Several key moments in theStar Warscanon are crucial toGrand Admiral Thrawn’sstory (and will likely impact his future). Returning to the establishedStar Warscanon in 2016 with the animated seriesStar WarsRebels, Thrawn made his live-action debut in 2023’sAhsoka.He’s also been positioned to become a major threat in the future with upcomingStar Warsprojects set in the New Republic timeline.
Originating from the Unknown Regions of theStar Warsgalaxy,Thrawn originally served the Chiss Ascendancybefore he eventually became a Grand Admiral in the Galactic Empire, a rare alien officer in the entire xenophobic regime who had gained Palpatine’s favor due to his impressive mind as a tactician and his knowledge of the Unknown Regions themselves. During the New Republic Era, Thrawn certainly looks ready to unite the various factions of the Imperial Remnant in a bid to take back the galaxy. Keeping that in mind,here are 9 key moments from Grand Admiral Thrawn’s story that will likely have an impact on his future in theStar Warstimeline.
9Grand Admiral Thrawn Meets Anakin Skywalker
His First Time In The Established Star Wars Galaxy
Still serving the Chiss Ascendancy, Thrawn left the Unknown Regions and the ranks of the Chiss to scout out the more known sectors of theStar Warsgalaxy, hoping to learn more about the state of the galaxy and a means of turning the tide against their rivals, the Grysk Hegemony.This led to Thrawn’s meeting with Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars. Together, Thrawn and Anakin joined forces on a mission to save Padmé Amidala, as well as to disrupt the operations of a special Separatist droid factory. In exchange, Thrawn learned more about the Clone Wars from Skywalker and also received a deflector shield generator for his people.
Thrawn’s time with Anakin was depicted in the canonical novelThrawn: Alliancesby Timothy Zahn (who created Thrawn for his Legends trilogy of novels). It’s the reason why Thrawn does a double take decades later inAhsokawhen Morgan Elsbeth confirms that Tano’s master was Anakin.Thrawn knew exactly who Anakin was, having personally seen him in action while also respecting him as a warrior. As such, he changed his tactics accordingly when it came to dealing with his apprentice, and will likely come into play inAhsokaseason 2.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
Conceived by the will of the Force itself, Anakin Skywalker was the prophesied Chosen One, destined to bring the Force into balance. Anakin struggled to balance competing attachments to the Jedi Order and his wife Padmé Amidala, and ultimately fell to the dark side, becoming Darth Vader. For years he served as Palpatine’s right hand man, but he was ultimately redeemed by the faith of his son, Luke Skywalker. Now a Force Ghost, Anakin continues to act as an agent of balance.
8Thrawn Pledges Loyalty To Emperor Palpatine
(At Least He Seems To)
Years later, Thrawn returned from the Unknown Regions seeking allies for the Chiss. This leads to a meeting with Emperor Palpatine himself who grows intrigued by Thrawn using Anakin Skywalker’s name as someone who could vouch for him. Having been granted a place within the Empire,Thrawn pledges his loyalty to Palpatine as a means to eventually broker an alliance between his people and the Empire.
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Zahn’s canonical trilogy ofThrawnnovels heavily implies thatThrawn’s loyalty was only ever a means to aid his own people. To that end,Thrawn: Treasonconfirms that Palpatine intended to speak with Thrawn about where his true loyalties lay following encounters where the Grand Admiral had to choose between Imperial service and aiding his people. However, Thrawn was exiled to Peridea before that conversation could happen. To that end, future Thrawn stories set during the New Republic Era are primed to reveal what Thrawn will do now that Palpatine is gone. Perhaps Thrawn intends to take command of the Imperial Remnant for the sake of supporting the Chiss.
7Thrawn Meets Morgan Elsbeth
And Predicts The Empire’s Demise
While Admiral Thrawn was still climbing the ranks,the former Nightsister Morgan Elsbethgained his attention thanks to her unique designs for a new TIE Fighter, as seen in the animated miniseriesTales of the Empire.Seeing her value and what she could provide, Thrawn brings Morgan into his inner circle. He also predicts that the Empire will gradually crumble and collapse if it continues to trade lives for the sake of profit due to the weakened and disillusioned military such actions would inevitably create.
To that end, the Empire does indeed collapse once Palpatine is no more. Likewise, Morgan Elsbeth ends up becoming a critical player in his return to the knownStar Warsgalaxy years after his exile ahead of the original trilogy. As such, it will be very exciting to see how Thrawn intends to correct the mistakes of the past Empire.
Morgan Elsbeth
Hailing from the planet Dathomir, Morgan Elsbeth’s people were almost wiped out during the Clone Wars after their leader, Mother Talzin, became a rival to Darth Sidious himself. Morgan swore loyalty to the Empire, and became a close associate of Grand Admiral Thrawn himself. When Thrawn was stranded in a distant galaxy, she spearheaded efforts to retrieve him, prompted by visions cast by the Great Mothers of Peridea. She was sacrificed by Thrawn to buy him time to escape Peridea, with Ahsoka and her allies stranded there.
6Thrawn Given Command of The 7th Fleet
Becoming A Grand Admiral Aboard The Chimaera
Finally becoming a Grand Admiral, Thrawn is given command of the Seventh Fleet, his flagship being the uniquely armed and paintedStar Destroyed known asThe Chimaera. Tasked with hunting down Rebel cells, Thrawn makes the elimination of Phoenix Squadron and the Spectres a key priority, as seen inStar Wars Rebelsseasons 3 and 4. This served as his official reintegration into the establishedStar Warscanon, mirroring his character in Legends with an all-new story.
