When the fourth episode ofThe Mandalorian’s second season, “The Jedi”, first aired,Star Warsfans were excited to see Ahsoka Tano (RosarioDawson), a fan-favorite character, make her jump from animation to live-action. The episode saw to every bit of expectation… And then some. While most people were expecting the noble warrior to just nudge the Mandalorian (PedroPascal) and his foundling Grogu in the right direction to their journey, she ended up revealing much more about where this little corner of theStarWarsuniverse is headed by revealing her quest to find the villainous Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Mitth’raw’nuruodo - Thrawn, for short - is one of Star Wars most beloved characters and the only major villain of the franchise who has yet to make the jump to live-action. A member of the Chiss species, he has only appeared so far in animation, inStar Wars Rebelsvoiced byLarsMikkelsen. He and Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray) were last seen being carried by a group of space whales to Force knows where. Now, it seems, he’s about to become the major villain of the so-called “Filoni-verse”, which encompasses the shows created byJonFavreauandDaveFilonifor Disney+. And, as it often happens in this galaxy far, far away, the past may have already paved the way for what’s to come.
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TheHeir to the Empirestoryline
Thrawn’s story goes way beyond the screens. In fact, his very first appearance was what actually kicked off theStar Warsfranchise beyond screens big and small, on theHeir to the Empirebook trilogy byTimothy Zahn. It was the long-awaited return of the franchise after almost a decade, and Thrawn managed to catch every reader’s attention just as much as Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, or Han Solo.
Just like the events of the Filoni-verse,Heir to the Empireis set five years after the events ofReturn of the Jedi. A period of relative peace is brought to an end by the rise of Thrawn and his Seventh Fleet, which hadn’t taken part in the events that led to the fall of the Empire despite being one of its greatest military divisions and whose sigil appears onThe Mandalorianpainted on the heads of the Magistrate’s (Diana Lee Inosanto) droids on “The Jedi”.
Thrawn had our heroes on the ropes for the almost entirety of the trilogy, showcasing his awesome military knowledge and strategic expertise. More than an Imperial Grand Admiral, the Chiss warrior is a scholar in the ways of war, always a step ahead of his adversaries by knowing everything there is about them mainly through the analysis of art. So far in the Disney canon, these traits remain a key part of his personality, used extensively onStar Wars Rebels,and will likely play an important role in theAhsokaseries.
At this point, an adaptation of theHeir to the Empirestoryline is also the most likely outcome for the coming together of the Filoni-verse shows.The Mandalorianmade a point of showing the Empire remnant on the move mostly in the figure of Moff Gideon, played byGiancarlo Esposito. The actor himself has already teased that Gideon must have information coming from somewhere, and there is no one better than Thrawn for the job. Another sign is the fact thatRay Stevensonhas joined the cast ofAhsokaas an Imperial Admiral, possibly Gilad Pellaeon, the Grand Admiral’s notable first officer.
The new Thrawn Trilogy
When Thrawn’s return was officially announced at Celebration Europe 2016, his jump from the books to the screen made everyone go wild. But it was also announced that the character would be getting a new book trilogy by Zahn, his first in the new Disney canon.
WhileHeir to the Empiretold a story set after the original Star Wars movies, the new Thrawn Trilogy spoke of his early career as an Imperial officer, a secret mission with Darth Vader to the edges of the galaxy, and a joint mission with the Chiss Ascendancy, where he was already a decorated officer, albeit seen as a controversial figure.
There are a few key aspects of the new Thrawn Trilogy that may make their way to the screen when the character debuts onAhsoka. The most important one, though, is the character Eli Vanto, an Imperial officer who acted as Thrawn’s liaison in the Imperial Academy and joined the Chiss Ascendancy on the Grand Admiral’s request. Few people understand Thrawn better than him, and this is another role that could fit the bill for Stevenson.
The Ascendancy Trilogy
The most recent book series about Thrawn concluded just last year, again in the words of Timothy Zahn. This time, he takes us straight to the character’s home, the Chiss Ascendancy, and through his formative military years on the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet.
The Ascendancy is a major State on the Chaos - the part of the Star Wars galaxy referred to as the Unknown Regions - and the most powerful force there. For a long time, they have monitored the Galactic Republic, and Thrawn even had the opportunity of going on an off-the-records mission with legendary Jedi Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars.
The Chaos is a particularly difficult part of the galaxy to navigate, but the Chiss still manage to find their way around with their sky-walkers, Force-sensitive girls who use their abilities to see a few minutes into the future and pilot their ships through hyperspace. This is a particularly interesting aspect of the Ascendancy Trilogy, seeing as Thrawn and Ezra Bridger were taken by the purgill, a species of Force-sensitive space whales, by the end ofRebels.
Another important thing to point out is the fact that Thrawn was a covert operative for the Ascendancy when he joined the Empire. The idea was that he would infiltrate the Imperial Navy to assess any potential threats for his home State. He took this mission on the orders of Supreme General Ba’kif and Admiral Ar’alani, two big figures of his past who may also make an appearance onAhsoka.
Zahn’s Thrawn and Filoni’s Thrawn
Bringing Thrawn back forStar Wars Rebelswas a bold move by showrunner Filoni. The character is an almost overwhelming force for any adversary, and the Phoenix Rebel Cell had a really tough time just surviving his attacks. There are many similarities between the Thrawn seen onRebelsand Zahn’s novels. The most important is his cold voice and demeanor, as well as the already mentioned expertise in strategy and taste for art. He is a military mastermind, and beating him is really only possible through really obscure means, like the purgill summoned by Ezra on the series finale.
But there are also some key differences between those two takes. Even though Filoni is seen as a natural successor to George Lucas when it comes toStar Wars, he still lacks a touch when developing Thrawn as a character. While Zahn usually depicts Thrawn as a good officer fighting for the wrong side, Filoni’s seems to be as vicious and evil as any member of the Empire. Moments like his fateful meeting with the Bendu onRebelsSeason 3 finale and the bombing of Lothal on Season 4 are things difficult to imagine if one has only known the character through the books, as is his willingness to let the Magistrate destroy worlds like Corvus onThe Mandalorian.
Perhaps with a fellow storyteller like Jon Favreau, Thrawn’s jump to live-action could be one of the most exciting things for the future of Star Wars, whether it’s an adaptation ofHeir to the Empireor a whole new storyline.
