The upcoming Ahsoka Disney+ series, starring Rosario Dawson, is set to take the Star Wars galaxy in a bold new direction. Alongside many exciting teases about the show's first season, Lucasfilm has revealed that Lars Mikkelsen will reprise his role as Grand Admiral Thrawn from Star Wars: Rebels.
Grand Admiral Thrawn will likely become the next major antagonist of the Star Wars franchise, completely redefining the future of its characters and storylines. Before he makes his live-action debut in Ahsoka, there are several things that everyone should know about Grand Admiral Thrawn.
10 Thrawn Was Originally A Star Wars Legends Character
Grand Admiral Thrawn once served as a major antagonist in Star Wars: Rebels and will return in the upcoming Ahsoka Disney+ series. However, these are far from the first projects to feature the brilliant strategist. The character's first appearance was actually in a series of novels called "Legends."
Thrawn first appeared in Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire trilogy. Fans and critics widely consider the three books as some of the best Star Wars novels ever written. The trilogy explored Thrawn's counteroffensive against the New Republic after the fall of the Empire. From that moment on, Thrawn became one of the most important characters in Star Wars Legends.
9 Thrawn Isn't His Real Name
Grand Admiral Thrawn has gone by many names over the course of his life. He adopted the name "Thrawn" relatively late in life, as he was born as Kivu'raw'nuru. During his early years, Kivu'raw'nuru was also known by his "core name" of "Vurawn."
Eventually, Thrawn was named Mitth'raw'nuruodo during his military career. His new name also came with a new core name, "Thrawn." After his exile from his homeworld and enlistment in the Empire, people knew Mitth'raw'nuruodo exclusively as Thrawn.
8 Thrawn Comes From The Unknown Regions
Thrawn doesn't hail from the well-charted sectors of the Star Wars galaxy, but rather a region of Unknown Regions ruled by the Chiss Ascendancy. In his early career, Thrawn served the Chiss military where he quickly displayed great skill in strategy and fleet command.
The Chiss Ascendancy eventually sent Thawn into exile, fostering a distaste for his preemptive tactics against violent pirate clans. After his exile, Thrawn traveled to the charted regions of the galaxy, eventually enlisting in the Imperial Navy and rising the ranks to become a Grand Admiral.
7 Thrawn Was Never Fully Loyal To The Empire
Grand Admiral Thrawn may have loyally served the Empire for many years, but the Emperor's regime was never first in his heart. While Thrawn was a great asset to the Empire, he always felt drawn to the Chiss Ascendancy, even during his exile. Thrawn's loyalty to the Empire came more from necessity than love, with the Chiss people always remaining his first priority.
Thrawn's tempered loyalty to the Empire set him apart from his compatriots, who were proud of their blind patriotism to their government. Unlike some of the Star Wars franchise's more prideful villains, Thrawn knew exactly what the Empire was and served them accordingly, never once mistaking its true intentions for altruism.
6 Star Wars Already Introduced Thrawn's Protégé
Grand Admiral Thrawn took many Imperial soldiers under his wing during his time in the Navy, noticing his subordinates' potential to serve the Empire. One of these proteges was Captain Gilad Pellaeon, who is portrayed by The Walking Dead star Xander Berkley in the third season of The Mandalorian.
Captain Pellaeon is one of Thrawn's most vocal supporters among the Imperial warlords of the Shadow Council and will likely serve as an important ally in the events to come. Pellaeon may serve as Thrawn's right-hand man, holding a place of honor in the early days of the First Order.
5 Thrawn Respected His Enemies
Unlike many other villains in the Star Wars universe, Thrawn holds some respect for those he opposes. While Thrawn won't hesitate to obliterate his enemies, he makes it quite clear that he doesn't do it out of hate. He frequently demonstrates a level of respect and even admiration for certain opponents.
Thrawn has run across some of Star Wars' greatest heroes during his long and celebrated career in the Imperial navy, including the captain of the Ghost, Hera Syndulla, in Star Wars: Rebels. Thrawn comes to genuinely respect Syndulla and select members of her crew, seeking to learn more about them as the series goes on.
4 Thrawn Isn't A Politician
Many Star Wars characters have political motivations behind their every move, especially the villains. However, Thrawn differentiates himself in this way. The Grand Admiral appears to have no political aspirations. Instead, politics seems to be one of his very few weaknesses.
Thrawn's every action comes from his strategic mind, but he doesn't seem to be vying for power. Thrawn values victory over anything else and cares very little for the idle conversation of politics. As a result, Thrawn actually proves to be one of the more trustworthy Star Wars villains, as he doesn't hide a secret agenda like his more political counterparts.
3 Thrawn Is More Than A Brilliant Tactician
Grand Admiral Thrawn is perhaps most famous for his astounding skill as a tactician, but he is far more than a brilliant strategist. The Chiss admiral wholeheartedly devotes himself to learning new skills and tactics whenever he can.
Thrawn is a skilled hand-to-hand warrior, a historian, and a cultural expert, picking up new information about each group he conquers on the battlefield. As such, Thrawn is certainly the most cultured villain in Star Wars and one of the most well-rounded characters in the franchise.
2 The Emperor Valued Thrawn's Mind
Emperor Palpatine was very selective about who he trusted to carry out his will throughout the galaxy. He had few close advisors, with even Darth Vader holding very little sway over the emperor. Nonetheless, it is clear from their interactions that Palpatine valued Thrawn's wisdom and held a great deal of respect for the Grand Admiral.
After Thrawn's disappearance during the Rebels series finale, Palpatine lamented his advisor's absence. The comic Star Wars #8 revealed just how profoundly Thrawn's disappearance affected Palpatine's plans, forcing him to delegate certain missions to Darth Vader that he had once intended for his master tactician.
1 Thrawn Knows Darth Vader's True Identity
There are few characters in the Star Wars galaxy who knew that Darth Vader is actually the fallen Jedi Anakin Skywalker. Most with this knowledge were present for the events of Anakin's fall. However, Thrawn was one of the very few who could deduce Vader's secret identity without having been present.
Having fought alongside Anakin Skywalker during a campaign in the Clone Wars, Thrawn figured out Vader's true identity upon meeting him in the novel Thrawn: Alliances. Thrawn came to this conclusion based on very little foreknowledge, which once again proves that Thrawn can effectively read others, who can't keep many secrets from his observant mind.