillo8334 9 ай бұрын

You had an entire show of actors with hardly any gravitas except for Baylan and Shin Hati (Thrawn to a lesser degree), simple as that. It felt like a different level of acting when they were on screen, the subtleties in their performances pulled us in and we wanted to know more.

@istari0 9 ай бұрын

Ray Stevenson brought a presence, a gravitas to the role that just attracted my attention right away. Baylan was not someone to ever take lightly. We just needed more of him this season but that gets back into the whole 'the episodes are too short and there aren't enough of them' issue. While definitely an antagonist, he doesn't fit into or belong with the standard 'imperial template.' He reminds me in some ways of Count Dooku. Under different circumstances, I could also see him at least come to a meeting of the minds with Thrawn. I don't know really know what his objective is or how he intends to accomplish it but I really want to watch it unfold. He's a character for whom I would eventually like to see a redemption arc.

@Shawn-363 9 ай бұрын

I don’t necessarily agree, but Baylon himself is a classical stereotype. Battle weary former warrior, with a cold and calm demeanor, noble nature with a mysterious past. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before. If you look further under the surface you see that the character is mostly flash and speaks mostly vague. His actual character ethos hasn’t been fleshed out, nor the elements for why he actually dislikes this cycle of spiritual warring. For example, his conversion with his apprentice about the old Jedi order is just full of vague speak. What does I miss the idea of it actually mean? How does that compare with the idea of it he grew up with at the Jedi temple? The story wants you to believe that this is a deep and rich character, but it merely presents Baylon vaguely. It’s like when fans complained that they wanted to put the mystery, intrigue, and sense of wonder back into Halo. Since the 343 trilogy stripped a bit of that away. Then you get to Halo infinite which tries to do that, and the whole game was full of vague and incomplete coherence. That’s Baylon Skoll. There just isn’t enough “meat” there to make him anything more than a classical western archetype.

@daniaaal 9 ай бұрын

Except that Baylan could have been written more creatively as more of his character is fleshed out. Maybe he hates the Jedi precisely because he realised the Jedis are a cruel organisation prepared to pull families apart and prevent marriages from happening among ordinary jedi students. In order words, he has a similar philosophy to Qui Gon. He found out about the hypocrisy of the Jedi temple. But at the same time, he threads carefully along the dark side, because he knows they aren’t good either. In other words, he could have been another Ahsoka. The story could have been interesting with a darker version of her. I would argue that Ahsoka feels more generic and safe compared to Baylan, who had potential to be a really intriguing antihero in Star Wars.

@alexkazhdan 9 ай бұрын

You pretty much took the words out of my mouth. TFA hasn’t taught people anything, and they still fall for cheap mystery boxes.

@manz7860 8 ай бұрын

Man I'm still salty at the end of halo infinite "he was a soldier. Just like me" After chief has killed billions of weird aliens without a 2nd thought. Also jobbing to atriox within the first 2 minutes of the game 😂 Atriox has chief by the neck and he just drops him into space instead of ripping his helmet off his body?

@alanstronach3408 8 ай бұрын

For me Baylan and Morgan were the only reason I kept watching. Ray especially lit up the screen - I was mesmerised. Great acting and an intriguing character. And the look in Morgan's eyes when she realised she would not be returning home, moved me. For a "villain", she at least had integrity and commitment to something bigger than herself. I wish I got to know her even more in the series. Unfortunately everything else about the show, including the acting of the titular character, will not be enough to draw me back for a second series. Meanwhile, I'm off to enjoy the late Ray Stephenson's back catalog. R.I.P.

@polyman6859 9 ай бұрын

If only we had a fully fleshed out old jaded mentor character who wanted to end the cycle of the Jedi and sith… Cough cough Kreia

@mitchellhouser1572 9 ай бұрын

I mean he just seemed like an interesting character. I was pretty disappointed when he and Shin essentially weren’t even in the last episode.

