This Star Wars Master & Apprentice Duo Has The Best Intro (& It's Not In The Skywalker Saga)

Star Wars is known for numerous epic entrances, from Darth Vader’s now-iconic hallway scene in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to Luke Skywalker’s own hallway entrance in The Mandalorian season 2 ending. Yet, in terms of character introductions, particularly master and apprentice duos, one surprising pair takes the lead.

Most shocking of all is the fact that this duo isn’t introduced in the Skywalker Saga, or in any Star Wars movie, for that matter. Rather, this Force-sensitive duo (neither Jedi nor Sith) has the best master and apprentice duo introduction in all Star Wars movies and TV shows, and it unexpectedly occurred in the Ahsoka show.

Baylan Skoll & Shin Hati Have The Best Master & Apprentice Intro

Shin Hati and Baylan Skoll were introduced in the Ahsoka show’s first episode. In fact, the show begins with mysterious figures, who claim to be Jedi, boarding a ship with their identities concealed under their hoods (that do actually seem very reminiscent of Jedi robes). Even more curiously, the pair ignites orange lightsabers, which is a bit of an enigma in terms of lightsaber colors and their meanings.

However, it doesn’t take long for their behavior to confirm that they are, at the very least, not actually Jedi, as they go on to cut down everyone on the ship. Typically, this would presumably make them Sith, but neither is actually a Sith Lord. If anything, this master and apprentice team is perhaps the closest Star Wars has gotten to depicting a Gray Jedi or Dark Jedi on screen.

Their light side versus dark side affiliation aside, Shin and Baylan’s introduction as a duo is truly the best master and apprentice intro in Star Wars. It begins with mystery and deceit and ends with their mutual show of power, easily cutting down everyone who came to confront them. Despite this being a duo that falls outside the typical Jedi/Sith binary and not being part of the Skywalker Saga, it is the best master and apprentice introduction.

This Introduction Bests Even Some Of The Most Iconic Duos

Star Wars Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon in The Phantom Menace holding their lightsabers as the Trade Federation droids attack them — Star Wars Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon in The Phantom Menace

Interestingly, there aren’t many master and apprentice duos directly introduced together, which admittedly gave Shin and Baylan an easier time being seen as the best intro. For example, Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano are one of the most iconic Star Wars duos, but they don’t actually have an introduction together; Ahsoka was an addition late in the game, in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and they have a clunky on-screen beginning.

Even with Luke Skywalker, easily one of Star Wars’ most powerful Jedi, he never really had a master and apprentice fighting sequence such as this one on screen. Yes, he’s trained by both Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi—also two of Star Wars’ most powerful and most iconic Jedi—but he doesn’t actually fight alongside them or go into battle with them at any point, even with Obi-Wan on the Death Star.

However, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s entrance in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is probably a close second to Baylan and Shin’s entrance in Ahsoka. They, too, have a fight very early on in their first on-screen appearance together, during which they cut down droids together and Obi-Wan offers up some of his signature quips.

Even this beloved pair doesn’t have an entrance as good as Baylan and Shin’s, though, as the latter’s is action-packed, shocking, and marks their character’s respective introductions together (whereas Qui-Gon hadn’t yet been seen on screen, but Obi-Wan, of course, had been in the original trilogy). It’s even better that Shin and Baylan are such unique characters.

Hopefully, audiences will get some brand-new iconic Baylan and Shin moments in the upcoming second season of Ahsoka, for which both Star Wars characters are confirmed to be returning. In the meantime, however, these unusual Force-users absolutely deserve more credit for their epic introduction.