The Inquisitor was the very first character from "Star Wars Rebels" introduced to fans. Since then, Lucasfilm has trotted out details on all of the show's heroic rebels and at least one other bad guy, but they were holding back one very big piece of news.

Highly respected British actor Jason Isaacs is providing the voice for the Inquisitor. Isaacs is best known for his turn as Lucius Malfoy in the "Harry Potter" film series, and he recently received acclaim for his starring role on the short-lived NBC series "Awake."

The Inquisitor is being billed as "Rebels"' biggest, baddest villain. (In other words, since "Rebels" probably isn't allowed to use Darth Vader, the Inquisitor is their stand-in.) He's a member of the Pau'an species, better known as the inhabitants of Utapau as seen in "Revenge of the Sith." They have elongated heads, striped faces and sharp teeth. The Inquisitor's job is to hunt down and kill rogue Jedi that escaped Order 66 at the end of the Clone Wars. According to a new video released by Lucasfilm (below), despite appearances, the Inquisitor is not a genuine Sith. He's a Force-powered warrior, and he taps into the Dark Side, but he is not considered a Sith Lord.

"He's cold, he's analytical, he doesn't get angry," as Lucasfilm's Pablo Hidalgo describes him. He also doesn't show up in every episode, because Lucasfilm wants to make sure it really means something when he appears. He's not the typical cartoon superhero who's defeated one week but comes right back the next. From the way he's described in the video, it sounds possible that the Inquisitor could triumph over the heroes at least as often as he's defeated, if not more.

"Star Wars Rebels" is the new animated series from the makers of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." Set five years before the events of "A New Hope," it tells the story of five Rebel heroes, who help to start the Rebellion against the Galactic Empire. The Rebels in question are the crew of the Ghost, a small starship they use to fight back against the Empire. They are human "Jedi cowboy" Kanan Jarrus, Twi'lek pilot Hera Syndulla, Mandalorian artist Sabine Wren, Lasat mechanic Zeb Orrelios, and teenage human con artist Ezra Bridger. They're joined by their cranky Astromech droid Chopper.

"Star Wars Rebels" is set to debut on Disney Channel this fall, followed by a weekly series in 2015 on Disney XD.