@brett6239 9 ай бұрын

Intergalactic man of mystery. Needs a comic series to cover his background. Sure to be some great stories there.

@JoRoq1 9 ай бұрын

The appeal of Baylan is that he is the new enigma. As a new character, he is a blank slate. We are given a few teases, likely intended to be fleshed out in Season 2 (if it happens), just enough to whet the appetite. He is powerful but morally ambiguous, with a zealous drive towards an as yet unspecified goal but is not casually malicious. For me, the single biggest appeal is that it is made clear that he is not a believer in the Empire. He has a mutual understanding with Elsbeth that they are each using the other for their own purposes, and he will cooperate with her as long as it brings him to what he seeks. Ray Stevenson brought just a pure strength of character and surety of purpose to the role, even as the full shape of the charactrer remained obscured in a narrative fog of war.

@MyrmThaBadMan 9 ай бұрын

What we do know is enough information to go with. He was a Jedi General serving as a Commander in the Clone Wars as said by Thrawn, he witnessed the Temple burn and personally saw Vader/Anakin in action before escaping and going underground. Now here is where we lack info, how did he find Shin, did he already have the orange lightsaber ala Sentinels yellow and when did he turn Mercenary and how long did he operate as Merc before getting hired by Elsbeth and the Imperial Remnant. Perhaps he is an agent under Desann, Fyyar and Tavion who knows...

@abthedragon4921 9 ай бұрын

Thank you for bringing up the whole "why isn't X character mentioned or seen in X movie or show etc." thing. I feel like some people underestimate the scale of the Star Wars setting with how many characters there are and how large certain groups are. Like you said there were around 10,000 Jedi during the time of the Clone Wars and I'm sure if you counted all the jedi we've seen in every movie, TV show, comic etc. in both canon and legends we still wouldn't see more than 5% of that. Sure, there are important people who leave their mark on galactic history (for better or worse) and it might feel a bit weird that they aren't participating in certain battles or conflicts but just because they aren't mentioned or don't show up doesn't make something a plot hole or whatever. It can raise of a few eyebrows sure but honestly, I think that's it.

@skywalkerhendrix 9 ай бұрын

thats kinda why I think ppl saying the ahsoka show was bad cuz it left things unanswered. there's a ton of story left to tell and honestly the ahsoka show in my mind was like a live action title crawl b4 the big film.

@nicholasmaryniak3815 9 ай бұрын

I really hope they continue his storyline with class. No off screen death, no cgi abomination of a character, unless it's very intentional. Cgi actor with full uncanny valley to represent a corrupted character might be good...

@nichlaschristensson1055 9 ай бұрын

Hey Thor, got a question. Maybe I'm not fair, but Favreau had a plan for this Mandowerse era. He had thing and characters he wanted to put in those stories. Now we have Dave in charge of everything, can it be that Baylan and Shin are some of Favreau's planned characters. Thats why they seems to be more grounded and exciting then the Rebels characters?

@juanhunter7073 8 ай бұрын

Baylin and Shin also benefitted from some of the best cinematography of the season. The shot of them on the new planet was powerful in impact, but all they did was stare into the distance lol. Baylan and Ahsoka shifting lightsaber forms was another example.

@andyb1653 9 ай бұрын

In all honesty, I think Kurt Russell could've pinned down Han Solo every bit as well as Ford did. Dude WAS on the short-list to play the role, after all, and not without reason.

@decay79 9 ай бұрын

Stevenson just had this presence, he could be intimidating without threatening anyone, he could be serious but soft at the same time, the man could just bring real emotions out on screen without too many words. That in large part works for Baylan Skoll imo. he does not wish to kill Ahsoka, she is simply putting herself in his way and thus must be removed, it makes him interesting, as he claims he is no jedi and unless we move into Thor's favorite area and talk Grey Jedi 😉, he is either a gentle sith which is always an interesting concept, or he is something else, questions are always interesting, as long as they don't fumble em when they want to answer or tell us why, tho i do not think we have to worry about that Filoni has a very Abrams like approach, if it is not flashy and says boom no one cares ! NEXT ACTION SCENE !.. And so i doubt they will ever explore him.

