Before Ahsoka, Let's Dig Into The Star Wars History Of Grand Admiral Thrawn

In Timothy Zahn's "Heir to the Empire" trilogy, a legendary "Star Wars" character was birthed. Zahn's work reinvigorated the franchise's Extended Universe (EU) by introducing antagonists that were not Sith but motivated by ambitions that did not align completely with that of the Empire. The big bad in Zahn's work was a tactical genius who cared about his men for pragmatic reasons and emerged as someone dangerous without wielding special sabers or Force-sensitive abilities. We're talking about Grand Admiral Thrawn, the blue-skinned Chiss officer who took it upon himself to dismantle the freshly-built New Republic that was still finding its footing.

The key to understanding Thrawn is Zahn's "Thrawn Ascendancy" trilogy, which serves as a prequel to "Star Wars Rebels" and takes place sometime after the events of "Attack of the Clones." The trilogy introduces the Chiss Ascendancy, a relatively-unknown oligarchic autocracy hidden deep within the galaxy, whose are focused on their own advancement as opposed to working as enforcers for the Empire. Enter Thrawn, whose ambitions eclipse that of his people, situating him firmly as the face of the Imperial remnant after the rise of the New Republic.

Thrawn's legacy is rather complicated — a lot happens in the "Stars Wars" EU when it comes to this brilliant antagonist, and his fringe-to-canon pipeline is further complicated by Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012. As there is no official established timeline that denotes what's canon and what's not when it comes to Thrawn, it is tricky to piece lore together and speculate about his path ahead in upcoming Disney+ shows like "Ahsoka." This transition from a "Legends" character to being reintroduced in "Star Wars Rebels" is certainly a rocky one, but let's dive deeper into his EU roots and unravel what his canon presence might mean for the near future.

As it is impossible to get into every Thrawn-adjacent arc without coming across continuity issues, let's keep things precise, yet brief. Also known as Mitth'raw'nuruodo, Thrawn used his encyclopedic knowledge about various cultures to his advantage, which helped birth strategies that targeted the group's weaknesses. Known to have been exiled from his homeworld, it is later revealed that this backstory was but a clever ruse to confuse opponents and gain the upper hand when one least expected it. Thrawn's fake backstory allowed him to gain importance amongst the ranks of the Empire pretty quickly, to the point he soon became an asset for Emperor Palpatine.

It is worth noting that Thrawn also crossed paths with Anakin Skywalker at some point, and the details of this unlikely dynamic are revealed in "Thrawn: Alliances" in a Clone Wars-adjacent flashback, where Thrawn offers Anakin help on a mission in Batuu after Padmé goes missing. Thrawn introduced himself to Anakin as Commander instead of Senior Captain to appear less intimidating and reminded him that victory was the goal, not revenge.

Thrawn's rise among the Imperial ranks, however, was not easy, as he had to face discrimination due to his alien physiognomy. He befriended Eli Vanto at the Imperial Academy soon after, and the two worked closely together to resolve several cases, and Thrawn was promoted to Commodore within a short period, given his impressive track record. While his duties included crushing enemies of the Empire, he also dealt with the Grysk Hegemony, who threatened his homeworld at the time. Interestingly, Zahn originally kept Thrawn's arc short and sweet by effectively killing him by the end of the "Heir to the Empire" trilogy. However, the character's popularity led the author to write four more books, along with a tie-in prequel about Thrawn's pre-Imperial days.

Disney's Lucasfilm acquisition also came with ownership of all EU material in the franchise, which included Zahn's extensive works on Thrawn, which are no longer considered canon. However, an unexpected book-to-screen leap happened when co-creator Dave Filoni decided to incorporate Thrawn as one of the primary antagonists in "Star Wars Rebels" throughout seasons 3 and 4. Although Filoni's decision allowed Thrawn to find his way back to canon, it is crucial to note that his EU lore is integral to the canonical events of the original trilogy. The unfortunate clumping of Thrawn lore under the "Legends" banner paints half a story via reestablished canon. However, this also opens avenues for fresh retellings that draw from the EU while expanding canon in meaningful ways.

