As Dave Filoni noted in his interview, Ray Stevenson’s dedication to portraying Baylan Skoll in “Ahsoka” as a sympathetic character lends the former Jedi a certain level of nuance and complexity in his characterization. Though the character stands as one of the major antagonists of the series, it’s clear that he carries out his actions with the conviction that what he’s doing is correct.
Playing a morally ambiguous character who doesn’t neatly fall into the category of good or evil proved to be an enjoyable task for Stevenson. In press interviews prior to his death, the actor spoke about the unique nature of Skoll and the storyline that the show’s creators had set up for him. “He has a kind of, I would say, an inherent ability,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s like, if you don’t stand in his way, he’s got no malicious attitude at all. But if you do, you’d just be swept aside, because there’s something that’s driving him that Dave Filoni and Jon [Favreau] know, and is hopefully going to be revealed throughout the telling. And it’s just breathtaking.”
It’s unknown how “Star Wars” will handle Stevenson’s passing in the future, but if Skoll does return in some capacity, fans should expect to continue seeing him grapple with his own morality. In fact, one theory suggests Skoll’s future is as a good guy, though whether that happens remains to be seen.