@kurtmccathron3781 9 ай бұрын

Why question is “Where were they during x?” Is because it is implied that Order 66 and the purge by Vader and the inquisitor’s wiped out pretty much all Jedi, and yet more and more keep popping up making order 66 seem well, like it didn’t do as much. Or that Vader really didn’t purge most of the Jedi from the galaxy.

@zeekcraft4782 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for the response, Thor. I more pointed out the "where has he been all this time" type of questions as something I felt like the show should have filled in more. Even a few quick throw away lines like telling Shin he honed his skills all those years evading inquisitors and maybe a bit of a sideways glance at Marrok would have given us something. It just felt like the show could have been so much better to me if we had some actual reason to be worried about what Baylan was up to. Regardless, your explanation makes sense and clears up your point of view. Thanks again!

@vetarlittorf1807 9 ай бұрын

Hey, Thor. Do you think that bringing Galen Marek back into canon and fight Ahsoka would be a good idea? I honestly think it would have much thematic weight having two of Anakin/Vader's apprentices fight which would kickstart a new character arc for Galen. Some people might not want him in canon because he is perceived as "overpowered" (even though canon can be just as over-the-top with the Force as in Legends, such as Palpatine lifting hundreds of Star Destroyers in TROS or Merrin being able to teleport in Jedi Survivor) but he is not OP as some claim, as the video game is deliberately over-the-top for entertainment value while the novelization is the lore version of the story. For example, he only defeated Vader because Force lightning is basically Vader's kryptonite and he did not pull down a Star Destroyer from the sky, he simply steered it out of control until it crashed on its own.

@darthtroller 9 ай бұрын

I think it would be a good idea, I just don't know when it should take place

@mrcat3493 8 ай бұрын

I still want the Yarael Poof show and his life working in the Death Star cafeteria.

@thibaud1832 8 ай бұрын

7:45 This made laugh because the idea of mentioning a never-before seen character and then give no explanation, though it would be a joke for Star Wars, happens constantly in Dune.

@MedalionDS9 9 ай бұрын

Not a popular opinion but when it comes to Giancarlo... I loved the idea of him in Star Wars because I was hugely into Better Call Saul at the time, but ultimately he keeps playing a similar villain role in every show he does.

@sivad1025 9 ай бұрын

I think it really backfired. It's great in Better Call Saul because the writing for his character is so excellent and Giancarlo is able to pull off cold and calculating perfectly. But Favreu and Filoni are not Gilligan and Gould. They don't have the talent to write a character like that. So he ends up playing Gideon as cold and calculating when the writing doesn't line up

@user-yq9im9dk9z 9 ай бұрын

@@sivad1025how elevating weak writing "backfiring?" That's what good actors are hired to do. Did Dooku backfire just because his acting is better than everyone else in AOTC?

@sivad1025 9 ай бұрын

@@user-yq9im9dk9z Having him play a similar character to Gus backfired becsuse it highlighted how lacking the writing was. Christopher Lee was excellent and elevated the movie with his performance, agreed. But Giancarlo couldn't do that because he was essentially directed into playing an inferior version of a great character that we all know

@arongebremedhin9764 9 ай бұрын

rlly hope Giancarlo doesn't get typecast from now on, he has range

@bretonfou7046 9 ай бұрын

Maybe there's a jar full of Baylans somewhere

@BeresVonSaladir 9 ай бұрын

I think that the younger the story is, the more okay it is for them to bring out something new with no explanation. Obiwan said he fought in the Clone War, without giving further explanation, and no one minded that - interested in what the Clone War was, perhaps, but they don't get angry or feel that it doesn't make sense. But if Ahsoka, after 6 (or nine) movies and several series, were to run into a 20 something years old man who claims to be a veteran from the Great Galactic Armadillo War without any more explanation, we would question the hell out of it.

