The upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series will see the iconic Jedi Master face off against his former pupil, the formidable Sith Lord Darth Vader, but he will also face off with plenty of other villains who wield red lightsabers.

These villains, glimpsed in the trailers for the show, are making their live-action debuts, meaning that they are about to be introduced to a much wider audience of Star Wars fans. So who are these villains, known as Inquisitors? We have actually seen them show up quite a bit in other Star Wars material, including Rebels, Jedi: Fallen Order, comics, books, and more.

So here’s a primer to get you ready for the series by catching you up on what exactly Inquisitors are, followed by a brief look at each of the Inquisitors we know about so far – including those who will appear in this series!

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What are Inquisitors?

The Inquisitors were a group of Jedi hunters who worked for the Empire in the aftermath of the Jedi Purge, tasked with tracking down and eliminating any surviving Jedi under the direction of Darth Vader. Made up of former Jedi, they were skilled with lightsabers and in using the Force, but were not Sith.

Shortly after Sheev Palpatine declared himself to be Emperor, he enacted his plan for this Inquisitorious program, and he soon placed it under the command of his new apprentice, Darth Vader. Himself a fallen Jedi, Vader trained them quite cruelly, but equipped them to face off against Jedi. Though not as formidable as an opponent to the Jedi as Vader himself, the Inquisitors were largely successful in their task, helping carry out the eradication of many Jedi – leaving very few left in the galaxy by the time of the Battle of Yavin. Under Vader, the Grand Inquisitor (a former Jedi Temple Guard) led the Inquisitorious, and the Inquisitors themselves commanded Purge Troopers to aid them in combat.

The Inquisitors were based at the Fortress Inquisitorius, located on the planet Nur in the Mustafar system – where Vader could keep his distance while still keeping a close eye on them. In order to keep the existence of the Inquisitors largely a secret, the location of this remote hideout was kept hidden from much of the galaxy. It served as a prison and torture facility for captured Jedi.

Who are the Inquisitors?

We know of ten Inquisitors so far, and though there’s much that could be said about many of them (and less to be said about a few), here’s a brief rundown of each one that we’re aware of so far.

Grand Inquisitor

The Grand Inquisitor was a former Jedi Temple Guard who held the highest rank among all Inquisitors. Under the command of Darth Vader, the Grand Inquisitor out-ranked all other Inquisitors and Purge Troopers and was thus more well-equipped and well-trained than the others to hunt and kill Jedi. He was sent to find and kill Jedi Kanan Jarrus and his apprentice Ezra Bridger, and he succeeded in capturing Jarrus and bringing him back to Mustafar for torture. But when the Ghost crew arrived to rescue Jarrus, the Grand Inquisitor dueled the Jedi and was defeated. He then chose to fall to his death rather than face Darth Vader as a failure, something he called “far more frightening than death.”

Notable appearances: Rebels (first appearance), Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader (2017) comic, 

Second Sister

The Second Sister was a Jedi formerly known as Trilla Suduri, who was the apprentice to Cere Junda. Master and apprentice survived Order 66 and took with them a group of younglings to hide. Junda was captured, however, and upon much torture gave up the location of her padawan. Suduri was also captured and tortured, and eventually she broke and embraced the dark side, becoming an inquisitor. At some point, she carried out a mission to Ontotho. Later, she and the Ninth Sister journeyed to Bracca to investigate possible Jedi activity, discovering Cal Kestis. The Second Sister fought Kestsis on Bracca, but the young Jedi was rescued by Junda and her pilot, Greez Dritus. She later encountered Kestis again on Zeffo, revealing that she knew of his search for the holocron and that she wanted it too. Her intentions were apparently to earn the Emperor’s favor by acquiring the holocron that gave the location of Force sensitive children. Kestis escaped this confrontation thanks to his droid, BD-1, but the Second Sister again encountered him on Bogano, retrieving the holocron and taking it back to Fortress Inquisitorius. Kestis and Junda infiltrated the Fortress to retrieve the holocron and Kestis this time overpowered the Second Sister. Junda offered Suduri her apology, but Darth Vader arrived and killed the Second Sister for her failure. Right before she died by Vader’s blade, she pleaded with Kestis and Junda to “avenge us”.

Notable appearances: Jedi: Fallen Order (first appearance)

Third Sister

The Third Sister is Reva, a former Jedi who is sure to become the most well-known of all the Inquisitors for her starring role in Obi-Wan Kenobi. She’s a brand new character for the series, so we know very little about her, but she will presumably be someone we learn quite a bit about, as we see that she is highly involved and invested in the hunt for Kenobi.

Notable appearances: Obi-Wan Kenobi (first appearance)

Fourth Sister

We know very little about the Fourth Sister, only that she was a former Jedi. At some point a Rebel commander named Lina Graf stole the Fourth Sister’s armor in an attempt to infiltrate Vader’s Castle on Mustafar. Nothing is known about the Fourth Sister’s fate, however, so all we know is that her armor was stolen. She will be appearing in Obi-Wan Kenobi, however, marking her first true appearance.