However, Thrawn’s conflict with the Spectres is what eventually leads to his exile in theStar Warstimeline. Furthermore, several members of this Rebel family including Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, and Ahsoka Tano will more than likely continue to be his key rivals as Thrawn’s story continues in futureStar Warsprojects. However, Thrawn knows how to gain strength from failure and exploit his opponents' weaknesses. Likewise, his return to the galaxy will no doubt prove to be incredibly challenging for the New Republic overall.
5Thrawn Faces The Bendu
During The Battle of Atollon
During the Battle of Atollon, Thrawn and his forces would have wiped out Phoenix Squadron hadthe large Force known as the Bendunot intervened. After the Bendu created a powerful and very destructive lightning storm, the Rebels were able to escape the system. As such, this likely served asa key moment in Thrawn’s canon story in which the Grand Admiral bore witness to the power of the Force and how its unpredictable naturecould alter even his best strategies.
To that end, it’s already been shown inAhsokahow the Grand Admiral is seemingly making up for that which he lacks: the ability to wield the Force. It’s certainly no accident that he’s since surrounded himself with allies gifted in the dark side. However, this interaction with the Bendu also saw the creature telling Thrawn that he could see his future defeat,“like many arms, surrounding you in a cold embrace”. Keeping that in mind, it will be very exciting to one day compare the Force-being’s words with Thrawn’s final demise down the line.
4Thrawn Joins Forces With Darth Vader
The Emperor’s Best
BetweenStar Wars Rebelsseasons 3 and 4,The Emperor tasked Thrawn to join forces with Darth Vader, and this was also in theThrawn: Alliancesnovel. Intelligent enough to deduce that Vader was once the man he met during the Clone Wars,the dynamics between Thrawn and Vader are fascinating as they embark on this new mission, one that evokes the same adventure they shared years ago when the Dark Lord was still Anakin Skywalker. As such, this resulted in a key moment for the Grand Admiral, making him one of the few people in the entire galaxy who knew the truth about Darth Vader.
Likewise, Thrawn would later use this information against Anakin’s apprentice as seen at the end of 2023’sAhsoka.One can imagine that the Grand Admiral will continue to do so in any future encounters, as it’s a darkly effective means of exposing any lingering doubts or insecurities within Tano. That said, Ahsoka’s recent (and hopefully future) interactions with her former master’s spirit will likely keep her centered and focused in the future.
Ahsoka Tano
The apprentice of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano was an accomplished Padawan who served during the Clone Wars. Ahsoka left the Jedi after she became disillusioned with the Jedi Council, but returned to serve in the Siege of Mandalore at the end of the Clone Wars. She survived Order 66, becoming a Rebel agent during the Dark Times of the Empire’s reign, and her adventures continue in the New Republic era. Ahsoka was last seen stranded in a distant galaxy, having failed to prevent Grand Admiral Thrawn’s return.
3Thrawn Goes Missing During The Battle of Lothal
Thanks To A Pod of Purrgil
During Thrawn’s final endgame with Phoenix Squadron on Lothal, the Grand Admiral suffered one of his worst failures. This was again due to the unpredictability of the Force, asJedi Knight Ezra Bridger called out to a pod of interstellar purrgil to attack Thrawn’s fleet, sending both Ezra, the Grand Admiral, and the bulk of his forces away from Bridger’s homeworld to parts unknown. As such, Grand Admiral Thrawn missed out on the entirety of the Galactic Civil War which began in earnest just after this conflict with the Battle of Scarif (as seen inRogue One).
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This moment explains why Thrawn wasn’t in the original trilogy, and likely the Bendu who had foreseen his defeat. However,Thrawn being sent away before the Galactic Civil War means that he’s now ready to take command of what remains during the New Republicnow that Vader and Palpatine are both gone. Had he been present leading the Seventh Fleet, Thrawn would have likely led the Empire to victory over the Rebellion. That said, it’s just as possible that he might have also met his end right alongside the Sith Lords.
Ezra Bridger
Hailing from the planet Lothal, Ezra Bridger’s Force potential was discovered by Order 66 survivor Kanan Jarrus. Ezra became Kanan’s apprentice, working as a key asset in the Lothal rebel cell. He sacrificed himself in a desperate gambit to defeat Grand Admiral Thrawn, becoming stranded for years in a distant galaxy on the planet Peridea. Ezra has now returned, thanks to the efforts of his friend Sabine Wren.
2Thrawn Spends Nearly A Decade In Exile
(Ezra Bridger Too)
Thanks toAhsoka,it was revealed that Thrawn and his forces spent nearly a decade on the extragalactic world of Perideawith no way of getting back to the knownStar Warsgalaxy. While the details of their time stranded on this planet are largely a mystery, it’s clear that they likely faced their share of combat due to their damaged armor. However, it’s likely that the full extent of what happened to Thrawn and his men will be revealed down the line inAhsokaseason 2 and other future New Republic projects.
1Thrawn Returns To The Known Star Wars Galaxy (With New Allies)
Allied With The Nightsisters
By the end ofAhsoka,Thrawn makes his back to the knownStar Warsgalaxy with his men and the Nightsisters known as the Great Mothers. They also have several boxes on boardThe Chimaerataken from Peridea’s crypts which many have presumed are Nightsister corpses.Seeing as howAhsokaends with Thrawn presumably basing himself on the Nightsisters' world of Dathomir, it does seem as though the Grand Admiral intends to learn from his past failures and never underestimate the Force again, having made new allies who helped him return and also wield magicks sourced in the dark side.
Grand Admiral Thrawn
The only alien to ever ascend to the rank of Grand Admiral, Thrawn is a strategic genius who hails from an isolationist race known as the Chiss. Thrawn’s motives are enigmatic, but his tactical brilliance made him a vital asset for the Empire. Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger successfully defeated Thrawn during the Battle of Lothal, resulting in Thrawn’s exile to the distant planet Peridea in another galaxy, but the Grand Admiral has now returned.