@carolbriscoe9337 8 ай бұрын

What you said is perfectly true. Plus, we enjoy a good, solid villain, especially in Star Wars. The movie or TV series feels rather tame without a strong antagonist.

@isaacsibrian2503 9 ай бұрын

Baylan having no mention makes a lot more sense then someone like Ashoka, who was suppose to be important for Anakain and is never mentioned in any movie so far. That is problem with retconning things and then not even attempting to give explanations.

@simplord5854 9 ай бұрын

Hey Thor, do you think that Dave Filoni has lost a bit of his passion for Star Wars? I feel like there is a large difference creatively between his old work and some of his new work.

@generalkenobi9782 9 ай бұрын

I personally think so. One does not simply fall from Avatar the Last Airbender and Clone Wars, to whatever this is.

@lukew8337 9 ай бұрын

I don’t think so he just shouldn’t be the only writer. He had a whole team of writers working together for the other shows.

@lukew8337 9 ай бұрын

@@generalkenobi9782he directed the animation for avatar season 1 he wasn’t involved with the writing

@achaudhari101 9 ай бұрын

@simplord5854 Of course he still cares on what he does.

@generalkenobi9782 9 ай бұрын

@@lukew8337 I see. Thanks for the correction.

@mpnuorva 9 ай бұрын

He's a new kind of darksider that pops up after the Sith fall, seeks power for his own purposes by co-operating with Imperials, has a Dark Jedi apprentice with issues, tempts one of the main characters to unwise choices. He's bascally everything Snoke was hyped as but turned out not to be, but without the things that made Snoke a big disapointment.

@Hello-bi1pm 9 ай бұрын

What are those specific things that made Snoke disappointing? Except the Snoke character in this show is Marrok. Dave baiting fans is still low for him.

@Jack_Simpson 9 ай бұрын

I think that Baylen intrigues people because he’s a character who is constantly put in situations where the audience doesn’t know what he’s going to say or do… So we pay close attention, we anticipate and we kinda end up empathizing. Stevenson also use does a lot with his face to communicate things dialogue can’t. Ahsoka kinda feels like a hollow version of a better show, and Baylen is from that better show.

@oliveragag8576 9 ай бұрын

Don't forget his relationship with Shin. Having another character to play of of helps his likeability.

@BBDragon66 9 ай бұрын

It is the unknown and wonderous possibilities for the story of Baylan and Shin (Hottie) that drew me in, but I almost want them to let Baylan wander off and let it be a story for a different time. I used to want the Boba Fett show until we got what we got. Fett wasn't even as good or interesting in his own show as he was in The Mandalorian. (Insert "Like a Bantha" meme here) The stories in the EU truly seem to be from a long time ago and quality that is far, far way better than most anything Disney can come up with now days. I would much rather them let Ray Stevenson's excellent portrayal of Baylan stand as is than have it shit upon by a rushed nothingburger story and a hasty recasting to try to keep us coming back for more and only getting less than we expected. I am pressing X to doubt that Ahsoka will be better in the future than what we got already.

@qemuel 9 ай бұрын

The three P's: performance, possibilities, and potential.

@trevorjones5341 9 ай бұрын

Villains are all about Aura. He has it. All of George's villains had it. This is the first good villain Disney has come up with.

@joaopedrorosa6198 9 ай бұрын

He is a Mystery box. And what we dont know about It IS more interesting than what we do know.

@dinfulofsin8525 9 ай бұрын

Baylan is a strong male character .we all clung to him because we've all been starved for masculine energy for so long it was like being able to drink after being in a dessert for a decade.

@terenceblakely4328 8 ай бұрын

I'm pretty sure when Ahsoka was first created she was supposed to die at Anikan's hand as part of his descent to the dark side... and then they wimped out.

