Ray Stevenson Remembered by Costars and Fans as ‘Ahsoka’ Reaches Its Finale
Ahsoka finished its eight-episode run this week with an eventful and action-packed finale that’s given fans plenty to talk about. The series brought many of the Rebels cast to live-action for the first time, but it also introduced some compelling new characters like the former Jedi student Baylan Skoll, who was played memorably by the late great Ray Stevenson. Sadly, Stevenson passed away earlier this year at the far-too-young age of 58, so audiences knew going into Ahsoka that this season would be his only time portraying the character.
Now, though, Ahsoka has concluded its first (and hopefully not only) season, and fans have unfortunately now seen the end of Stevenson’s performance as Baylan. Given the importance of the occasion, many of Stevenson’s costars have taken a moment to pay their respects to him one more time.
Ivanna Sakhno, who played Stevenson’s on-screen apprentice, posted an image to her Instagram page (hat tip IGN) of a scene from Norse mythology depicting the wolves Skoll and Hati chasing the sun and moon, respectively, across the sky. She added the message, “For my friend Ray. Forever your Wolf. x”
Several other Ahsoka cast members replied to the post with tributes of their own. Rosario Dawson wrote: “Grateful for you always Ray. Thank you for deepening and enriching every moment. You will forever inspire.” Diana Lee Inosanto said: “To Ray, our ‘Poetry in Motion’, May we always be reminded of you when we look to the stars.” Eman Esfandi and Natasha Liu Bordizzo also replied with emojis.
They also weren’t the only ones to mourn the late actor. Fans took to social media on Wednesday to share their tributes after witnessing the last scene of Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll. Here are just a few of the many kind messages posted in his honor:
https://twitter.com/TheStarWarsAcad/status/1709520265628049850
The saddest thing about #Ahsoka S1 ending is it's the last we'll get to see of Ray Stevenson. Baylan Skoll was one of the most interesting antagonists in the series as of late with so much more to explore. What we got was awesome. He did an incredible job. Rest in peace, legend. pic.twitter.com/7EMyHe7Bf1
— Shaurya Chawla (@_ShauryaChawla) October 4, 2023
Since #Ahsoka is now over, let’s not forget how phenomenal the late Ray Stevenson has been as Baylan Skoll throughout the series and it’s truly sad he won’t be able to continue the characters legacy. Thank you Ray for giving us an iconic character in such little time, RIP ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zRHzUeqb0k
— ً (@R10UTD) October 4, 2023
Ray Stevenson brought Baylan Skoll to life expertly in every one of his scenes, helping to give the character a sense of wisdom and maturity that only made him so much more interesting to watch. The physicality he brought to the role, particularly to the action scenes, also showed audiences what a fearsome opponent Skoll could be.
He may have been taken from us too soon, and his time in the galaxy far, far away may have been short-lived, but he made the most of every minute of his screen time. No matter whether his role is recast or not, Ray Stevenson left behind an undeniable legacy.
We here at Star Wars News Net want to thank Ray Stevenson for sharing his talents with fans everywhere, and we wish nothing but the best for his loved ones as they remember him, too.
May the Force Be With Him.
Eric has been a fan of Star Wars ever since the age of five (or so) when his parents sat him down in front of a TV with pizza and a Sprite and showed him the original trilogy. He keeps trying to convince more fans to read the amazing 1980s Star Wars newspaper comics by Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson. When he's not reading, watching or playing Star Wars media, he's often enjoying other great fantasy and science fiction sagas or playing roleplaying games with his friends.
