A newStar Warsretcon has finally confirmed why Darth Vader was kidnapping children, but it’s created an entirely new Inquisitor-related plot hole in the franchise.Star Warshas implied thatDarth Vader – and the Empire, by extension – were scouring the galaxy for children to kidnapfor years, though it never truly explained why. This idea was originally explored inStar Wars Rebelswhen Ahsoka Tano and the Ghost Crew prevented the Fifth Brother and the Seventh Sister fromstealing a Force-sensitive childin season 2.
Later, in George Mann’sStar Wars: Myths & Fables, a collection of in-universe legends that each hold a kernel of truth, one story spoke of Vader invading a backwater planet called Cerosha, slaughtering adults and kidnapping children. In theMyths & Fablesfollow-up,Star Wars: Dark Legends, another story spoke ofVader and the Grand Inquisitor, the leader ofVader’s Inquisitors– dark siders ordered to hunt down surviving Jedi in the wake of Order 66 – visiting an orphanage on the planet Gaaten, where they kidnapped multiple kids. SeveralStar Warsreference books have stated this was an objective known as Project Harvester.
Star Wars Reveals The Real Reason Darth Vader & The Inquisitors Hunted Children
Of course, the only reasonable explanation for why they were taking these specific children is that they were Force-sensitive, butStar Warsnever confirmed what happened to those children after they were stolen from their homes – until now. In the recently releasedStar Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxyby Dan Brooks, Megan Crouse, Amy Richau, Amy Ratcliffe, Brandon Wainerdi, Dan Zehr, and Kelly Knox,Star Warshas confirmed that the Inquisitors, as led by Darth Vader, began Project Harvester“to find Force-attuned beings to train into future Inquisitors.”
Star Wars: All 16 Inquisitors In Canon Explained
Star Wars' Inquisitors were Darth Vader’s elite death squad of Jedi-killing dark side users. Who were these Imperial agents and what were their fates?
Most, if not all, ofthe Inquisitors canonically introduced inStar Warsso far have all been prior Jedi. They either turned to the dark side of their own free will, as was the case with the Grand Inquisitor, or they were tortured into submission, as happened withStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s Second Sister. Crucially, however, all the Inquisitors we’ve seen were adults operating in the years directly following Order 66. So, what happened to all of these kidnapped children?
Why Haven’t We SEEN Any Of These Inquisitors In Canon?
If the Inquisitorius managed to kidnap numerous kids during these Project Harvester missions,it’s strange that the franchise has never introduced any of these specially trained Inquisitors.So far, there are only 16 full-fledged Inquisitors confirmed inStar Warscanon, many of whom had a connection to the Jedi Order – but if the Project Harvester claims are true, then logically speaking, Darth Vader should, in the latter years of the Empire’s reign, have had a small army of Inquisitors at his disposal, rather than little more than a dozen.
If the Project Harvester claims are true, then Darth Vader should have had a small army of Inquisitors at his disposal, rather than little more than a dozen.
So, what happened to all these Inquisitors? It seems highly unlikely that not a single one met Vader’s requirements to become an Inquisitor, but there are also very few logical places where these Inquisitors can still turn up inStar Warscanon before the fall of the Empire without drastically altering the balance of power in the galaxy. So, willStar Warsever address this discrepancy? It’s hard to say –Star Warscanon is a complicated beast, after all.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