@sharkrakensalazarmander1567 8 ай бұрын

For me, what damaged the character of Baylan was the consistency and pacing of the series. Season 1 should have only him as the main threat: with Baylan and Shin going on a treasure hunt for the map to find Thrawn and doing so they're going against Ahsoka and Sabine. With the right amount of screentime we could have some actual reason to be worried about what Baylan was up to, and answer the question of "where has he been all this time?".

@smeer001 8 ай бұрын

I would have enjoyed a Baylon/Shin show much more than what we got. What a tragedy that Ray Stevenson has left us. It is his great acting that made the best part of the show.

@crlclssic 9 ай бұрын

Damn that question at the start lol 🤦‍♂️😅

@billwhipple9039 9 ай бұрын

I feel that Cushing was great but reigning in Vader and the single line where he won't evacuate are what made the character. Maybe just how he delivered the lines?

@sovcast8760 8 ай бұрын

I remember during his season on Dexter, even though he was the bad guy, you kind of liked him anyways. At least when he wasn't threatening any of the main cast.

@ryanmccarthy7572 9 ай бұрын

for me it was that he was a fallen jedi just like Dooku, but he never became a sith unlike Dooku. so its upsetting to know that Ray Stevenson past away and they cant use him to play the character

@JackQSmith 8 ай бұрын

As someone that wasn't previously familiar with the actor, I personally found Balon to be overhyped. I was rather indifferent towards his character. I was intrigued to learn what his actual motivation was but so far that hasn't really gone anywehere. Almost seems like a JJ Abrams mystery box. Maybe if they recast him we'll get answers in season 2, or if the character appears elsewhere, but so far it's a "meh" for me.

@Loki_Yogi 9 ай бұрын

Baylan "stealing the show" boils down to three things: casting, performance and possibilities.

@stevesharp1331 9 ай бұрын

Hey Thor, I really enjoyed Baylan-he really stole the show-but one question I've had since his first fight with Ashoka is just how powerful is he? Ahsoka was able to defeat Maul when she was 17, regularly trounced inquisitors throughout the years of the Empire, and went toe to toe with Vader (albeit only survived through time travel trickery), but lost to Baylan now? By that alone he's become one of the most powerful force users in the franchise and it shows how weak other force users have become. Just curious about your take on this.

@MRDLT00 8 ай бұрын

7:35 EXACTLY! She was a fucking retcon that broke the damn Prequel Films and NEVER should have been shoe horned in 3 years AFTER THEY ENDED!!!!

@richvestal767 8 ай бұрын

Subtext. Good actors understand subtext. They can express entire paragraphs of dialogue with a look and/or a sigh.

@richardsylvester4518 9 ай бұрын

The issue is there is no closure. There is NOTHING to define the end of Ashoka season 1 and the start whatever comes next. That's bad season writing.

@darthcaedus9130 9 ай бұрын

What made me like his character was that he was a mystery. How did he know annie=Vader? What happened at the jedi temple during operation knightfall? His fighting style reminded me of Vader. Was he anakins friend and anakin spared him? Too bad we will never get these answers

@mazkeraid4039 8 ай бұрын

Mystery box per character, as if Dave was following the ways of J.J. Abrams.

@darthcaedus9130 8 ай бұрын

@@mazkeraid4039 could imagine him saying, "Write that down!" Lol

@uruuphiil8335 8 ай бұрын

The Punisher, Amongst others.. wlll color my love for Ray...😀😀😀

@mkhud50n 9 ай бұрын

Baylan = Balance. He’s what Anakin would have been if he took the Father’s offer.

@emperormaximilianthegreat9485 9 ай бұрын

How so?

@mkhud50n 9 ай бұрын

@@emperormaximilianthegreat9485 he’s in between the light and dark, dresses in all black, can beat Ahsoka in a fight, can control a dark sider like Shin, knows the old stories are true, stands on the statue of the Father (next to an absent light side, maybe Ahsoka) The father wanted Anakin to take his place and maintain balance in a place exiled from the rest of the galaxy. I think Baylan hears the call of the Chosen One. Plus his name is basically balance just Star Wars-ified.

