It was first revealed in Empire Magazine that Baylan Skoll is a survivor of the Jedi purge known as Order 66, an event that “Star Wars” fans will likely remember taking place during the later half of “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.” When the Jedi, led by Mace Windu, attempted to overthrow Supreme Chancellor Palpatine upon learning that he was a Sith Lord, Palpatine prepared to enact his longtime plan to eradicate the Jedi Order. After defeating the Jedi attackers with the help of Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine issues Order 66, which activates programming within the minds of the clone troopers, turning them against their Jedi allies. Few Jedi survived the purge, thanks to the thorough efforts of the clone troopers, and later the Inquisitors, who were trained to use the dark side to hunt down Force-sensitive individuals.
Baylan Skoll was serving as a Jedi Knight under the order when it came under attack. While it currently remains a mystery as to how he managed to survive, Skoll went into hiding and managed to survive the entirety of the Galactic Empire’s reign. In the show’s first episode, Baylan uses an old Jedi code to board the New Republic vessel carrying the prisoner, Morgan Elsbeth. The captain of the vessel calls Baylan’s bluff, not realizing that he is in fact a former Jedi, trained in the ways of the Force.