As "Rebels" illustrates, Thrawn is a delightfully Machiavellian antagonist that encapsulates the aura of his "Legends" counterpart, thanks to a measured, menacing performance by Lars Mikkelsen (who will be returning in "Ahsoka" in his first live-action appearance as Thrawn). Thrawn's Lothal shakedown is perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of "Rebels," as we see him go up against the likes of Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren and emerge as a greater danger than Darth Maul and Vader. Thrawn's disappearance alongside Ezra Bridger in the "Rebels" series finale will even lead directly into the plot of "Ahsoka" and, it's speculated, the live-action "Star Wars" film Filoni is working on.

After Thrawn was reinstated to canon, Zahn made a comeback with fresh trilogies, including "Thrawn Ascendancy," set in 19 BBY while chronicling Thrawn's life over the years. There's tons of lore packed into these books, as we learn more about Thrawn's mysterious home planet and his supposed "exile" that triggered his rise among the Imperial ranks.

"Rebels" also outlines Ahsoka's complicated relationship with her Jedi master, Anakin, and how his turn to Vader impacted this dynamic down the line. After a time-traveling Ezra saves Ahsoka from certain death, Ahsoka prevents Palpatine from finding her friend and is determined to search for him after his disappearance alongside Thrawn. With Thrawn gone, Ezra's home planet of Lothal was retaken by the Rebels. However, Ahsoka's mission to find Ezra had only begun, and the upcoming Disney+ series will be zooming into this particular aspect of her journey.

Finding Ezra means locating Thrawn, and Ahsoka is seen walking this path during her appearance in "The Mandalorian," where Thrawn has already been name-dropped. Several years have passed since Ezra disappeared when "The Mandalorian" picks up, providing ample time for Thrawn to be waiting patiently in the shadows and planning his next move to take over the reins that he had to reluctantly let go after his defeat in the "Rebels" finale.

If the events of "The Mandalorian" are to be considered, it is clear that the New Republic is not doing so well, as it has inadvertently fallen into the same coercive trappings as its predecessor. There's rampant corruption in the new regime, allowing Imperial remnants to seep through the cracks unnoticed and sabotage the regime from within. While some efforts, such as the Imperial stronghold at Mandalore by Moff Gideon, have been thwarted, Thrawn's shadowy presence creates uneasy tension between the current regime's condition and what might strike them when they least expect it. The fact that fan speculation seriously considered Thrawn's involvement in the re-siege of Mandalore is indicative of how natural it is for him to spearhead a master plan meant to dismantle an entire race of people who are seen as potential threats to the Empire.

While the long string of lined-up "Stars Wars" properties will flit between timelines, there are no serious antagonists threatening our heroes, except for rogue attempts at disruption (although "Andor" is a nuanced exception here). Thrawn is the only anti-hero who harbors the potential to emerge as a live-action big bad at this moment. The fact that his greatest asset isn't the Force does make him a wild card, as power can be easily tipped by main character "armor" or deus ex machinas. Ruthless cunning, however, is a completely different game, and effectively alters the stakes in a galaxy that is precariously dangling by a thread.

The question is whether "Ahsoka" will embrace post-"Legends" Zahn or incorporate aspects of the "Heir" trilogy, where Thrawn is never portrayed as a full-fledged villain, but a smart, admirable man with an ambition that dooms his sense of morality. "Rebels" flattens this nuance considerably: here, Thrawn is motivated by power and is seldom seen indulging in behaviors that can be viewed in a positive or neutral light. Will "Legends" Thrawn rear his head in "Ahsoka" or will Disney/Lucasfilm stick to the character's impressive, yet lackluster "Rebels" treatment? Time will tell.

There's a unique opportunity here to depict Thrawn as someone who's unmistakably aligned with questionable motivations but still harbors emotions capable of evoking sympathy. No, this does not mean that a tragic sob story should weaken his machinations — if anything, these nuances can create a figure that's terrifyingly human amidst extreme circumstances. Thrawn does have a gentler side, after all, as he's an ardent lover of the arts and a man of culture. The fact that he chooses to use this as a knife to gut his enemies is what makes him so menacing as an anti-hero.

"Ahsoka" premieres August 23, 2023, on Disney+.