@emperormaximilianthegreat9485 9 ай бұрын

@@mkhud50n I see your points! I believe his orange lightsaber would make a fine addition to your theory, as well. I had not heard the possible Baylan = Balance equation before, interesting! But for some reason I feel Baylan is too darksided to "rival" Anakin about the father's place as balance...

@mkhud50n 9 ай бұрын

@@emperormaximilianthegreat9485 I think he is too but I still think he will try. The beginning of the Mortis arc says something like "whoever seeks control shall never know peace" or something like that. We shall see eventually.

@DaNewWaveLee 9 ай бұрын

The performance was good but it was just because there was no expectation for the character because we knew nothing about him before hand.

@Jedishill680 9 ай бұрын

What kind of Jedi was young Baylan, was he an orthodox Jedi or unorthodox Jedi ?, was Baylan the class hipster with a orange saber ?

@ashblossomandjoyoussprung.9917 8 ай бұрын

Hey Thor, something I just remembered is that General Grievous came from The Clone Wars, right? That's why he had his injuries in ROTS, because he got those injuries in TCW. So, why do we say "Oh, it's fine that Ahsoka wasn't in a Star Wars movie," specifically ROTS when General Grievous was?

@WhoWouldWantThisName 8 ай бұрын

This will likely sound pissy of me but I think it's warranted. Right now everyone is obsessed with Baylan, but that is largely due to the intrigue made possible due to a lack of exploration of the character. Eventually, after they get the screen time they want with him (assuming they re-cast), those same fans will be bitching about what they've done to their precious Baylan and how he's been ruined. Frankly it's rather easy to make a new character somewhat interesting but once people really take interest they then have attachments, the Jedi might say, and expectations. This is why people are so disappointed in Ahsoka when they couldn't have cared less back in the beginning of TCW. She grew up before our eyes and we fell in love with her over time. Now Baylan is poised to be the next in a long line of characters we feel strongly about and require the powers that be to not make any missteps with them along the way. Maybe we should note where Baylan ranks in the polls today and compare that later in season 2, 3, etc..

@matthewsands3591 9 ай бұрын

Mon Mothma is a bad example when comparing to the question of where is Ashoka and Baylin in the OT. It's not conflicting with anything to see rebel leaders that we'd not seen before because there existence is easy to presume. But other jedi existing in the OT especially Ashoka, is a problem. Also Ashoka's absence in ROTS, with Anakin not even trying to spare her from order 66. But especially in the OT. Ashoka even existing in the OT is stupid because she certainly would have snd should have been involved. Baylin's absence in the OT is a little easier to buy if he turned away from the jedi and has no obvious connection to characters in the OT. In other words, for film continuity, no jedi should've survived other than Yoda and Obi and Ashoka shouldn't have existed at all.

@MichaelWarlock 9 ай бұрын

If you wanna see max ray Stevenson watch black sails he was amazing as blackbeard

@bozimmerman 9 ай бұрын

Perhaps Baylan was also interesting because he wasn't a simple mustache-twirling villain, unlike his apprentice Shin Hati. Shin gave off angry psychopath vibes. Had she been a storm trooper it would not have mattered. Baylan, though, shows mercy and is thoughtful, two things that Shin was not.

@kristijan8518 9 ай бұрын

Mystery. That's the main reason he is so interesting. We don't know anything about him, we don't know who is he, what does he want. He doesn't hate jedi nor the republic. He isn't a sith, he doesn't like the empire. We can't pinpoint what or who is he. Not knowing about him, makes him interesting, humans have a need to know stuff.

