Diana Lee Inosanto teases Magistrate backstory reveal on Ahsoka

Dalton Ross
·3 min read
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Not a lot is known about Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth, whom we first met in The Mandalorian "Chapter 13: The Jedi" when she went toe-to-toe with Ahsoka Tano… and lost.

We know her people were massacred during the Clone Wars. We know she sought her revenge by joining the Empire and punishing anyone and anything that got in her way. We also know she somehow acquired a fancy beskar staff along the way, using it with great proficiency in her battle with Ahsoka.

But that was about it. Not only did Diana Lee Inosanto, who played the Magistrate, not know when she was first introduced that the baddie would be continuing on the upcoming Disney+ series Ahsoka — she didn't even know her character had a name!

Diana Lee Inosanto as the Magistrate on 'The Mandalorian'
Diana Lee Inosanto as the Magistrate on 'The Mandalorian'

Lucasfilm Ltd. Diana Lee Inosanto as the Magistrate on 'The Mandalorian'

"Everything was such a complete surprise," Inosanto told EW's Star Wars podcast Dagobah Dispatch when she recently appeared alongside Ahsoka costars Lars Mikkelsen, Ivanna Sakhno, and the late Ray Stevenson. "Listen, I didn't even know my name was Morgan Elsbeth until the night it aired. Seriously!"

So what did Inosanto know about her character? "I just knew I was the Magistrate, so I had to make up this complete backstory," she said. "The night it aired, I was just stunned! I'm like, 'I have a name?'"

As Inosanto noted, her moniker was a little overshadowed by another big name reveal that same episode: "Everybody was making a big deal about Grogu having a name, right? And I'm like, 'Oh, I have a name, you know!'"

The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and the Magistrate (Diana Lee Inosanto) on 'The Mandalorian'
The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and the Magistrate (Diana Lee Inosanto) on 'The Mandalorian'

Lucasfilm Ltd. The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and the Magistrate (Diana Lee Inosanto) on 'The Mandalorian'

Not only does she have a name, but now she has a whole new show in Ahsoka (which will premiere in August), and Inosanto is excited to flesh out all angles of Morgan Elsbeth. "When I found out that they were going expand her character, I was just over the moon about this," she said. "I just couldn't believe how the planets and the stars aligned. And to be able to work with such a magnificent cast and to grow as an actress and feel that energy, it's a dream come true."

So what can she tell us about the Magistrate we will be seeing on Ahsoka? It sounds like series creator Dave Filoni has given Inosanto some good material with which to work. "The beautiful thing was, Dave was always there to assist me on what her backstory is," she said. "She's quite the manipulator, and we all know she's cold-hearted, but this is a character that is truly dedicated and loyal to Grand Admiral Thrawn. And there's nothing getting in her way."

And when it comes to why, it appears we will be getting more intel on what drove Elsbeth to such extremes. "What I really love is that we are going to get into her backstory," Inosanto gushed. "I'm just thrilled and excited, and I think the fans are going be quite fascinated and pretty happy about this."

Rosario Dawson and Diana Lee Inosanto on 'The Mandalorian'
Rosario Dawson and Diana Lee Inosanto on 'The Mandalorian'

Lucasfilm Ltd. Rosario Dawson and Diana Lee Inosanto on 'The Mandalorian'

Inosanto already knows all about playing to an audience with high expectations. After all, her big Mandalorian fight scene with Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka was watched on set by none other than Star Wars creator George Lucas and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.

"They're heroes of mine," the actress recalled. "They're trailblazers. So when [Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau] introduced me to them, I was like, oh my goodness. It was such an honor. You have the most creative minds that were there that day, [including] Jon and Dave, and it was just amazing. And then to do this beautiful combative dance with Rosario, I mean, what a beautiful moment and what a way to bond with her."

And now she gets to pepare for round 2 when Ahsoka premieres this summer.

To hear our entire interview with Inosanto, Lars Mikkelsen, Ray Stevenson, and Ivanna Sakhno, check out the latest episode of Dagobah Dispatch.

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