Notable appearances: Obi-Wan Kenobi (first official appearance), Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle

Fifth Brother

A former Jedi, the Fifth Brother continued training under Darth Vader and the Grand Inquisitor. The Fifth Brother was a part of Vader’s strike team in pursuit of former Jedi High Council member Eeth Koth, and many years later was assigned to hunt down Jedi Kanan Jarrus and his padawan Ezra Bridger. Along the way – and as he continued with the Empire’s mission of abducting Force sensitive children – he, along with the Seventh Sister, encountered Ahsoka Tano. Later, he encountered Jarrus, Bridger, Tano, and Maul on Malachor, where he was killed by Maul. Though he was physically imposing, he was not much of a match for skilled lightsaber wielders like Tano or Maul.

Notable appearances: Rebels (first appearance), Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader (2017) comic

Sixth Brother

The Sixth Brother was a former Jedi known as Bil Valen. Upon joining the Inquisitorius, he lost his arm in training with Vader, and later was part of Vader’s mission to Mon Cala. In order to help ensure his own escape from their predicament on Mon Cala, the Sixth Brother betrayed the Ninth Sister and left her behind, further proving that he had no problem harming or killing others for self-gain or self-preservation. At some point after that, he was hunting a Force sensitive child when he got word of an older Force user on Raada, who turned out to be Ahsoka Tano, and hunted her down before he was killed by Tano.

Notable appearances: Ahsoka novel (first appearance), Darth Vader (2017) comic

Seventh Sister

The Seventh Sister was a former Jedi who was sent out to hunt for Ahsoka Tano during the few years leading up to the Battle of Yavin. This mission brought her into contact with Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger as well, and she worked closely with the Fifth Brother to continue hunting the Jedi down – including taking Force sensitive young children. She soon found Tano but was defeated in combat, with the former Jedi padawan escaping. The Seventh Sister met up with the Jedi again on Malachor, facing off against Jarrus, Bridger, Tano, and Maul, where she was subsequently killed by the former Sith Maul.

Notable appearances: Rebels (first appearance), Darth Vader (2017) comic, 

Eighth Brother

A former Jedi, the Eighth Brother was dispatched to hunt down Maul, known as “the shadow.” He tracked him to Malachor, where the Eighth Brother joined forces with the Fifth Brother and Seventh Sister to face Maul, along with Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger, and Ahsoka Tano. The Eighth Brother soon attempted to retreat from this fight by using the helicopter-like nature of his spinning lightsaber, but his weapon had been damaged and he fell to his death.

Notable appearances: Rebels (first appearance), Darth Vader (2017) comic, 

Ninth Sister

Formerly a Jedi known as Masana Tide, the Ninth Sister was captured and tortured before she became an Inquisitor. She was part of Vader’s team investigating possible Jedi activity first on Cabarria, and then on Mon Cala. While on Mon Cala, the Ninth Sister was betrayed by the Sixth Brother, who cut off her leg and left her behind in order to escape himself. But the Ninth Sister survived this and years later went with the Second Sister to Bracca to again investigate possible Jedi activity, which turned out to be Cal Kestis. Kestis escaped from their grasp on Bracca, but the Ninth Sister tracked him down on Kashyyyk, eventually confronting him atop the Origin Tree. After a lengthy duel, Kestis eventually got the upper hand and used the Force to push the Ninth Sister off the giant tree, sending her falling to her apparent death.

Notable appearances: Darth Vader (2017) comic (first appearance), Jedi: Fallen Order

Tenth Brother

The Tenth Brother was formerly a Jedi known as Prosset Dibs, a former Jedi Master who grew disillusioned with the ways of the Jedi and, during a mission with Mace Windu, committed treason by trying to kill Windu because of it. He was spared death because of Windu’s pleading to the Jedi High Council, but once the Republic fell Dibs joined the Inquisitorius. He was part of Darth Vader’s team to Mon Cala in search of a Jedi, but when they encountered the Jedi, he persuaded the Purge Troopers (who were former clones) to turn on these former Jedi by executing Order 66. The Tenth Brother was killed soon after the Purge Troopers opened fire.

Notable appearances: Darth Vader (2017) comic (first appearance as an Inquisitor)

Purge Troopers

Purge Troopers are not officially Inquisitors, but they are more elite troopers than the regular stormtroopers that the Empire employs. They were comprised of both clones and recruits, and they were specially trained in combat against Jedi. The Purge Troopers carried varied weapons, including blaster rifles and electrostaffs, and their armor was designed to help provide additional protection against lightsabers. Working under the Inquisitors, Purge Troopers were known both to accompany them into battle and confront Jedi independently of them.

Notable appearances: Jedi: Fallen Order; Obi-Wan Kenobi; Darth Vader (2017) comic (first appearance)