@GrievousReborn 9 ай бұрын

Not a Star Wars one but I think Mark Hamill was born to voice the Joker the fantastic job in so many people love his performance as the character I mean you can't spell Mark Hamill without Arkham

@alexbigbonejones 8 ай бұрын

I agree with most of what you say but I do find it to be annoying that you have Sabine and Ahsoka who are heroes and helped found the rebellion yet they completely sit out of the OT. Ahsoka really found her old master and helped fight the empire just to quit and give up. There needs to be an explanation why they both abandoned the rebellion

@gearedgiratina2136 8 ай бұрын

Hey Thor, I think the problem with Sabine is not that she was able to use the force or push Ezra across to the Star destroyer, we wave seen babies in clone wars and rebels use the force to make objects levitate as well as the fact that the Jedi had an Agricultural regiment as well for padawan rejects who still had force abilities like push and pull but where deemed “not worthy” of becoming a knight’s padawan for X reason. The real issue is that Sabine ONLY used her force abilities instead of using them in tandem with her mandalorian gadgets as well as her mind as we know she is very smart from her days at the imperial academy. She isn’t like Rey at all. Force push and pull are the most basic of force abilities in the Star Wars universe. Her pulling her lightsaber was fine but her pushing Ezra to the SD should have been a quick push and not her using the force to actually hold him up to it.

@jeffagain7516 9 ай бұрын

Excellent answer to an obvious ( and I suspect, quite honest) question Thor, well done Sir. I personally found Baylan and to a slightly lesser degree Shin, the most compelling characters in the entire series. Knowing that Filoni is not very gifted with character portrayal, a LOT of what intrigue Baylan provided was courtesy of the great performance given by Ray. Had the character been helmed by a lesser actor, he would have come across as just another lackey in service to Morgan and Thrawn. As is, filling Ray's boots for any continuation we are lucky enough to receive, is going to be one of the most difficult casting calls Disney has faced in a long time. Baylan could end up cracking open an incredible storyline, or like many times in the past, just another Disney throw-away character. Kennedy has zero fondness for strong male characters.

@tommyg4842 9 ай бұрын

I really dislike over praise of actors doing their job becassue then we get issues with recasting because people don't want to let go. Id like to see other people be casted for luke skywaker, leia, grand moff clones face/body maybe even voice then use CGI.

@Bmoney1337 9 ай бұрын

Ray Stevenson… RIP

@Sci-Fi-Mike 9 ай бұрын

Ray Stevenson played Baylan to perfection. Many fans really want to see Baylan's future. As Thor mentioned, that sparked a lot of interest in Snoke, as well. I hope Baylan's fate is more satisfying (for me, at least...I found Snoke disappointing).

@robqwert2696 9 ай бұрын

Baylan will be possessed by the spirit of the Brother so his face will change or find some kind of sith artifact in a form of a mask and wear it

@manz7860 8 ай бұрын

I wish they wore their hoods way way more. Im not sure they ever put it back on after the first episode.

@betterlatethannever4529 8 ай бұрын

So original everyone was connected to the force, but only a specific few actually had a strong enough connection to use it. But now that anyone can use it if they train enough, what’s the point of trying to clone yourself with the blood of a force sensitive?

@captaindc3889 9 ай бұрын

I think Ray Stevenson probably had something to do with Skoll’s superior characterization

@Habu12 9 ай бұрын

Ray Stevenson. That’s it. That’s the answer.

@Rathadude 9 ай бұрын

I didn't know "ending the cycle" was on the list of generic bad guy goals up there with "unlimited power" and "ruling the galaxy."

@roggie77777 9 ай бұрын

Wow wouldn't it have become interesting if he became snoke and his injuries were sustained by Luke Skywalker. That would have been an amazing saga

@Crazozourus 8 ай бұрын

Well he does behave like a human being that actually interacted with other humans before, that alone makes him the best character in the show.

@manz7860 8 ай бұрын

Fair lol

@usveteran9893 9 ай бұрын

The problem with your theory that some actors were "perfect casting" is that there is the possibility that one of the characters could have been portrayed by another actor that was "perfect casting". There is the possibility that some other actor could have played Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, or Moff Gideon and it would have been "perfect casting" but we will never know will we?

