Star Wars has finally revealed how Palpatine turned Jedi into Inquisitors during the Clone Wars. Darth Sidious was a fearsome opponent for the Jedi Order, not least because he was a master of the long-term plan. He cultivated a relationship with Anakin Skywalker over the course of over a decade, ultimately manipulating the Chosen One into a position where he fell to the dark side. But Anakin wasn't the only one Palpatine seduced to the darkness; Star Wars canon has revealed Darth Vader led a group of Inquisitors, primarily former Jedi who became Jedi hunters in their own right.
Delilah S. Dawson's book Rise of the Red Blade serves as something of an origin story for two of the Inquisitorius, focusing in on a woman named Iskat Ikaris. Previous excerpts revealed this Inquisitor served at the Battle of Geonosis at the beginning of the Clone Wars, but the latest excerpt - published on EW - takes place a few months later. It features a chilling conversation between Iskat Akaris and Chancellor Palpatine himself, with the chancellor taking advantage of a few brief moments to cultivate Iskat's confidence and nudge her toward the dark side. The pattern is strikingly familiar - the exact same approach Darth Sidious took with Anakin Skywalker.
How Palpatine Seduced Iskat Akaris To The Dark Side
Anakin Skywalker was far from the only Jedi dissatisfied with the Jedi Council during the Clone Wars. While some Jedi felt the order should never have gotten involved in the war in the first place, there were others who embraced aggression. Palpatine seems to have found at least some of these Jedi, and he clearly took advantage of every opportunity to cultivate their confidence. He didn't exert anything like the kind of effort he put into Anakin Skywalker, of course; the Chosen One was his ultimate prize, while any other Jedi falling to the dark side was simply a bonus. In this case, Palpatine makes sure to give Iskat Akaris a sympathetic ear, leaving her seeking opportunities to spend more time with him. She will surely have not been the only one he used this approach with.
The seeds are all there in the brief conversation between Palpatine and Iskat Akaris: he encourages her dissatisfaction with the Jedi, and hints he believes the Council is impeding her future. Palpatine's initial probing questions and comments are designed to identify and exploit Iskat's frustration, and he then manipulates her skillfully. "I feel certain you have a bright future ahead of you," the Sith lord tells Iskat, no doubt already envisioning her as one of Darth Vader's Inquisitors.
The Jedi Council assigned Iskat Akaris to teaching the Younglings - the same children Palpatine planned to have slaughtered by clone troopers. Palpatine was already ensuring Younglings trusted clone troopers, meaning they would be particularly vulnerable when he issued Order 66. He surely found it even more amusing to turn one of the Younglings' teachers into an Inquisitor who would hunt any survivors down. Palpatine truly was the greatest villain of Star Wars, a ruthless mastermind who was so many steps ahead of his enemies.
Source: EW