@ALEXANDERATTACK 9 ай бұрын

Hey Thor - I never understood the perfect actor for a role. Lots of people could have played Iron Man or Captain America. It is a union of acting, the story, and the actor. I wonder if the actor was still alive. Would he be getting so much praise?

@user-co6wb1ck9k 9 ай бұрын

Overall, it was great to get a stellar performance from a character who showed a ton of promise. But at this time, we need these shows to not be named after these legacy characters. And we need to be set in a separate universe and be in a brand new lane in Star Wars as a whole. Likely, no one minded the series. A fun and (imo) pretty superficial story with the return of Anakin as Hayden, not too mention Ahsoka done well in live action, We don't really need many more stories with no stakes set in a universe where we can safely predict the ending. #RetconTheSequels It's time to see Super Saiyan Luke Skywalker save the entire world against a devastating villain... or please just go in a different direction...

@beastlyarrow6570 9 ай бұрын

Hey Thor, you often say that in order to stop misusing legacy characters Disney should go to an unexplored time period like The Old Republic. Although I would love to see The Old Republic I disagree. What happens when a new popular character from that time period simply a few years later falls in to the hands a of a writer that doesn't know how to use them? Somehow, someway Disney simply just needs to do better regardless of the time period if you ask me. I'm not asking for perfection and to each their own, but the poor writing in Kenobi was inexcusable for example. I don't see why the same thing can't happen during any time period. What are your thoughts on this?

@MRDLT00 8 ай бұрын

7:01 Okay but Thor, Mon Motha is some non combatant senator/politician. Why would she be at any of the previous battles?!? Not to mention Ahsoka is constantly questioned about because 1 she is one of the few Jedi left in the galaxy who could turn the tide of many battles for the Rebellion and be key figure for rallying them, therefor would be known about, and 2 she's Anakin's apprentice and so she has relation to several characters in the OT, so she should be brought up at some bloody point!!!

@Kowkarot 9 ай бұрын

I wouldn't compare him with Snoke, but with, as you did, Moff Gideon, but also with Kylo Ren. People often said he was the best character in the sequels, but he wasn't, he was full of contradictions and behaviors that made no sense, but Adam Driver was so damn great at playing him, that him doing anything on the screen was already interesting.

@manz7860 8 ай бұрын

Moff Gideon isn't a good comparision. Not a force user.

@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t 8 ай бұрын

The beard.

@qwefg3 9 ай бұрын

Four simple points. 1) he could act. 2) he had a mystery with a promise of an answer 3) he had stakes 4) the executives in charge forgot about him... You may be confused with that last point, but they remember that Thrawn existed and ensured that he was the most incompetent commander to ever live and somehow made his escape look like a loss despite him winning. By forgetting this Jew character existed the writers were able to make him actually interesting. Which shall never be done again because now the executives know about him... And the actor died in real life. If anything they would have downgraded him like Mof Gidden in season 3. Totally loved, feared, dangerous villain reduced to a lazy cartoon villain forgetting what he is doing half the time as he always lets the heroes escape and win.

@TheAETHER22 9 ай бұрын

Quite simply he is a very sophisticated character. His intelligence and thinking rivals that of Count Dooku. Star wars nowadays just lacks maturity.

@MRDLT00 8 ай бұрын

7:19 He had no relation to any of those characters at that time, so why would they bring him up!?!?!?!

@MobbJacket88 9 ай бұрын

He was played by a really cool actor but was only mildly interesting. But being mildly interesting is 100x better when compared to everyone else in this show. But if you like Ray Stevenson then just go watch Rome.

@LedPESRule 9 ай бұрын

The acting and presence of Ray Stevenson elevated the bad material. Also he pretty much the only one that had a few glimmers of interesting character development and good dialogue.